A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn mentions to E.A.D.A. Jack McCoy 'that case in Texas where the lawyer fell asleep during trial'. In 1983, Calvin J. Burdine received a death sentence for the murder of his former roommate, W.T. Wise. During trial both the jurors and the court clerk noticed Burdine's court-appointed lawyer, Joe Frank Cannon, falling asleep frequently. In 1999, a federal district judge ordered a new trial for Burdine, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted against it.
Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Rogers says that the victim was killed with an antique gun, "something called a 7.63mm Mauser." The 7.63x25mm cartridge was one of the main cartridges the Mauser C96 was chambered for, the other being the 9x19mm Parabellum. The Mauser C96 (also known as a Mauser "Broomhandle") was the primary side-arm of the German army during both World Wars, it was designed in 1896 and was one of the first commercially successful semi-automatic pistols. In addition to being used by the German army it was also used by the Soviet Union, Austria, Hungary, Italy, North Vietnam and the Ottoman Empire among others.
Lonnie Jackson's full name is Langford Louis Jackson.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson has played four different roles over the course of the series:
- Episode 5.6 Competence (1994) - Detective Brian Keene.
- Episode 9.12 Haven (1999) - Attorney Winters.
- Episode 11.18 White Lie (2001) - Attorney Winters.
- Episode 14.6 Identity (2003) - Dr. Paul Jackson.
- Episode 18.14 Burn Card (2008) - Attorney Winters.