CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC is giving its midseason drama "The D.A." Friday duty as the network announced yesterday it plans to launch the four-week series on Friday, March 19 at 10:00/9:00c.

"The D.A." will displace regular time slot holder "20/20" for the four week period, with special editions of the newsmagazine airing on Monday, March 22 and Monday, March 29 at 10:00/9:00c.

Here's how ABC describes the series (via press release):

"The D.A." is set in the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, where D.A. David Franks (Steven Weber) oversees a vast, sprawling jurisdiction, leading a group of remarkable professionals - and deeply flawed personalities - in the pursuit of justice. David's relentless, no-holds-barred Deputy District Attorney, Mark Camacho (Bruno Campos), is an idealist who lives for the law and won't stop short of the truth. David and Mark are colleagues one minute and opponents the next. The two men have a rocky relationship in which mutual respect balances their conflicting means to a common end. The crimes they investigate and the suspects they break are headline-making career-builders. But self-interest, grudges, private vendettas and illicit affairs simmer just below the polished public face of this District Attorney's office.

In the premiere episode, "The People vs. Sergius Kovinsky," Los Angeles District Attorney David Franks is forced to fight for his political future when his office comes under investigation after a Russian mob witness is shot to death and it's suspected someone leaked the witness' identity. Also shot were two investigators and Shelly Ward, a young prosecutor, mother and wife, who was there to film a statement from the witness. Deputy District Attorney Mark Camacho is brought in from a field office to investigate the case, and begins to suspect that someone may have leaked the identity and location of the witness to the Russian mob. D.A. David Franks' problems become even more complicated when he starts to believe that some of his staff members may have loyalties that lie elsewhere. With this crisis getting so much attention from the media, Franks finds that his much needed gubernatorial endorsement from the Mayor is apparently crumbling.

The series stars Steven Weber as District Attorney David Franks, Bruno Campos as Deputy District Attorney Mark Camacho, Michaela Conlin as Jinette McMahon, J.K. Simmons as Deputy District Attorney Joe Carter and Sarah Paulson as Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Patterson.

"The People Vs. Sergius Kovinsky," was written by James Duff and directed by Michael M. Robin.

Guest starring are Aunjanue Ellis as Ellen Kaufman, Peter Outerbridge as Jerry Weicker, Tony Denison as Paul Harper, Michael Woods as Det. Andy Flynn, John Aylward as Mayor Edwards, Rick Kelly as Larry Ward, Anna Gunn as Shelly Ward, Ashleigh Balestrero as Andrew Ward, Christian Boewe as John Ward, Cheryl White as Kathy Franks, Efrain Figueroa as Judge Rodriguez, Saba Homayoon as Denise Clark, Ilia Volok as Davonovich, Alex Kuzne as Sergius Kovinskty, Scott Richards as Attorney Davidson, Kevin Chamberlain as Prosecutor Eams, Dan Desmond as minister, Shishir Kurup as Howard, Rikki Klieman as television reporter and Charlene Amoia as reporter no. 1.

James Duff ("Enterprise," "The War At Home," "Doing Time on Maple Drive") is writer and executive producer. Greer Shephard ("Nip/Tuck," "Popular") and Michael M. Robin ("Nip/Tuck," "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue," "Popular") -- who also directs -- are executive producers of the series. Former Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti serves as a consulting producer on the show, which is a production of The Shephard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.