The cops uncover a man with a secret second life as they try to learn who opened fire on a group of people disembarking from a party cruise, but his guilt or innocence becomes almost a second thought as Schiff goes toe to toe with the governor and the States Attorney General over the decision to seek the death penalty.

After a child in a day-care center dies of a virus, Briscoe and Curtis try to find the source of the infection, leading to a case involving an extramarital affair, embezzlement and a drug manufacturer.

After a woman's body is found in a subway station, a suspect is arrested, but the resulting case concerns the lack of medication supplied him while in prison.

The death of a parolee, who was a hit man, leads to a wealthy widow and daughter and whether they hired him to kill their rich relative.