Because this episode involves members of a Jewish community, the title of this episode is a possible reference to a phrase found in the Torah/Old Testament. The phrase "fertile fields" is used several times in Ezekiel and Genesis. For example, "It was in a fertile field, by the side of a wide stream that the vine had been planted, to branch out and bear fruit and become a noble vine." And guessing that the title is used ironically, considering the tragic end of the story. [01.25.2019]
This episode appears to be based on several cases/incidents:
- The Crown Heights Riot of 1991. The Crown Heights Riot was a 3--4 day riot that began on August 19 in the Crown Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. A Rabbi Schneerson--a prominent Hasidic Rabbi--was returning from a regular visit to his father-in-law's grave. When crossing through an intersection, [another car in the rabbi's entourage] was hit by another car. The struck car veered out of control, hitting and killing a 7-year-old Guyanese youth, Gavin Cato. Following this incident, numerous acts of violence were committed against Jewish citizens in the area. One historian described the riot as "the most serious anti-Semitic incident in American history."
- The 1972 Michelle Confait case. Maxwell Thomas Berty Confait, also known locally as Michelle and "Handbag", was a 26-year-old Seychelles-born cross-dresser who was murdered in London, England, on either 21 or 22 April 1972. The investigation into Confait's death and the convictions of three youths based on confessions of dubious validity raised questions about police procedures in the United Kingdom and caused a major review in how police treat suspects, particularly minors and the "educationally subnormal".
- Partially ripped from the 1991 crime film Homicide (1991).
First episode to feature David Lipman as recurring character Judge Moodie. In future appearances, he would also play Judge Morris Torledsky, a character who also appears on Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005). Lipman also plays recurring character Judge Arthur Cohen in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
William Hill has portrayed nine different characters throughout the course of the series:
- Episode 2.11 His Hour Upon the Stage (1991) - Hopkins.
- Episode 2.19 The Fertile Fields (1992) - Hopkins.
- Episode 3.12 Right to Counsel (1993) - Milgrim.
- Episode 4.07 Apocrypha (1993) - Hines.
- Episode 7.09 Entrapment (1997) - Eddie Page.
- Episode 8.24 Monster (1998) - Kusevitsky.
- Episode 10.12 Mother's Milk (2000) - Beltran's Lawyer.
- Episode 12.05 Possession (2001) - Havel's Lawyer.
- Episode 19.04 Falling (2008) - Eddie O'Connor.