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| “ | It's a terrible feeling, waiting to die. Don't you think, Jack? | „ |
| ~ Barnes threatening McCoy. |
Leland Barnes is the overarching antagonist of the Law & Order episode "Criminal Law". He's a mass murderer and domestic abuser who uses his son Harlan Barnes to kill the witnesses of his crimes when he files for retrial.
He's portrayed by Daniel-Hugh Kelly, who also portrayed Councilman Kevin Crossley and Julian Spector in the same show.
Biography[]
Barnes was violent to his wife Kelly, eventually going to her office, shooting her dead, and shooting everyone else there. Her boss and two of her colleagues died, but three of the employees there, Sylvia Rossi, Leon Whitaker, and Elaine Bowman, all narrowly lived. All the witnesses testified against him and Jack McCoy successfully convicted Barnes and sentenced him to death. When New York outlawed capital punishment, Barnes was re-sentenced to life without parole. Leland fired for retrial and pro se representation, arguing ineffective counsel, as well as became a jailhouse lawyer for other inmates. To ensure the trial went in his favor, Barnes solicited Harlan to find the witness and kill them all. Letters with his instructions were sent to him through one of Barnes' clients, Anton Garfield, who Barnes fatally hanged in a staged "suicide" to tie up loose ends.
Harlan killed Sylvia and Leon, additionally distracted by other Sylvia Rossi's in New York City, resulting in more murders. When the police found out about the case, McCoy and Elaine were give protective custody. McCoy confronts Barnes in prison, Barnes denying all the killings. When McCoy offers leniency at sentencing in exchange for giving up Harlan, Barnes furiously blames McCoy for his conviction and threatens him several times, then says they'll see each other in court. The judge orders a Sirois hearing to give McCoy an opportunity to prove Barnes ordered Harlan to kill the witnesses, but this falls through badly. Barnes then successfully orders Elaine to the stand and scares her into lying on the stand to direct blame away from himself. Harlan is eventually arrested, but he refuses to give up Barnes. Much to the judge's and McCoy's regret, he overturns Barnes' conviction. Barnes threatens McCoy again on the courthouse front steps, saying McCoy should've been the first to die. Barnes other son Robert, who never side with him and hated him for his crimes, then shoots Barnes dead in the next instant, killing him and then surrendering to his own arrest. McCoy then mutters to his colleague, Alexandra Borgia, he was afraid Robert wanted to shoot him instead, not Barnes.
Trivia[]
- Barnes is inspired by John Merlin Taylor, an American spree killer in the 20th century history of postal shootings, having killed his wife and two of his colleagues before shooting himself dead. The Taylors had two sons, who Taylor named in his suicide note.
External links[]
- Leland Barnes on the Law & Order Wiki
