Kelly Gaffney
Encyclopedia
Kelly Gaffney is a fictional character
portrayed by Amy Carlson
on the television program Law & Order: Trial by Jury
. She was surnamed after Dick Wolf
's mother's maiden name.
Gaffney is a Manhattan
assistant district attorney, consistently working alongside Tracey Kibre
(Bebe Neuwirth
). Of the two ADAs, Gaffney is the younger assistant who comes from an Irish-Catholic family with a history that runs deep in the city of New York
. Gaffney is a graduate of Boston College
, and is often more by-the-book when it came to law and its application than her superior. She often challenges Kibre in pertinence to cases they prosecute, and sees the law in more shades of gray than her partner.
Gaffney always sits second-chair to Kibre while prosecuting. Her role during trials is limited, as Kibre often tries the entirety of most cases the pair prosecute. Gaffney's role is often most significantly played out at the crime scene investigation at the start of the show, at which point she often goes to the crime scene and interviews those who either witnessed the crime around which the show is set to revolve or were in the vicinity of the crime scene during its occurrence. The two prosecutors usually try homicide
s, though they try a high-profile rape
during a crossover with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
when ADA Casey Novak
(Diane Neal
) is viciously attacked.
Gaffney is more idealistic than Kibre. In one episode, for example, a jury
returns a verdict of guilty in a case in which a babysitter is charged with murder due to Shaken Baby Syndrome
. The judge, however, overrides the ruling, at which point Gaffney suggests to Kibre that they need to do something, whether it be filing an appeal
or having the judge transferred to Staten Island
Traffic Court
. Kibre tells Gaffney that all they can do is move on.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
portrayed by Amy Carlson
Amy Carlson
Amy Lynn Carlson is an American actress best known for playing Josie Watts on Another World and Alex Taylor on Third Watch. More recently, she played Kelly Gaffney on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She currently plays Linda Reagan on the CBS drama Blue Bloods...
on the television program 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...
. She was surnamed after Dick Wolf
Dick Wolf
Richard Anthony "Dick" Wolf is an American producer, specializing in crime dramas such as Miami Vice and the Law & Order franchise. Throughout his career he has won several awards including an Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Early life:Wolf was born in New York City, the son...
's mother's maiden name.
Gaffney is a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
assistant district attorney, consistently working alongside Tracey Kibre
Tracey Kibre
Tracey Kibre is a fictional character on the now defunct Law & Order: Trial by Jury, portrayed by Bebe Neuwirth. A tough, focused prosecutor, Kibre has worked for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for fifteen years and is a stark contrast to the Executive ADAs in the other three Law & Order...
(Bebe Neuwirth
Bebe Neuwirth
Beatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth is an American actress, singer and dancer. She has worked in television and is known for her portrayal of Dr. Lilith Sternin, Dr. Frasier Crane's wife , on both the TV sitcom Cheers , and its spin-off Frasier...
). Of the two ADAs, Gaffney is the younger assistant who comes from an Irish-Catholic family with a history that runs deep in the city of New York
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...
. Gaffney is a graduate of Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, and is often more by-the-book when it came to law and its application than her superior. She often challenges Kibre in pertinence to cases they prosecute, and sees the law in more shades of gray than her partner.
Gaffney always sits second-chair to Kibre while prosecuting. Her role during trials is limited, as Kibre often tries the entirety of most cases the pair prosecute. Gaffney's role is often most significantly played out at the crime scene investigation at the start of the show, at which point she often goes to the crime scene and interviews those who either witnessed the crime around which the show is set to revolve or were in the vicinity of the crime scene during its occurrence. The two prosecutors usually try homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s, though they try a high-profile rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
during a crossover with 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...
when ADA 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:...
) is viciously attacked.
Gaffney is more idealistic than Kibre. In one episode, for example, a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
returns a verdict of guilty in a case in which a babysitter is charged with murder due to Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome is a triad of medical symptoms: subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and brain swelling from which doctors, consistent with current medical understanding, infer child abuse caused by intentional shaking...
. The judge, however, overrides the ruling, at which point Gaffney suggests to Kibre that they need to do something, whether it be filing an appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
or having the judge transferred to Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
Traffic Court
Traffic court
Traffic court is a term that refers to a municipality's specialized judicial process for handling traffic ticket cases. In the United States, a person who is given a citation by a police officer can either plead guilty and pay the indicated fine directly to the court house, by mail, or in some...
. Kibre tells Gaffney that all they can do is move on.