This episode appears to be based on two separate cases:
- The 1998 Karla Faye Tucker case. Tucker was a Texas woman executed in 1998, who was executed despite leniency pleas on her behalf based on her conversion to Christianity and her becoming a model inmate. Karla, along with her accomplice, murdered several people with a hammer and pickaxe.
- The 1997 Nina Mackey case. WPC Nina Alexandra Mackay was a police officer serving with London's Metropolitan Police Service who was fatally stabbed on 24 October 1997 by a man with paranoid schizophrenia she was attempting to arrest. She is the only female police officer in Great Britain to have been stabbed to death while on duty and her killing was the first of a female officer since the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.
Julian Gamble has played four different roles in five appearances over the course of the series:
- Episode 6.2 Rebels (1995) - Councilman Jack Rabe.
- Episode 7.2 I.D. (1996) - Judge Slattery.
- Episode 8.21 Bad Girl (1998) - Judge P. Slattery.
- Episode 9.18 Juvenile (1999) - Gerald Fox.
- Episode 14.14 City Hall (2004) - Ladder Company 66, Chief.
In eight guest appearances, Mark Lotito has played six different roles over the course of the series:
- Episode 3.20 Securitate (1993) - Bailey.
- Episode 4.4 Profile (1993) - Policeman #1.
- Episode 5.1 Second Opinion (1994) - Paramedic.
- Episode 6.18 Atonement (1996) - Nance.
- Episode 8.21 Bad Girl (1998) - Detective Mallory.
- Episode 8.22 Damaged (1998) - Detective Mallory.
- Episode 8.24 Monster (1998) - Detective Mallory.
- Episode 13.7 Open Season (2002) - Bartender.
In 6 guest appearances, Jason Kolotouros has portrayed three different characters throughout the series:
Episode 8.21 Bad Girl (1998) - Tilden.
Episode 11.2 Turnstile Justice (2000) - Dr. Sanders.
- Episode 13.1 American Jihad (2002) - Derek Greer.
- Episode 13.14 Star Crossed (2003) - Derek Greer.
- Episode 14.7 Floater (2003) - Derek Greer.
- Episode 17.15 Melting Pot (2007) - Derek Greer.