What role did Amanda Peet play in Law & Order? Character details explored
Law & Order, created by Dick Wolf, debuted in 1990 and remains one of TV’s longest-running crime dramas. Each episode follows detectives solving crimes and prosecutors handling trials. Many actors started with guest roles, including Amanda Peet, who appeared in season 6 before starring in films like The Whole Nine Yards and Something’s Gotta Give.
In the episode called Hot Pursuit, she played Leslie Harlan, a character who was kidnapped and then became an accomplice in serious crimes, raising tough questions about her guilt and innocence.
About Amanda Peet's Leslie Harlan in Law & Order
Amanda Peet played Leslie Harlan in the Law & Order season 6 episode titled Hot Pursuit. Leslie grew up in a wealthy family but her home life was far from stable. Her mother controlled every part of her life while her father remained distant and uninvolved.
Leslie grew up feeling she never measured up to her parents' high expectations. In rebellion, she partied, skipped school, and got expelled from three high schools. She later dropped out of college to spite her mother.
Six months before the episode, Leslie was kidnapped by Leon Trapp and his cousin Eddie. Though her parents paid the ransom, Trapp refused to release her. Instead, he killed Eddie in front of Leslie to scare her into submission.
He kept her captive for months. During that time, he repeatedly beat and raped her. Leslie eventually developed Stockholm Syndrome. She became emotionally attached to Trapp and began helping him with his crimes.
Leslie was not just a passive victim. She helped Trapp commit multiple robberies and murders. At one point, she even fired a gun during a liquor store robbery in Connecticut. Their crime spree escalated in New York. They robbed a bar called the Velvet Room and killed the bartender and a customer. They also kidnapped the manager and later murdered her. After that, they robbed a convenience store and killed the clerk without hesitation.
Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Rey Curtis finally caught up with Leslie and Trapp at a gas station, leading to a deadly confrontation. Trapp grabbed a hostage, but the store clerk shot and killed him first. Leslie was arrested on the spot, breaking down and claiming she was forced to commit these crimes. She told the police about all the horrible things Trapp did to her, begging to see her parents.
The district attorney wasn't convinced by her victim act, charging her with four counts of murder anyway. During the trial, Leslie’s defense lawyer argued she was controlled by fear and trauma from months of abuse.
But evidence like her past rebellious behavior and willingness to participate made it hard to believe she was just a helpless victim. The prosecution revealed she'd even suggested robbing the Velvet Room herself because she used to party there and knew about the cash.
Even when offered a plea deal, Leslie stubbornly refused, convinced she could win the jury's sympathy. She misjudged badly, though, and the jury found her guilty on all counts. Despite everything, the prosecutors decided they wouldn't fight her family's request for leniency during sentencing, leaving Leslie to face the consequences of her choices.
The next episode of Law & Order is scheduled to air on Thursday, March 20, 2025. This will be season 24, episode 16, titled Folk Hero. The episode will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC.
