PETER GERETY GUEST STARS ON NBC'S "LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY" FRIDAY, MARCH 18TH, 10PM ET/PT

NEW YORK �- March 17, 2005 �- Peter Gerety (HBO's "The Wire") guest stars as Dean Connors, the court appointed defense attorney on NBC's "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," the latest addition to the "Law & Order" brand, Friday, March 18th (10-11 p.m. ET/PT).

In "Truth or Consequences," a young woman is raped and murdered and A.D.A.'s Kibre (Bebe Neuwirth) and Gaffney (Amy Carlson) are stymied by a triangle of suspects -- three friends who include a rich boy (Justin, guest star Warren Blosjo), a bad boy (as Carter, guest star Adam LaVorgna) and the victim's ex-boyfriend Danny (guest star Ebon Moss-Bachrach). As the prosecutors try to turn one against the other, they wonder who's playing whom. But when Danny seems the least likely to lie, Kibre wants to make a deal with him but she worries he might be manipulating the facts to gain the jury's sympathy. Fred Dalton Thompson also stars. Gerety guest stars as Danny's defense attorney.

"Law & Order: Trial By Jury" takes viewers through the legal process from arraignment to trial, told not only from the point-of-view of the prosecutors and police - but also from the perspective of defendants, defense attorneys, judges and jurors. From this omniscient perspective, viewers will be privy to ex-parte communications, intimate conversations between defendants and their attorneys, and a behind-the-scenes look at witness preparation and jury selection.

Gerety is currently in a recurring role as Judge Phelan on HBO's "The Wire." In addition to "The Wire," he most recently completed filming Steven Spileberg's "War Of The Worlds," the Stephen Gaghan film Syriana, as well as the independent film "Runaway" (which has just been accepted in the Tribeca Film Festival. Gerety portrayed Detective Stuart Gharty on NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street" from 1997-1999) as well as the Homicide movie. He is also known for his work on; Law and Order, Ed, Central Park West, Third Watch, and The Return To Lonesome Dove.

"Law & Order: Trial By Jury" is a Wolf Films production in association with NBC Universal Television Studio. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer; Walon Green and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.