Michael Cutter

Michael "Mike" Cutter
Law & Order character
Cutter in "Quit Claim"
First appearance	"Called Home" (L&O) "Scorched Earth" (SVU)
Last appearance	"Rubber Room" (L&O)
Portrayed by	Linus Roache
Time on show	2008–2010 (L&O) 2011–present (SVU)[1]
Preceded by	Jack McCoy (L&O) Elizabeth Donnelly (Bureau Chief EADA) (SVU)

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 24, 2010. The character returned to television in SVU's thirteenth season premiere, broadcast September 21, 2011.

Character overview

Career history

Within the continuity of the Law & Order franchise, Cutter is the Executive Assistant District Attorney, following the appointment of his predecessor Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) to the New York County District Attorney seat vacated by Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson).

He works closely with Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza), the Assistant District Attorney who had previously aided McCoy. Because of this, he has occasionally discussed McCoy with her—usually with complaints—in an attempt to understand his new boss. As evidenced by his first appearance, he is familiar with former District Attorney Arthur Branch, having apparently been in Branch's office on at least one occasion (L&O: "Called Home"). In the episode "Executioner", he reveals that he supports the death penalty. In the L&O episode "By Perjury", he is almost murdered in the bathroom of the courthouse before being saved at the last moment by detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson).

In the L&O season 20 episode "Innocence", Cutter's former Hudson University law professor raises an issue regarding Cutter's qualification to practice law. Although he did the required undergraduate work, a few college credits were not recorded into his academic record. As a result of the missing credits, Cutter never received an undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Despite the lack of an undergraduate degree, he attended and graduated from law school; however, he "perpetuated" the oversight to the Bar Overseers by misrepresenting to them that he had received a BA and was admitted to the New York State Bar. He made the same misrepresentation when he applied for a position with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. At the end of the episode, he received a letter of reprimand from the Bar Overseers which also stated that the flaw in his academic background did not prejudice his past convictions. The letter would be published in the Law Journal the next day, and he was able to retain his law license.

In 2011, Cutter is promoted at the District Attorney's office to Bureau Chief Executive ADA; he oversees the assistant district attorneys assigned to the Special Victims Unit.^[2]

Personality

Tactics

Roache describes his character as follows: "Sometimes he's a little dangerous; he's not necessarily a comfortable kind of guy." (...) "He cares about justice ... but he sometimes takes these leaps out-of-the-box and is kind of non-linear."^[3] Since the introduction of Cutter on Law & Order, little has been revealed about his past or personal life. In the L&O episode "Pledge", Cutter said he attended a "state school" but did not name the school or indicate whether he attended the school as an undergraduate, a law student, or both.

Like his predecessor, Jack McCoy, Cutter is dogged in his pursuit of justice. Also, he appears willing to bend or break rules to secure a conviction. In L&O's "Darkness", detectives found the likely hideout of a kidnap victim who had been threatened with death. When the presiding judge was approached for a search warrant, he refused to execute the warrant without further evidence such as computerized police records which, because the city was experiencing a power blackout, were inaccessible. Gambling that he could be able to justify the actions later, Cutter told the detectives to enter the premises anyway. In L&O's "Quit Claim", he nearly suborns perjury.

In L&O's "Tango", he realizes one of the jurors is attracted to his ADA, Connie Rubirosa (Alana de la Garza). He makes no mention of this to her, and encourages her to cross-examine witnesses in his stead. When she learns the truth, she feels Cutter "pimped [her] out to the jury". Regardless, subsequent episodes have portrayed a stable working and friendly relationship. In L&O's "Brilliant Disguise", Cutter talks about his actions while cross-examining the defendant in an attempt to elicit incriminating testimony, but claimed that he'd ordered her to instead of tricked her, much to her displeasure, by the end of the episode, he apologizes to Connie, she responds naturally and without friction.

Other methods of Cutter's include guilt tripping (potential) witnesses. Near the end of "Darkness", Cutter uses a man's daughter to make him testify. In another episode, he convinces a young girl that her relative may face serious charges unless she talks. He even once intimidated a defendant in L&O's "Bogeyman"; by implying that he is a member of a Scientology-like group called "Systemotics," Cutter exploits the defendant's paranoia to earn a plea bargain. In L&O's "Skate or Die", Cutter pretends to be a Russian spy to provoke a witness into headbutting him in front of Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (Carolyn McCormick) and demonstrate to her that the witness is a threat to himself and to others, leaving her no choice but to order him to take anti-psychotic medication. Cutter benefits from his provocation because the medicated witness is now able to provide coherent testimony.

In the L&O season 19 finale "The Drowned and the Saved", McCoy makes a deal with the governor not to prosecute criminal charges against him in exchange for the governor's testimony against his wife. After McCoy leaves the room, Cutter shows a piece of paper to the governor purporting to contain a list of call girls and demanded that he resign at the threat of exposing the list. When the governor points out that that was not part of the deal, Cutter simply responds, "I'm not Jack McCoy." Later, after the governor publicly resigns, Cutter reveals that the piece of paper was blank.

In the L&O season 20 episode "For The Defense", he and Connie try to prosecute a former EADA, Marcus Woll, but while trying to stand trial for murder, he realizes that Connie and Marcus had an affair. This frustrates Cutter, as Marcus is trying to take Connie away from the DA's Office, especially as Marcus Woll is Cutter's "enemy."

In the L&O season 20 episode "Immortal" , when Cutter questions Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), he uses her ongoing cancer treatment to win his case. Van Buren later confronts him outside of court, accusing him of using her and violating her privacy. At the end of the episode, the two are implied to be on non-speaking terms.

Personal life

Cutter is pro-life (L&O "Dignity").

In L&O episode 20.9, "For the Defense", Cutter indicates that he harbors romantic feelings for Connie Rubirosa. McCoy, despite experiencing controversy due to his own relationships with various former ADAs (including the now deceased Claire Kincaid), appears to be supportive of Cutter's aspirations. At the end of the episode, it is hinted that she is aware of his attraction, but her own feelings are unknown.

In L&O episode 20.18, "Brazil", Cutter mentions that his parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and since then, he has had very little contact with his father.

Notes and references

1. ^ Q&A: 'Law & Order's' Linus Roache Makes A Welcome Return
2. ^ Stanhope, Kate (August 8, 2011). "Law & Order Alum Linus Roache to Reprise Role on SVU". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/News/SVU-Linus-Roache-1036212.aspx. Retrieved August 8, 2011. 
3. ^ Starr, Michael (2007-10-04). "The New DA". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/10042007/tv/the_new_da.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-17.