This episode appears to be based on the 1993 Colin Ferguson case and the "black rage" defense. Ferguson used the affirmative defense as mitigation in the Long Island Railroad shootings of December 7, 1993, that resulted in the deaths of six people and wounding of nineteen others. During the course of the trial, Ferguson fired his counsel and undertook a "pro se" defense. Upon the jury's rejection of the "black rage" assertion, Ferguson was sentenced to 315 years, 8 months on combined multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
Courtney B. Vance would later go on to play series regular A.D.A. Ron Carver on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001).
Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) & Bernie McInerney (Judge Michael Callahan) also worked together on Death Row Tip (2011) (episode 3.8) and Wasichu (2006) (episode 5.14).
Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) & Scott Whitehurst (Melman) also worked together on Waiting for the Knock (2012) (episode 4.5), as Peter Florrick & a cable man respectively.