Why Law and Order is Moving to Los Angeles

It used to be Los Angeles was a glamorous hot spot for shopping, clubbing and celebrity spotting. Now you can add bargaining to the mix, as in plea bargaining. With the rising number of Los Angeles celebrities charged with crimes in recent years, it made sense for NBC executives to move its New York-based "Law and Order" TV show to Los Angeles, especially after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cleaned up the formerly crime ridden city.

With New York City's crime rate down 35 percent since Bloomberg took office in 2002, according to New York City crime statistics cited in Bloomberg.com, "Law and Order" writers were left to sift through the crumbs of tepid crime stories concerning missorted recyclables, reckless jaywalkers and undercooked pizza.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles - though second only to New York City in having the lowest crime rate of the 10 largest U.S. cities - has become a mecca for crimes committed by big-name celebrities, whose every move is documented and reported by cable TV channels, including allegedly serious news shows. In a rare case of art imitating life, it made sense for "Law and Order" producer Dick Wolf to move his popular TV show's locale to the city in which crime is literally celebrated. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that even the show's acronymous nickname, LOLA, sounds like a seductive Hollywood starlet.)

Even NBC is having fun with the celebrity crime connection. On its "Law and Order: Los Angeles" home page, the network teases: "Welcome to Los Angeles. They say this is the place where anyone with the right attorney can get away with murder. We say this is the place that needs some Law & Order."

Here's just a sample of celebrity tangles with the Los Angeles criminal justice system in recent years:

Lindsay Lohan failed to return to Los Angeles in time for DUI-related court date because of "stolen" passport. After violating probation two months later, sentenced to jail and rehab.

Winona Ryder "forgot' to pay for items found in her purse at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Convicted of grand theft, given three years probation.

Robert Blake criminally charged with and acquitted of murdering his wife, although he was found guilty in a civil suit. O.J. Simpson, ditto.

Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson charged separately with driving under the influence. (Not satisfied with just the DUI publicity, Gibson hammed up his arrest by making anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officers.)

Daniel Baldwin, brother of "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin, arrested for Grand Theft Auto. Charges later dropped.

Ironically, the first episode of "Law and Order: Los Angeles" will feature celebrities as victims, not criminals. TVSquad.com reports that LOLA's debut show on Sept. 29 will be a ripped-from-the-headlines story based on the "Burglar Bunch," a gang from the Hollywood hills who allegedly burglarized celebrities' homes.

We're looking forward to the "Law and Order: Los Angeles" episode titled "The Darker Side of Late Night" in which bumbling NBC executives are charged with murdering the network's late night TV line-up.

Sources:
http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/crime-countdowns/celebrity-crimes/celebrity-01.html
http://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-los-angeles/