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District Attorney John J. "Jack" McCoy



Played By: Sam Waterston

Introduction Scene: L&O, Episode 89, "Second Opinion" (09/21/94)

First Lines: Digging through the cabinets behind his desk, apparently looking for a warrant he finds later in the scene, he calls "Yeah?" at the sound of a knock. ADA Claire Kincaid enters the office. When the door closes behind her, he turns and acknowledges, "Claire Kincaid." Claire responds, "Jack McCoy." He stands and closes the cabinets. Claire continues, "I spoke to Mr. Schiff. He said you requested me." Now searching through a drawer, he replies, "As soon as I heard Ben had resigned. Your reputation precedes you." Claire responds, "As does yours. Including your ... relationships ... with previous assistants." He faces her, looking annoyed, and explains, "Three. In the past twenty-four years in this office--and that includes an ex-wife."

Exit Scene: N/A

Final Lines: N/A

Current and Former Assistants



* "An ex-wife", never named
--- Revealed in L&O Episode 89, "Second Opinion" (09/21/94)

* Sally Bell
--- Apparently went to work for Legal Aid when she left the DA's office
--- First introduced in L&O Episode 97, "Scoundrels" (11/30/94)
--- Is one of the "three women assistants" Jack had prior to Claire Kincaid [L&O Episode 89, "Second Opinion" (09/21/94)]; which means that she has to be one of Jack's former lovers.

* Diana Hawthorne
--- Worked with Jack c. 1987-c. 1991
--- Left the DA's office for private practice
--- Felt uncomfortable working with Jack when they were no longer lovers
--- Rigged the Andrew Dillard case to secure Jack's promotion; Jack took her to Ireland to celebrate when they won.
--- Took a plea of Criminal Facilitation 4 in Januaary, 1996, served six months in prison and lost her license to practice law.
--- All revealed in L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96)

* Daniel Tenofsky
--- As Dan was Jack's assistant "ten years ago" in 2004, he has to have been Jack's last assistant before Claire Kincaid.
--- Was a brilliant attorney who faked his credentials; he was actually named Jacob Dieter, and he never attended law school or took the bar exam. This misrepresentation opened the door for a couple of wiseguys and their lawyer to blackmail him.
--- Deceased: he was murdered in 2004 by the aforementioned wiseguys.
--- This was revealed in L&O Episode 320, "Nowhere Man" (03/31/04)

* Claire Kincaid
--- Claire is the first assistant Jack is seen with on the show.
--- She worked with him from July 30, 1994 to mid-July, 1996 [L&O Episode 89 through Episodes 133-134].
--- Deceased: she was killed in a car accident with a drunk driver [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); death discussed/revealed in L&O Episode 195, "Sideshow (1)" (02/17/99)].
--- She and Jack were lovers, which was revealed post-mortem [L&O Episode 195, "Sideshow (1)" (02/17/99)].

* Jamie Ross
--- Worked with Jack July 24, 1996 - May 11, 1998 [L&O Episodes 135-181]
--- Testified on Jack's behalf before the Bar Association Disciplinary Committee [L&O Episode 181, "Monster" (05/20/98); L&O Episode 210, "Justice" (11/10/99)]
--- Jack later chose to testify before the Bar Association Disciplinary Committee on her behalf [L&O Episode 210, "Justice" (11/10/99)].
--- Is now a judge [TBJ Episode 2, "41 Shots" (03/04/05); TBJ Episode 7, "Bang and Blame" (04/08/05)]

* Abigail "Abbie" Carmichael
--- Worked with Jack June 12, 1998 - week of July 10, 2001 [L&O Episodes 182-253]
--- Her first meeting with Jack was about June 25, 1998 [L&O Episode 182, "Cherished" (09/23/98)]
--- Was raped as a college freshman by a third-year law student [L&O Episode 189, "Punk" (11/25/98)]
--- Left the DA's office to work in the US Attorney's Office, Southern District [L&O Episode 253, "Deep Vote" (05/23/01)]

* Serena Southerlyn
--- Worked with Jack May 31, 2001 - March 3, 2005 [L&O Episodes 254-338]
--- Jack represented her before the Bar Association Disciplinary Committee [L&O Episode 266, "DR 1-102" (01/30/02)]
--- Is a lesbian [L&O Episode 338, "Ain't No Love" (01/12/05)]
--- Was fired from the DA's office (though not because she's a lesbian) [L&O Episode 338, "Ain't No Love (01/12/05)].

* Alexandra "Alex" Borgia
--- Worked with Jack March 5, 2005 - April 26, 2006 [L&O Episodes 339-371]
--- Deceased: she was murdered in 2006 by a pair of home invaders [L&O Episode 371, "Invaders" (05/17/06)].

* Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa
--- Worked with Jack June 7, 2006 - August 3, 2007 [L&O Episodes 372-393]
--- She then became the assistant to new EADA Michael Cutter, starting in L&O Episode 394, "Called Home (01/02/08), though she apparently also assists other senior ADAs: she assisted ADA Josh Lathem in L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)--until Jack kicked him out of the DA's Office.

Key Professional Rivals

* Randall J. Dworkin [L&O Episode 288, "Chosen" (01/15/03); L&O Episode 303, "Bounty" (10/01/03); L&O Episode 367, "Thinking Makes It So" (03/29/06)]

* Vanessa Galliano [L&O Episode 288, "Ill-Conceived" (12/03/03); L&O Episode 327, "The Dead Wives Club" (09/22/04); L&O Episode 365, "Cost of Capital" (03/08/06)]

* Alissa Goodwyn, who represented Jack's second ex-wife [L&O Episode 374, "Home Sweet" (10/06/06)]

* Aaron Solomon, who "[led] the charge" when Serena Southerlyn was brought before the Bar Association Disciplinary Committee [L&O Episode "DR 1-102" (01/30/02)]

Professional Idiosyncrasies/Quirks



Jack McCoy has a complex and strong set of personal moral beliefs, which over the years have varied to match the whims of the show's writers, but generally stay fairly true to character. The potpourri that creates the three-dimensional McCoy includes these relative constants:

* He has stated that "I believe that anyone who wraps themselves in the flag--or the cloth--to excuse themselves from the rules the rest of us mortals have to obey is pulling a fast one. Pisses me off no end." Later in the same conversation, he continues, "I do know this: that [the defendant's] right to his convictions stopped at [the victim's] nose" [Episode 289, "Under God" (02/05/03)].

* His personal beliefs are known to have trumped his beliefs in the law. DA Adam Schiff once told him: "Your credibility is not a boomerang. Give it up, it doesn't come back. One defendant's not worth it" [L&O Episode 135, "Causa Mortis" (09/18/96)]. Later, even when pressured, even by Adam, Jack has fought going back on his word [L&O Episode 222, "Black, White and Blue" (03/22/00)], but he holds no compunction about going back on that word if the person with whom he's made the deal has misrepresented himself [e.g., L&O Episode 183, "DWB" (10/07/98)].

* Yet there are several instances in which he acted contrary to his personal beliefs to prosecute a case [e.g., L&O Episode 282, "The Ring" (11/06/02); L&O Episode 315, "City Hall" (02/11/04); L&O Episode 332, "Gov Love" (11/10/04)]. He believes the law should be ever-evolving, though he will argue the opposite to win a case [e.g., L&O Episode 96, "Virtue" (11/23/96); L&O Episode 280, "True Crime" (10/16/02); L&O Episode 282, "The Ring" (11/06/02)].

* He tends to see the big picture in his cases, to the point that Adam Schiff once asked if he "can't ... see the little picture for a change?" [L&O Episode 225, "Untitled" (05/03/000].

* He uses the law creatively, with hit-or-miss results [e.g., L&O Episode 115, "Jeopardy" (11/01/95); L&O Episode 191, "Hate" (01/06/99); L&O Episode 206, "Gunshow" (09/22/99); L&O Episode 215, "Loco Parentis" (01/05/00); L&O Episode 231, "Turnstile Justice" (10/25/00); L&O Episode 244, "Swept Away -- A Very Special Episode" (02/28/01); L&O Episode 272, "Slaughter" (04/10/02)]. He says he believes precedents are the concern of judges, and prosecutors should only be concerned with convicting criminals [L&O Episode 280, "True Crime" (10/16/02)]. He apparently knows the entire CPL, down to citations and footnotes, by heart, and frequently uses obscure references to get his way, occasionally to the point that he crosses the line [e.g., L&O Episode 94, "Competence" (11/02/94); L&O Episode 102, "Performance" (11/09/94; L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96); L&O Episode 168, "Under the Influence" (01/07/98)]. At some point, his propensity for anything-to-win tactics earned him the nickname "Hang 'Em High McCoy" [Episode 127, "Savior" (03/13/96)].

* His drive to win does not trump his moral code: "There is no value in incarcerating the wrong person," and he feels guilty when he does, in fact, convict an innocent person [L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96) (quoted); L&O Episode 98, "House Counsel" (01/04/95); L&O Episode 105, "Act of God" (03/22/95)]. However, "people who get in the way of [his] murder cases get run over" [L&O Episode 164, "Blood" (11/19/97)], even if it means breaking a confidence from a friend [L&O Episode 404, "Betrayal" (03/05/08)].

* He apparently supports jury nullification in limited instances: c. 1973, he wrote an article for the NYU Law School entitled "Jury Nullification in the Criminal Justice System." The article supports jury nullification in cases in which the defendant is being tried unjustly and apparently cites cases involving anti-war protesters [L&O Episode 162, "Nullification" (11/05/97)].

* He has been known to take apart detectives and other law enforcement personnel on the stand in pursuit of a conviction [e.g., L&O Episode 105, "Act of God" (03/22/95); L&O Episode 153, "Double Down" (04/16/97); L&O Episode 175, "Stalker" (04/15/98); L&O Episode 404, "Betrayal" (03/05/08)].

* He holds law enforcement peers to a higher standard than civilians. To that end, he believes examples should be made of police and prosecutors who break the law, or the system loses credibility--and he will go to some lengths to assure that such examples are made [e.g., L&O Episode 94, "Competence" (11/02/94); L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96); L&O Episode 139, "Corruption" (10/30/96); L&O Episode 183, "DWB" (10/07/98); L&O Episode 184, "Bait" (10/14/98); L&O Episode 198, "Shield" (03/24/99); L&O Episode 222, "Black, White and Blue" (03/22/00); L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)].

* He is willing to overlook how evidence was acquired, so long as it remains admissible, but he has been known to get rather bent out of shape when a crucial piece of evidence is ruled inadmissible [e.g., L&O Episode 91, "Blue Bamboo" (10/05/94); L&O Episode 97, "Scoundrels" (11/30/94); L&O Episode 104, "Wannabe" (03/15/95); L&O Episode 146, "Barter" (02/12/97); L&O Episode 173, "Divorce" (03/04/98); L&O Episode 184, "Bait" (10/14/98); L&O Episode 367, "Thinking Makes It So" (03/29/06)].

* He believes that holding parents accountable for the crimes of their children is acceptable [L&O Episode 131, "Girlfriends" (05/01/96); L&O Episode 215, "Loco Parentis" (01/05/00); L&O Episode 378, "In Vino Veritas" (11/03/06)]. On the other hand, he has shown sympathy for teens who are violent due to mistreatment or kidnapping, but he does not let that influence his efforts to convict them [L&O Episode 299, "Sheltered" (05/14/03); Episode 391, "Captive" (05/04/07)].

* He has no particular problem simultaneously arguing two logically inconsistent and mutually exclusive legal theories [e.g., L&O Episode 158, "Thrill" (09/24/97)].

* He has butted heads with his boss, and is verbal about disagreeing over policy or being forced into making deals. He will do everything he can to do what he feels is right, up to and including defying orders [e.g., L&O Episode 183, "DWB" (10/07/98); L&O Episode 205, "Refuge (2)" (05/26/99); L&O Episode 222, "Black, White and Blue" (03/22/00); L&O Episode 313, "Payback" (01/14/04); L&O Episode 377, "Profiteer" (10/27/06)].

* He is intensely loyal to his friends and will go out of his way to help them [L&O Episode 139, "Corruption" (10/30/96); L&O Episode 157, "Terminal" (05/21/97); L&O Episode 178, "Bad Girl" (04/29/98); TBJ Episode 8, "Skeleton" (04/15/05)]. But he will lash out at a friend who betrays his trust--personally and possibly legally. Such a betrayal puts him in a black enough mood that he "wouldn't be very good company" [e.g., L&O Episode 98, "House Counsel" (01/04/95)].

* He takes being hoodwinked rather personally [L&O Episode 279, "Shangri-La" (10/09/02)]. He is capable of holding minor grudges [L&O Episode 119, "Angel" (11/29/95); L&O Episode 374, "Home Sweet" (10/06/06)], but doesn't let them interfere with his professional judgment. He considers those who do let grudges interfere to be irritating, distracting and, in some cases, almost criminal [e.g., L&O Episode 168, "Under the Influence" (01/07/98); L&O Episode 181, "Monster" (05/20/98); L&O Episode 202, "Ambitious" (05/12/99); L&O Episode 232, "Dissonance" (11/01/00); L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)].

* He will not accept racism as a defense to murder (in fact, he finds it reprehensible) [e.g., L&O Episode 101, "Rage" (02/01/95); L&O Episode 235, "Burn Baby Burn" (11/22/00); L&O Episode 263, "Prejudice" (12/12/01); L&O Episode 375, "Fear America" (10/13/06)], and he will go the extra mile to convict defendants trying to abdicate personal responsibility [e.g., L&O Episode 170, "Castoff" (01/28/98); L&O Episode 363, "Magnet" (02/08/06)].

* He has, on occasion, asked psychiatric experts for opinions of defendants they have not examined [e.g., L&O Episode 117, "Paranoia" (11/15/95); L&O Episode 133, "Homesick" (05/15/96)], and he has been known to choose the psychiatric opinion that supports his case [e.g., L&O Episode 169, "Expert" (01/21/98); L&O Episode 207, "Killerz" (09/29/99); L&O Episode 292, "B*tch" (02/26/03)].

* Overall, however, he seems to consider psychiatry something of a necessary evil. For example, he refused to open up to Dr. Olivet when Adam Schiff sent her to talk to him after he, Claire Kincaid, Lennie Briscoe, and Rey Curtis witnessed the execution of Mickey Scott [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)]. Also, while discussing with Dr. Skoda the legal competence of Clay Warner, who wanted the death penalty as a condition of his deal, Jack said, "Analyze him, Emil, not me" [L&O Episode 294, "Genius" (04/02/03)], and in another case, he was reluctant to accept a defense based upon post-traumatic stress caused by 9/11 [L&O Episode 327, "The Dead Wives Club" (02/22/04)].

* He has little patience for incompetence. During the trial of Leah Coleman, he told a very inexperienced defense attorney to "Sit down and shut up, Mr. Fineman!"--earning a reprimand from the judge [L&O Episode 119, "Angel" (11/29/95)]. Of Barry Peck, a defense attorney whe is too conceited to understand that he's incompetent, Jack told Nora, "No, he's an idiot," and even went so far as to mock one of Peck's witnesses while she was on the stand [L&O Episode 230, "Endurance" (10/18/00)]. He lost patience with Dean "What Are You Offering?" Connors when Connors wouldn't properly represent his client [L&O Episode 291, "Star Crossed" (02/19/03)].

Notable Prosecutions



Organized Crime - the Mafia, the Russian Mob, drug cartels, gangs

* Vincent Dosso (and his lawyer, Paul Kopell) [L&O Episode 98, "House Counsel" (01/04/95)]
* Sam "Bunny" Russo [L&O Episode 146, "Barter" (02/12/97)]
* Alberto Napoli [L&O Episode 172, "Faccia a Faccia" (02/25/98)]
* Sean Russo [L&O Episode 202, "Ambitious" (05/12/99)]
* Constantine Volsky [L&O Episode 204 & 205, "Refuge (1&2)" (05/26/99)]
* Joe Peña [L&O Episode 247, "White Lie" (04/04/01)]
* Albert Bennato [L&O Episode 253, "Deep Vote" (05/23/01)]
* Nicky & Tommy Avakian [L&O Episode 276, "Oxymoron" (05/15/02)]
* Frederico Righetti [L&O Episode 313, "Payback" (01/14/04)]
* Foster Keyes and Ronald Duggin [L&O Episode 317, "Can I Get a Witness?" (02/25/04)]
* Franco Tortomassi [L&O Episode 320, "Nowhere Man" (03/31/04)]
* Paul Raimondo [L&O Episode 321, "Everybody Loves Raimondo's" (04/14/04)]
* Michael Ruffino [L&O Episode 333, "Cry Wolf" (11/17/04)]
* Hydar Raheem [L&O Episode 335, "Enemy" (12/01/04)]
* L-12 [L&O Episode 354, "Life Line" (10/19/05)]

Coporations

* Algen (bio supplier) [L&O Episode 185, "Flight" (10/21/98)]
* Rolf Firearms [L&O Episode 206, "Gunshow" (09/22/99)]
* SMJ Medical Services [L&O Episode 231, "Turnstile Justice" (10/25/00)]
* Consolidated Broadcasting Corporation (television network) [L&O Episode 244, "Swept Away -- A Very Special Episode" (02/28/01)]
* Gerard Diamond Company [L&O Episode 257, "Soldier of Fortune" (10/24/01)]
* Access Nation (online data brokerage firm) [L&O Episode 268, "Access Nation" (02/27/02)]
* AgriStar Enterprises (food supplier) [L&O Episode 272, "Slaughter" (04/10/02)]
* Barden Pharmaceutical [L&O Episode 329, "Coming Down Hard" (10/06/04)]
* The Countrymen (citizen's border patrol) [L&O Episode 357, "New York Minute" (11/16/05)]
* Confront and Heal (television newsmagazine) [L&O Episode 376, "Public Service Homicide" (10/20/06)]
* Babes Being Bad (porn company) [L&O Episode 379, "Release" (11/10/06)]
* Linden VA Hospital (indirectly) [L&O Episode 392, "Over Here" (05/11/07)]
* A Big Tobacco company, though not in an episode of L&O; we're told about it in L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08).

Vietnam-era Crimes & Criminals

* Susan Forest [L&O Episode 93, "White Rabbit" (10/19/94)]
* Darryl Grady [L&O Episode 192, "Ramparts" (01/13/99)]
* Colonel Emilio Pantoya [L&O Episode 229, "Vaya con Dios" (05/24/00)]

Prosecutors, Cops & Public Officials

* Lt. Anita Van Buren (she was "no-billed" by the Grand Jury) [L&O Episode 94, "Competence" (11/02/94)]
* Spencer Talbert [L&O Episode 96, "Virtue" (11/23/94)]
* Kevin Crossley [L&O Episode 111, "Pride" (05/24/95)]
* Diana Hawthorne [L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96)]
* Lt. John Flynn [L&O Episode 139, "Corruption" (10/30/96)]
* Charlie Harmon [L&O Episode 165, "Shadow" (11/26/97)]
* Officer Frank Dietrick, Officer Sawchuck and Officer Fratelli [L&O Episode 183, "DWB" (10/07/98)]
* Det. Mark Rivera [L&O Episode 184, "Bait" (10/14/98)]
* Officers Marissa Hastings and Steve Felton [L&O Episode 198, "Shield" (03/24/99)]
* Judge Andrew Wolinsky [L&O Episode 210, "Justice" (11/10/99)]
* Officers Patrick Flannery and Earl Smith [L&O Episode 222, "Black, White and Blue" (03/22/00)]
* Corrections Officer Pete Bennett [L&O Episode 233, "Standoff" (11/08/00)]
* Asst. US Attorney Frank Conroy [L&O Episode 246, "Ego" (03/21/01)]
* Senator Anne Benton [L&O Episode 253, "Deep Vote" (05/23/01)]
* Lisa Russo [L&O Episode 260, "Myth of Fingerprints" (11/14/01)]
* Li Chen (okay, so he was a Chinese official) [L&O Episode 286, "The Wheel" (12/11/02)]
* Judge Ruth Alexander [L&O Episode 308, "Floater" (11/12/03)]
* Det. (Ret.) Bob Cerullo [L&O Episode 361, "Family Friend" (01/11/06)]
* Eric Lund [L&O Episode 369, "Kingmaker" (05/03/06)]
* DEA Agent Kevin Almonte [L&O Episode 371, "Invaders" (05/17/06)]
* Senator Randall Bailey [L&O Episode 393, "The Family Hour" (05/15/07)]
* Victor Vargas [L&O Episode 399, "Political Animal" (01/30/08)]
* Auxiliary Officer Rodchenko [L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)]

Family History



Father
Much as with Jack himself, there are inconsistencies among the specifics we've been given concerning Jack's father's career, though other aspects of the character have remained very consistent. Here's what we've been told:

* Jack's father was a member of the Chichgo Police Department long enough to draw a pension:
--- "My father was a cop for 31 years" [L&O Episode 90, "Coma" (09/28/94)].
--- 35 years [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)]
--- 22 years [L&O Episode 280, "True Crime" (10/16/02)]

* The elder McCoy is described by Jack as a man with "big, thick hands" that, as a toddler, Jack "sat in his hands like they were a chair" ... but was "still scared of those hands" long after his father died [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)]. He beat Jack's mother and was at least emotionally, and very likely physically, abusive toward Jack as well; he liked his routine (and his wife's corned beef and cabbage) and could become violent when it was interrupted [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 378, "In Vino Veritas" (11/03/06)]. He disliked anyone who wasn't Irish: "he'd come home from work and rant about the blacks, Italians, Ukrainians" [L&O Episode 378, "In Vino Veritas" (11/03/06)]. He "smoked like a chimney," dying of lung cancer c. 1986; Jack was present at his deathbed [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)]. As an adult, Jack refers to his father as a "sonofabitch" [e.g., L&O Episode 145, "Menace" (02/05/97); L&O Episode 299, "Sheltered" (05/14/03)] and once told Lennie Briscoe that making his father proud is "not what gets [him] up in the morning" [L&O Episode 280, "True Crime" (10/16/02)]. Jack has stated that he neither liked nor respected his father [L&O Episode 378, "In Vino Veritas" (11/03/06)].

* Jack's father bowled well enough to have won a trophy, and he played darts. He started teaching Jack to play darts when Jack was about three; Jack would sit in his hands and they'd toss darts until Jack fell asleep. When Jack was eight, his father took him down to the pub and bet $20 that Jack could beat anyone there. After Jack put "three--in the men's room door", he "spent the next three weeks in the basement [practicing]. I haven't lost since. In my family, losing was not an option" [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)].


Mother
* Jack's mother was apparently fairly pragmatic, at least when it came to marriage; she told Jack, "Marry a rich girl and expect to work hard for the money" [L&O Episode 92, "Family Values" (10/12/94)].


Other Relations
* Jack is his father's "firstborn" [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)], and he has at least one (younger) sibling who has at least a son [L&O Episode 215, "Loco Parentis" (01/05/00)].

* Jack's nephew has at least a daughter, for whom Jack bought a bicycle [L&O Episode 397, "Bottomless" (01/16/08)].

* Jack has a grown daughter, from whom he has been estranged [H:LOTS Episode 82, "Baby, It's You (2)" (11/14/97); L&O Episode 372, "Fame" (09/22/06)] and who lived in Maine as of 2006 [L&O Episode 372, "Fame" (09/22/06)]. They met in a bar at the end of the episode "Fallout" [L&O Episode 390, (04/27/07)], and though her name wasn't stated in dialogue, the credits list it as "Rebecca." Before that meeting, Jack and his daughter reportedly hadn't spoken in nine years [L&O Episode 372, "Fame" (09/22/06)]; the same reporter that wrote about Jack's estrangement from his daughter sent him photos at the end of the episode, presumably of Rebecca, the envelope containing which Jack didn't open. By 2008, she had taken a job in San Diego [L&O Episode 410, "Personae Non Grata" (05/14/08)].

* He has two ex-wives [L&O Episode 89, "Second Opinion" (09/24/94); L&O Episode 374, "Home Sweet" (10/06/06)]. Only one was mentioned until the episode "Home Sweet", when Jack introduces Connie Rubirosa to the woman who represented his second ex-wife. It's assumed, but not confirmed, that the first ex is Rebecca's mother. One or both exes left him because he worked too many late nights [L&O Episode 304, "Patient Zero" (10/08/03)]. The second divorce was apparently acrimonious; Jack told Connie that his second wife's attorney was "why [he'll] never get married again" [L&O Episode 374, "Home Sweet" (10/06/06)].



Childhood Events

* Jack grew up on Damen Avenue on Chichgo's Southside [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 289, "Under God" (02/05/03)]. As a child, he wanted to be a police officer: "wear the blues, walk a beat ... carry a gun ... be the toughest guy on the block" [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96)], but Jack's father wanted him to be a lawyer: "You, Jack, you are going to law school ... someday, we're gonna be judge."

* At some point, Jack had a job delivering newspapers [L&O Episode 383, "Charity Case" (01/12/07)].

* He had a childhood friend named Tommy Soutar, whom he followed around "like a puppy". Tommy lived two doors down on Damen Avenue, and was a couple of years older than Jack. He died in a VA hospital in 1968 after refusing to make a deathbed recantation of his sins. Once the priest had moved on, Tommy said to Jack, "God forgive me if I'm wrong." Those were his last words. Jack "thought it was right" and that it "took a lot of guts" [L&O Episode 289, "Under God" (02/05/03)].

* Jack did not serve in Vietnam [L&O Episode 255, "Armed Forces" (10/03/01)]. He at least sympathized with Vietnam protesters, telling Abbie Carmichael at one point that "Activists aren't terrorists!" [L&O Episode 192, "Ramparts" (01/13/99)], and it's implied that he was a protester himself [L&O Episode 93, "White Rabbit" (10/19/94); L&O Episode 162, "Nullification" (11/05/97); L&O Episode 229, "Vaya con Dios" (05/24/00)]. He remains suspicious of 1960's government policies [L&O Episode 93, "White Rabbit" (10/19/94); L&O Episode 192, "Ramparts" (01/13/99)].

Medical/Psychological History



* Jack may have a weak knee: he can be seen wearing a knee brace on his right leg while playing basketball [L&O Episode 274, "Foul Play" (05/01/02)].

* He takes sumatriptan, presumably for migraines [L&O Episode 268, "Access Nation" (02/27/02)].

* He was apparently thrown into an intense depression following the death of Claire Kincaid [e.g., L&O Episode 135, "Causa Mortis" (09/18/96); L&O Episode 168, "Under the Influence" (01/07/98)] during which he apparently engaged in bouts of heavy drinking to the point that Jamie Ross commented on it [L&O Episode 146, "Barter" (02/12/97); L&O Episode 161, "Harvest" (10/29/97)]. "Under the Influence" marked a turning point--Jack took out his anger and grief on the defendant and was able, at the end, to join Jamie and her fiancé socially. A comment from Adam much later--"If I didn't know better, I'd offer you a drink" [L&O Episode 229, "Vaya con Dios" (05/24/00)]--suggests he was on the wagon for a while, though he was clearly off again by 2002, when he and Serena shared a drink after she was cleared by the Bar Association Disciplinary Committee [L&O Episode 266, "DR 1-102" (01/30/02)].

* Tries to project a "tough guy" image. He refuses to admit that he can be emotionally affected by anything [e.g., L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 181, "Monster" (05/20/98); L&O Episode 230, "Endurance" (10/18/00); L&O Episode 310, "Compassion" (11/26/03)].

* Had affairs with four of his assistants: an ex-wife, Sally Bell, Diana Hawthorne and Claire Kincaid [L&O Episode 89, "Second Opinion" (09/21/94); L&O Episode 97, "Scoundrels" (11/30/94); L&O Episode 123, "Trophy" (01/31/96); L&O Episode 195, "Sideshow (1)" (02/17/99)].

* Refusus to be intimidated by threats [e.g., L&O Episode 358, "Criminal Law" (11/23/05)].

* Likely suffered physical abuse at the hands of his father [L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 378, "In Vino Veritas" (11/03/06)].

* As a child, had a dream in which he was swimming in a blue ocean towards an island that, despite his best efforts, never got any closer [L&O Episode 205, "Refuge (2)" (05/26/99)].

Political Affiliations/Opinions



* He seems to be fairly moderate, politically:
--- He's pro-death penalty, and will push to get it--except immediately following Claire Kincaid's death [e.g., L&O Episode 114, "Savages" (10/18/95); L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 135, "Causa Mortis" (09/18/96); L&O Episode 178, "Bad Girl" (04/29/98); L&O Episode 176, "Disappeared" (04/22/98); L&O Episode 190, "True North" (12/09/98); L&O Episode 241, "Teenage Wasteland" (02/07/01); L&O Episode 380, "Deadlock" (11/17/06); L&O Episode 402, "Executioner" (02/20/08)]. He believes the death penalty discourages citizens from engaging in vigilantism.
--- He has a "moral objection" to suicide [L&O Episode 208, "DNR" (10/06/99)].
--- He refuses to state a position on embryonic stem cell research; when Connie Rubirosa tried to get one out of him at the end of "Talking Points" [L&O Episode 384, (02/02/07)], he responded with a non sequitur: "I think, if God created man in His image, maybe we've all just degenerated from whatever's floating around in that petri dish."
--- On the other hand, he's probably pro-choice; or, at least, he doesn't consider abortion providers to be murderers [L&O Episode 100, "Progeny" (01/25/95)].
--- He believes in corporate responsibility, and is willing to prosecute corporations that act recklessly [e.g., L&O Episode 185, "Flight" (10/21/98); L&O Episode 206, "Gunshow" (09/22/99); L&O Episode 231, "Turnstile Justice" (10/25/00); L&O Episode 244, "Swept Away -- A Very Special Episode" (02/28/01); L&O Episode 257, "Soldier of Fortune" (10/24/01); L&O Episode 268, "Access Nation" (02/27/02); L&O Episode 272, "Slaughter" (04/10/02); L&O Episode 329, "Coming Down Hard" (10/06/04); L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)].
--- He believes affirmative action provides minorities with "otherwise unavailable opportunity" [L&O Episode 303, "Bounty" (10/01/03)].
--- He apparently supports gay marriage [L&O Episode 314, "Married With Children" (02/04/04)], but that didn't stop him from invalidating a number of gay marriages in order to win a case [L&O Episode 332, "Gov Love" (11/10/04)]. He was not present when Serena Southerlyn asked Arthur Branch if she was being fired because she was a lesbian [L&O Episode 338, "Ain't No Love" (01/12/06)].
--- As of 2007, he supports a candidate who appears to be a riff on Hillary Clinton, though he's probably not a diehard supporter; as he put it, "Compare it with the alternative" [L&O Episode 399, "Political Animal" (01/30/08)].
--- He seems to cognitively disapprove of illegal immigration on some level, but since--generally speaking--illegal immigrants aren't killing anyone, he doesn't devote a great deal of energy to the subject. He once used an illegal immigrant as a prosecution witness and was unable to prevent the judge from deporting her [L&O Episode 357, "New York Minute" (11/16/05)], and he has used the threat of deportation as a weapon to ensure a witness's cooperation [L&O Episode 386, "Melting Pot" (02/16/07)].
--- He likely protested the Vietnam war [L&O Episode 162, "Nullification" (11/05/97)] and remains sympathetic to those ideals [L&O Episode 93, "White Rabbit" (10/19/94); L&O Episode 162, "Nullification" (11/05/97); L&O Episode 192, "Ramparts" (01/13/99); L&O Episode 229, "Vaya con Dios" (05/24/00)]. In particular, he's wary of post-9/11 fear politics. When prosecuting a man who had murdered an Arab man by blowing up his apartment, he told Nora Lewin, "We can't just forget the rule of law because we don't like who lays claim to it", and later, "People can consider whatever they want, but fear is not a license to kill." [L&O Episode 277, "Patriot" (05/22/02)]. However, he will use evidence gained by anti-terrorist measures if it supports his case [L&O Episode 315, "City Hall" (02/11/04)].
--- He believes in peaceful protest and civil disobedience: "A bad law sometimed demands an illegal act," as long as no one gets killed [L&O Episode 162, "Nullification" (11/05/97)], and though he never served in the military, he has great respect for those who served honorably [L&O Episode 255, "Armed Forces" (10/03/01); L&O Episode 392, "Over Here" (05/11/07)].
--- He believes that the 2nd Amendment has outlived its usefulness [L&O Episode 206, "Gunshow" (09/22/99)].
--- And with all of this, he has been accused of being a liberal. In "Bounty" [L&O Episode 303, (10/01/03)], defense attorney Randy Dworkin noted that Jack was wielding "the most dangerous weapon in the leftist arsenal" when he brought up "the 'R' word": racism. In "Illegal" [L&O Episode 401, (02/13/08)], former ADA Josh Lathem referred to Jack's "shaggy, hippie liberal head" immediately before he was dismissed from the DA's office (though that wasn't the reason for his dismissal), and defense attorney Miss Sanders accused Jack of "[servicing his] liberal agenda."

* That said, he dislikes politics--when Spencer Talbert accused him of trying to advance his political career, he responded, "No, I don't like politics. And I don't much care for politicians, but I won't hold your job against you" [L&O Episode 96, "Virtue" (11/23/94)]. He also told Arthur Branch, "You do politics, Arthur, not me. I do the law" [L&O Episode 384, "Talking Points" (02/02/07)]. He certainly has moments during which he feels out of his depth performing the duties of district attorney; during the episode "Illegal" [L&O Episode 401, (02/13/08)], he told Mike Cutter and Connie Rubirosa, "What an idiot! Where did I get the idea that I could do this job without the politics and stay above the fray?"

* However, he's not above using the media to put pressure on others in order to get his way [e.g., L&O Episode 96, "Virtue" (11/23/94); L&O Episode 302, "Bodies" (09/24/03); L&O Episode 402, "Executioner" (02/20/08)].

* Realist. He knows no single prosecution will make a difference in the beliefs and attitudes of the public at large [L&O Episode 191, "Hate" (01/06/99)].

* He finds religious leaders who are indicted for murder contemptible and may refuse to use their honorifics [e.g., L&O Episode 385, "Church" (02/09/07)]. He does not have a strong faith in God; when Serena asked him, "So, God's dead?" he responded, "I'm proud to say I don't know." He seems to have no particular use for the Catholic Church as an institution: "Anybody who knows that he knows gets my hair up" [L&O Episode 289, "Under God" (02/05/03)].

* He finds racism, in particular anti-Semitism, repugnant [e.g., L&O Episode 120, "Blood Libel" (01/03/96); L&O Episode 213, "Blood Money" (12/01/99); L&O Episode 319, "Evil Breeds" (03/24/04)].

* He finds the ideas of forced sterilization and eugenics repugnant, but tempting--and the temptation scares him [L&O Episode 355, "Birthright" (11/02/05)].

Personal Quirks



* Wears a ring monogrammed "JJM" on his right hand.

* Is right handed, and apparently prefers to write by hand, in pen.

* Wears his watch on his left arm, above the wrist.

* Usually wears a leather jacket, and his winter coats have hoods; he also wears size large gloves [L&O Episode 296, "Seer" (04/23/03)]. Until Season 16, he wore watch caps in the winter, then upgraded to a fedora, which is first seen in "Criminal Law" [L&O Episode 358, (11/23/05)]. Sam Waterston prefers a fedora in public, which may have influenced the change.

* Wears sweaters as part of his casual dress in the winter--maroon, navy blue or charcoal.

* Wears gray suits with traditional dress shirts: white, off-white and light blue. Generally wears ties with diagonal stripes, though occasionally wears one with a small pattern. Had a couple of paisley ties, one of which Adam Schiff poked fun at in "Showtime" [L&O Episode 151, (03/27/97)].

* Seasons 12-15, he occasionally wore an American flag pin on his lapel.

* Banks at Citibank, and as of 2002, he used his grandmother's name as his password for absolutely everything [L&O Episode 268, "Access Nation" (02/27/02)].

* As of 2006, wears reading glasses [e.g., L&O Episode 372, "Fame" (09/22/06)].

* Takes his coffee black [L&O Episode 117, "Paranoia" (11/15/95)].

* Is unselfconscious about eating in front of others [e.g., L&O Episode 90, "Coma" (09/28/94); L&O Episode 114, "Savages" (10/18/95); L&O Episode 183, "DWB" (10/07/98); L&O Episode 292, "B*tch" (02/26/03); L&O Episode 320, "Nowhere Man" (03/31/04)].

* Is not above napping on the couch in his office [L&O Episode 155, "Passion" (05/07/97)].

* Is a competent enough electrician to re-wire a lamp [L&O Episode 249, "All My Children" (05/02/01)].

* Is relatively capable when it comes to technology, but isn't entirely comfortable with the speed of recent technological advances [e.g., L&O Episode 268, "Access Nation" (02/27/02); L&O Episode 284, "Open Season" (11/20/02)]. Seems to prefer using law books to WestLaw [L&O Episode 402, "Executioner" (02/20/08)].

* Is enough of a gentleman to stand and offer a chair to a female colleague when she joins him in a restaurant [L&O Episode 331, "Cut" (10/27/04)].

* His female assistants usually drive when a car is necessary [e.g., L&O Episode 134, "Aftershock" (05/22/96); L&O Episode 342, "License to Kill" (02/23/05)].

* Owns a tiepin from Bobby Kennedy's 1968 Presidential campaign. It was given to him in 2007 by EADA Michael Cutter, who "found it on eBay" [L&O Episode 401, "Illegal" (02/13/08)].