By: Julia Zousmer
I believe that the NBC television show, Law and Order Special Victims Unit, is very unique in the way it portrays the law in relation to human complexity. The show focuses on two detectives, Benson and Stabler, who investigate sex crimes and child abuse. Obviously, these crimes are considered to be incredibly heinous and invoke tremendous emotion from an average person. Detectives Benson and Stabler work in conjunction with other detectives and the district attorney to prosecute the crimes. Detective Benson has been a victim of sexual assault and as a result her work is very much influenced by her emotion and human complexity—sometimes a little too much. There are episodes in which she takes unnecessary risks with her own life and does not follow the exact protocol because she is so emotionally invested in the outcome of the case. This is sharply contrasted with the district attorney on the show, a lawyer who is realistic and can seem somewhat immune to the disturbing and emotional nature of the crimes she is prosecuting. Unlike Detective Benson, she always follows the appropriate procedures and does not let her personal feelings about the victims infect the way she does her job. In light of this class, it is certainly interesting to watch the sharp contrast between the attention to human complexity and emotion of the law enforcement character, with and without, the law degree.
