Arthur Branch
Encyclopedia
Arthur Branch is a fictional attorney and a regular character on the TV crime dramas Law & Order
and Law & Order: Trial by Jury
. Branch has also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
, and Conviction.
— his term would not expire for several more weeks — thus making Thompson the first sitting U.S. Senator to accept an acting job playing someone other than himself; however, he had already been an actor for many years before being elected.
Thompson was the only regular on Law & Order who was once a prosecutor. He worked as an assistant United States Attorney
from 1969 to 1972.
and later was a professor at Yale Law School
. He and his wife, Lillian, have lived in New York City
since the early 1980s from the state of Georgia
. They have at least one child, a son named Bobby (L&O: "Sheltered"). They also have a grandson and a granddaughter (L&O: "True Crime"). He speaks with a slight southern accent
and commonly uses colorful metaphors.
Branch is elected the Manhattan District Attorney
(L&O: "American Jihad"), replacing Nora Lewin
(Dianne Wiest
). He and Abbie Carmichael
are the only known Republicans on the show. Branch's administration is a sharp contrast to that of Lewin, as he has little difficulty in accepting capital punishment
in certain cases (L&O: "Tragedy on Rye") and does not believe in the existence of a Constitution
al right to privacy. He had written a book on the justice system (L&O: "Shangri-La") and represented the Chinese government when he worked in private practice (L&O: "The Wheel").
This often puts him in conflict with Jack McCoy
(Sam Waterston
), a relatively liberal centrist
, as well as his previous assistant Serena Southerlyn
(Elisabeth Röhm
), a liberal
idealist and feminist
. He has few quarrels with Alexandra Borgia
(Annie Parisse
), who is more conservative
in her viewpoints than Southerlyn, in the mold of Southerlyn's predecessor, Abbie Carmichael
(Angie Harmon
). He is portrayed as having an amicable working relationship with Junior ADA, Connie Rubirosa
(Alana de la Garza
).
While his legal philosophy is decidedly conservative, he is not blindly partisan; he ascribes cynical, political motives to drug prohibition, refers to the National Guard as "the Dan Quayle Brigade", and is not averse to seeking alternatives to the death penalty when he thinks it appropriate.
Although he is personally pro-life
, he describes himself as even more "pro-law", and orders Olivia Benson
(Mariska Hargitay
) and Casey Novak
(Diane Neal
) to arrest a doctor who deliberately misleads a young pregnant woman to ensure her pregnancy would develop past the legal time limit for the procedure, thus prompting her to desperately ask her boyfriend to assault
her to induce a still birth (SVU: "Rockabye").
He fires Southerlyn because he feels she is inappropriately sympathetic towards the defendant she is prosecuting. Despite her parting fears, Branch says he is not firing her because she's a lesbian
. (L&O: "Ain't No Love")
In May 2007 it was announced that Thompson was leaving Law & Order to run for the Republican Party's 2008 nomination for President
. It was also confirmed that McCoy was chosen to serve out the remainder of Branch's term of office in (SVU: "Blinded"), but no reason for Branch's departure was given on air.
In October 2009 (L&O: "Reality Bites"), Executive ADA Michael Cutter
tells McCoy that the producers of a reality TV show set in Long Island want Arthur Branch to be a judge, where he will preside in a trial featuring the heads of two dysfunctional households that are both suspects in the murder of the mother of one of the two households.
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...
. Branch has also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
, and Conviction.
Actor
Branch was portrayed by former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, making Thompson one of the few actors to have a regular role on two TV series simultaneously as the same character. When Thompson first accepted the role, he was still a sitting member of the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
— his term would not expire for several more weeks — thus making Thompson the first sitting U.S. Senator to accept an acting job playing someone other than himself; however, he had already been an actor for many years before being elected.
Thompson was the only regular on Law & Order who was once a prosecutor. He worked as an assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
from 1969 to 1972.
Character background
Branch graduated from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and later was a professor at Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
. He and his wife, Lillian, have lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
since the early 1980s from the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. They have at least one child, a son named Bobby (L&O: "Sheltered"). They also have a grandson and a granddaughter (L&O: "True Crime"). He speaks with a slight southern accent
Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
and commonly uses colorful metaphors.
Branch is elected the Manhattan District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
(L&O: "American Jihad"), replacing Nora Lewin
Nora Lewin
Nora Lewin was a fictional character on the TV show Law & Order, played by two-time Academy Award winning actress Dianne Wiest from 2000 to 2002. Her character was particularly notable for the fact that she was the first woman in the program's history to hold the position of New York County...
(Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
). He and Abbie Carmichael
Abbie Carmichael
Abigail "Abbie" Carmichael is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order created by Rene Balcer and portrayed by model/actress Angie Harmon...
are the only known Republicans on the show. Branch's administration is a sharp contrast to that of Lewin, as he has little difficulty in accepting capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in certain cases (L&O: "Tragedy on Rye") and does not believe in the existence of a Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al right to privacy. He had written a book on the justice system (L&O: "Shangri-La") and represented the Chinese government when he worked in private practice (L&O: "The Wheel").
This often puts him in conflict with Jack McCoy
Jack McCoy
John James "Jack" McCoy is a fictional character in the television drama Law & Order, created by Michael S. Chernuchin and played by Sam Waterston since 1994. He is the second-longest tenured character on the show, after Lt. Anita Van Buren . On January 28, 2009, McCoy's character ended the longest...
(Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
), a relatively liberal centrist
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
, as well as his previous assistant Serena Southerlyn
Serena Southerlyn
Serena Southerlyn is a fictional character on the long-running NBC drama series Law & Order.-Character overview:Southerlyn joined the District Attorney's office in 2001 as an ADA, replacing Abbie Carmichael...
(Elisabeth Röhm
Elisabeth Röhm
Elisabeth Röhm is a German-born American television actress. She is known for playing Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn in the American TV series Law & Order, and as Detective Kate Lockley in the TV series Angel....
), a liberal
Modern American liberalism
Modern American liberalism is a form of liberalism developed from progressive ideals such as Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, John F. Kennedy's New Frontier, and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. It combines social liberalism and...
idealist and feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. He has few quarrels with Alexandra Borgia
Alexandra Borgia
Alexandra Borgia is a fictional character, played by Annie Parisse, who appeared on the long-running NBC drama series Law & Order from 2005-2006.-Fictional character biography:...
(Annie Parisse
Annie Parisse
Anne Marie Cancelmi , known as Annie Parisse, is an American television, film, and theater actress, known for playing Alexandra Borgia on the television drama Law & Order, a role she played from 2005 until 2006 in 33 episodes. Parisse is also known for her role of Julia Lindsey Snyder on the...
), who is more conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
in her viewpoints than Southerlyn, in the mold of Southerlyn's predecessor, Abbie Carmichael
Abbie Carmichael
Abigail "Abbie" Carmichael is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order created by Rene Balcer and portrayed by model/actress Angie Harmon...
(Angie Harmon
Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model before gaining international fame for her roles in Baywatch Nights and Law & Order....
). He is portrayed as having an amicable working relationship with Junior ADA, Connie Rubirosa
Connie Rubirosa
Assistant District Attorney / Deputy District Attorney Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa is a fictional character, portrayed by Alana de la Garza, who joined the cast of long-running NBC drama series Law & Order during the 17th season premiere episode "Fame". She is the only second-chair ADA of Law &...
(Alana de la Garza
Alana de la Garza
Alana de la Garza is an American actress. She is most famous for her role as A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa on the television series Law & Order and its short-lived spin-off, Law & Order: LA.-Biography:...
).
While his legal philosophy is decidedly conservative, he is not blindly partisan; he ascribes cynical, political motives to drug prohibition, refers to the National Guard as "the Dan Quayle Brigade", and is not averse to seeking alternatives to the death penalty when he thinks it appropriate.
Although he is personally pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, he describes himself as even more "pro-law", and orders Olivia Benson
Olivia Benson
Det. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro...
(Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay is an American actress, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.The daughter of actress...
) and Casey Novak
Casey Novak
Casey Novak is a fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Diane Neal. She is the only female assistant district attorney to have appeared in five complete seasons in any Law & Order series and the longest-running ADA in the entire franchise.-Character:Casey Novak is a...
(Diane Neal
Diane Neal
Diane Neal is an American actress widely known for her role as Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Biography:...
) to arrest a doctor who deliberately misleads a young pregnant woman to ensure her pregnancy would develop past the legal time limit for the procedure, thus prompting her to desperately ask her boyfriend to assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
her to induce a still birth (SVU: "Rockabye").
He fires Southerlyn because he feels she is inappropriately sympathetic towards the defendant she is prosecuting. Despite her parting fears, Branch says he is not firing her because she's a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. (L&O: "Ain't No Love")
In May 2007 it was announced that Thompson was leaving Law & Order to run for the Republican Party's 2008 nomination for President
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. It was also confirmed that McCoy was chosen to serve out the remainder of Branch's term of office in (SVU: "Blinded"), but no reason for Branch's departure was given on air.
In October 2009 (L&O: "Reality Bites"), Executive ADA Michael Cutter
Michael Cutter
Michael "Mike" Cutter is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit played by Linus Roache. The character debuted in L&O's eighteenth season premiere, broadcast January 2, 2008, and remained through its series finale on May...
tells McCoy that the producers of a reality TV show set in Long Island want Arthur Branch to be a judge, where he will preside in a trial featuring the heads of two dysfunctional households that are both suspects in the murder of the mother of one of the two households.