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"Ridicule"
SVU, Episode 3.10
Production number: E2316
First aired: 14 December 2001
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
Amelia Chase
Written By
Judith McCreary

Directed By
Constantine Makris

Detectives Benson and Stabler investigate the death of a young wife who apparently died during an erotic asphyxiation accident. The investigation leads them to a male stripper who recently accused the woman of assaulting him, along with a group of her friends.

Summary[]

A young wife's body is found after what seems to be an erotic asphyxiation accident. Detectives Benson and Stabler end up suspecting a male stripper. He reveals he was recently gang raped by her and her two female friends, after the three women handcuffed him to a bed during a bachelorette party. A.D.A Cabot follows People v. Liberta (1984) and sues the women, who are represented by a defense attorney, for this non statutory female on male rape. The investigation of one of the women then reveals the accidental death was in fact a murder, as the victim planned to come clean and expose her fellow rapists.

Plot[]

Andrew Green finds his ex-wife Sydney's body hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom. With Dr. Warner away at a conference, the assistant M.E. Justin believes that Sydney died from autoerotic asphyxiation. Andrew tells Detectives Stabler and Benson that he and Sydney divorced two weeks ago after being married for only six months. The detectives look at the visitor log at Green's apartment and discover that her friends: Pamela "Pam" Adler (a defense attorney), and Amelia Chase (a stockbroker) visited Sydney the day she died.

When Stabler and Benson talk to Pam Adler, Adler says that she and Amelia Chase had a lunch date with Green, but Green decided not to go because she was depressed about her recent marital problems and wanted to be alone. She tells them Andrew was a struggling artist, and that he and Sydney met on a Caribbean vacation, while implying he was using her for money. When Munch and Fin talk to Chase, she tells them that Green was a risk taker and also into kinky sex which including choking herself.

The detectives discover that Sydney and Andrew Green were broke, but thanks to Sydney's life insurance, Andrew would inherit $50,000, but because of a premarital agreement, he would've received nothing in a divorce. When Stabler and Benson interrogate Andrew, Andrew reveals that he didn't meet Sydney on vacation, but in rehab for painkiller addiction. They were fighting because Sydney was using again and during her bachelorette party, Sydney and two friends raped a male stripper.

When Benson and Stabler talk to the stripper from Green's bachelorette party, Peter Smith, the stripper denies killing Green and his alibi clears. The assistant M.E. officially rules Sydney's death accidental, but the detectives are investigating Smith's rape. Stabler does not seem to believe Smith story because Smith is a man. When Smith tells his story to the detectives, he says that one woman told him when he threatened to call the cops: "What you know about the law won't fit in the palm of my hand."

The detectives discover that Pam Adler was one of the women that raped Smith and believes that Amelia Chase was also involved as well. When Smith identifies Adler and Chase in a line-up, they are arrested. Adler's attorney, Carolyn Maddox wants the judge to dismiss the charges against Adler because the law is unconstitutional when it comes to women raping men, but the judge turns her down and the trial proceeds.

During the trial, Adler approached Smith for cross-examination. The prosecution objects, but the judge says that since Adler is an attorney, she cannot legally block her from running her own defense. When Adler cross-examines Smith, she asks him if he filed a civil lawsuit for $5,000,000 against Sydney Green. Smith says that he did, but he only wanted the names.

When the prosecution asks Smith why he didn't mention the civil suit in the first place, Smith says that Stabler has been on his back looking for a reason to drop his case and says if he told about the suit, Stabler would have thought that Smith just wanted money. Since the police would not help Smith, he filed the suit against Green in order to get the names of the two other women that raped him.

Smith also says that Green called his attorney to set up a meeting before her death. Her husband did not know about the civil suit, but Adler had a copy of it while Green was alive. Green told Adler and Chase about it, telling them that she was giving into Smith's demand. Stabler thinks that Adler and Chase killed Green, but Green's death was ruled accidental, but with Dr. Warner back from her conference, the detectives decide to take another look at how Green really died.

When Stabler and Benson visit Green's crime scene with Dr. Warner, Dr. Warner believes that someone who is a practicing autoerotic staged Green's bedroom. The three of them believe that Adler and Chase went over to Green's apartment after she told them she was giving in to Smith's demand in order to save her failing marriage. One of them tied a rope around Green's neck and choked her to death. Then, the ropes were tied to the fan to make it look like Green had accidentally hanged herself. When Benson examines the ceiling fan, she discovers that there are fingerprints around the fan.

The fingerprints around the fan match Amelia Chase. It's discovered that Chase is a practicing autoerotic and wears lots of turtlenecks and scarves to cover up the bruising around her neck. Chase takes a deal to testify against Adler, but Maddox twists Chase's testimony to Adler's advantage. At the end of the trial, Adler is convicted of third-degree assault, but acquitted on the remaining charges. When Adler and Maddox leave the courtroom, the detectives arrest Adler for the murder of Sydney Green. Adler proclaims that she will be acquitted of this charge, while Alex (knowing that all the evidence obtained will convict Adler) and Maddox begin discussing a plea bargain.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Pam Adler: What you know about the law wouldn't fit in the palm of my hand.

Chase: I met Sydney at Goldman. She made a fortune in junk and got out early. Kept her toe in trading for herself. We remained friends although she was a little too risqué for my taste.
Munch: Can you get more specific?
Chase: I'm not interested in titillating you, detective.
Tutuola: And we're not here to carry your bags. Just speak up and we're gone.

Stabler: Female rage is a growth industry.
Dr. Huang: The price of equality.

Tutuola: Three women at the same time-- most guys call that lucky.
Benson: So we're saying all men are sex-hounds, and only women can feel violated? That's gender bias.

Cabot: Medical studies document that some female victims experience arousal during their attacks. Rape is not about sex. Rape is violence and rape about control.

Chase: Crunch your numbers again. By time I get out of prison, I'll be old enough for senior citizen's discounts.
Alex: If I take this to trial, you'll get life.

Tutuola: Her secretary said she should be done by now. These day traders live pretty good ... short hours, spa days. What the hell is she doing in there?
Munch: Beauty treatments take time... mud baths, silica dissipation, exfoliating facial. Time and money ... some women learn early how to waste both.
Tutuola: Your ex-wives made you bitter.
Munch: Not bitter, just resigned.

Background information and notes[]

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3

Law Offices of
Adler, Rose & Klein
312 Centre Street
Tuesday, June 5

Office of the
Medical Examiner
Wednesday, June 6

Office of District Attorney
Nora Lewin
Thursday, June 7

4 5 6

Trial Part 99
Friday, June 8

Trial Part 99
Monday, June 11

Trial Part 99
Tuesday, June 12

Previous episode:
"Care"
"Ridicule"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 3
Next episode:
"Monogamy"
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