When Professors Hugh and Louise Murdoch are found shot dead in their apartment, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) must determine if Hugh Murdoch's controversial work in stem-cell research could have motivated a religious zealot to commit the murders. But it soon becomes apparent that it was Louise Murdoch's volunteer work raising money and awareness for women's issues in the Middle East that attracted the attention of a troubled young man, Greg Landen aka Mousah Salim (guest star Wil Horneff). A.D.A.'s McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) are left to grapple with Landen's interpretation of the Muslim religion, which may have led him to take extreme measures to exorcise his own personal demons. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Thompson also star. '

When a female high school English teacher is found stabbed to death, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) uncover a love triangle with both a scorned 16-year-old (guest star Stephi Lineburg) and her faculty lover (guest star Rob Campbell) as prime suspects. Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) hope to turn the two lovers against each other in order to shake loose a confession, but find their love unbreakable. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Thompson also star.'

When the lead singer of semi-known rock band is found dead, stuffed into a garbage can in the village with a large amount of heroine and cocaine in her system, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) search for the reason why the trouble vocalist left rehab, making her way to the apartment of former boyfriend and disgruntled band mate (guest star) of her late husband. Attempting to prosecute their case, Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) are hampered by ex-cop turned citizen crime-fighter, Mike Foster (guest star) the unconventional research tactics he employs in pursuit of his next best seller. Fred Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.'

When a struggling actress is found shot to death in her apartment in an apparent robbery-homicide, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) hope a vacation video shot by a couple from Ohio will lead them to the murderer. However, when the couple tries to make a quick buck by selling the video to a local news station, Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) attempt to side-step the constitution in order give the police access to the tape. Fred Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.'

When a disembodied hand found in Hell's Kitchen is found to belong to a woman who reportedly died in the Sept. 11 attacks, the detectives must work to uncover three things: how, where, and most importantly when did she die?'

When a local contractor is found on his living room floor shot in the head in an apparent robbery gone awry, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) believe the homicide to be the work of a professional and set their sights on the victim's well-kept young bride (guest star Gretchen Egolf) and her alleged lover (guest star Bobby Cannavale) as the masterminds behind this conspiracy. The case takes a strange turn when A.D.A. Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) discovers the supposed hit man was residing in federal prison at the time of the murder, slightly hindering Executive A.D.A. McCoy's (Sam Waterston) prosecution. Fred Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.'

When the defense attorney of a recently acquitted cop killer is gunned down outside a Manhattan restaurant, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) set their sights on their fellow officers for a possible suspect -- only to discover the murder might be the work of a white supremacist (guest star Garret Dillahunt). Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) must argue against an unlikely adversary who is his longtime friend and colleague (guest star Tovah Feldshuh) of the slain attorney. Elisabeth Rohm, Fred Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.'

When the body of a limo driver is found on the side of the road, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) discover the recovering addict was the steroid supplier for regular passenger and superstar baseball player Kevin Seleeby, making the sports icon their prime suspect. Further investigation by Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) reveals the alleged motive for the murder as the enterprising chauffer was also blackmailing his ball player client. Fred Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star. '

' The smoldering corpse of an Asian girl found outside the Chinese consul general's apartment leads the detectives to believe she had immolated herself to make a political statement. When forensics shows that she had been murdered beforehand, they find themselves in the middle of a religious conflict with the consul general their prime suspect and his attorney an old friend of District Attorney Branch.

' The hit-and-run death of a popular high-school student leaves the detectives suspecting the girl's father was the real target. When evidence reveals that the death was possibly a random killing, they are able to track down their suspect to his apartment. However things get complicated when their killer is murdered, and the person who committed the crime happens to be the victim's mother.

' The murder of a bookie with a high-class clientele leads the detectives to arrest his partner. Charged with first-degree murder, his attorney puts forth an unusual defense strategy that turns the trial into a political statement.

' A drug dealer is killed and suspicion falls on a dead teenager's father. Briscoe, still mourning his daughter, is unusually sympathetic. But before the police can prove it, his priest confesses -- claiming that God told him to do it.

' When the witness in a jewelry store robbery-homicide fails to appear in court, McCoy suspects foul play until he discovers that the man is a fugitive in a 20-year-old murder case.

' The bludgeoning of a luxury sports car dealer leads the detectives to a mentally challenged man and his girlfriend who is extremely attractive and whose expensive tastes lead her to be equally manipulative.

' The death of a stockbroker leads the detectives to his girlfriend whose mother is a cosmetics mogul who has a longstanding friendship with DA Arthur Branch, and will stop at nothing to protect her corporate image by using hormone replacement therapy withdrawal as the basis for her defense.

' A media-savvy attorney defends a black teenager accused of shooting an off-duty police officer.

Briscoe and Green investigate the murder of a cab driver. The finger of suspicion points toward a celebrated author and his protege - who used to be a child prodigy.'

' A missing football player becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a woman whose body is discovered floating in the East River.

In a routine murder investigation, Briscoe and Green think they have got their man when the prime suspect in the case knows every detail about the death. However, when he claims he got his information via a psychic vision, the detectives have their work cut out.'

' The murder of an admissions director of a private school leads the detectives to investigate a pair of angry parents whose children were denied admission, but then set their sights on the headmaster when they discover that the victim was about to go public with the denied admissions.

Briscoe and Green investigate the death of a Russian model and when the autopsy reveals a host of old injuries, they suspect long-term abuse. Further tests are made on the body and the findings suggest that medical malpractice may have been afoot.'

' It's a race against time as the detectives go on the hunt for a sniper whose victims are shot in broad daylight.

Briscoe and Green have their hands full investigating several homicides, including the killing of a husband by his distraught wife and the murder of a woman whose complex relationship with two brothers poses problems for the detectives. To cap it all, they then have to probe the abduction of an expectant mother.'

' Briscoe and Green are assigned to a case involving an eccentric comedian who may have killed his young son by dangling him off a ledge.