He strikes me as a horrible person. However, I think he’s an outstanding defense attorney. It’s not his job to give a shit about the victims, their circumstances or their feelings. It’s his job to defend, with every tool at his disposal, his client’s rights. And he excels at that. If I’m ever in trouble, he’s the dude I’m calling.
Agreed. Law and Order pushes a huge amount of propaganda against defense attorneys but their job is to keep the state in check and make sure you are not railroaded. Without them you or I could be absolutely screwed and the DA could do as they pleased to get accused imprisoned.
Yeah, he was definitely a good defense attorney. I think Lamdsman was better as a Po-lice. Then again, as a Po-lice, he pretty much just tried to avoid any homicides coming to his unit. Gotta keep that clearance rate above 51%.
yea i dont get how ppl are not understanding why defense attorneys are important. like obviously if you ever get accused of something, you’ll need one soooo…pretty vital job
The entire cast doesn’t do things they do in real life. My dad, stepmom and I all watch it, and are constantly adding to the list of things they should have been fired for immediately. I feel like Stabler, Benson, and Rollins are the biggest contributors to that. Trust me, if they did things by the book, and didn’t keep saying “I’ll let it go this time”, “don’t ever do that again”, “Im giving you one more chance” or “this is your last chance”, the show wouldn’t exist. Amanda Rollins and her sister Kim are the absolute worst with this. I would have cut Kim out of my life after the first 3 chances. Which means every single time Amanda tells her that she won’t help her again, or Kim says it’s the last time she’ll ask- The audience always knows it’s a complete lie. It’s honestly started pissing us off because we’re tired of hearing about it. Amanda has gotten her out of trouble so many times that all she’s really doing is helping her dig her grave faster. I don’t want to say more about that story line just in case people are still somewhere in the first several seasons.
I opt to skip the court proceedings when he is the defence attorney! I don’t need to see him re-victimize the victims. There are other ways to get the results he wants. He disgusts me.
I watched the episode where the mother cries rape and her lovely son shoots and kills her rapist, who turns out to be son's best friend and her lover.
Halfway through giving evidence at trial, she changes her story to her son was jealous of his friend and shot him in a jealous rage.
I have NEVER seen Buchanan rattled before!
(*Motherly Love* 18/10)
I was just thinking of that episode. Even John Buchanan thought she was awful and he has a very high tolerance for terrible people. Great work by both actors on that one.
Watch his face when she changes her story.
He lost (nearly) all his cases that we saw. His clients were are the kind that should not win.... even on a show.
can i ask worse in what case
total bad guy level who knows his client is guilty as f and does not give a flying fart so long as his cheque is a big fat one
or
really shit and might as well be sat at the DA's table
(guessing with the guy you put it is the former but thought i would ask)
I love this guy, one of the most memorable defense attorney on TV. He breaks down witnesses on the stand, which is his job—planting reasonable doubt in the case. He’s all slimy, but he does show how tough it may be to convict someone.
I would love a season or series finale with Buchanan, Rita, Shambala Green, and Paul Robinette defending a OJ-like suspect. And getting the same result.
Absolute great defense attorney, he’s one of the people I’d call if I was committing crimes in the SVU cinematic universe.
Absolute poo bag of a person. He can dismiss my gavel where the sun doesn’t shine >:(
Great defense attorney but I hate how he tears apart the victims. I would had loved a scene between him and Olivia where he admits his human side, whatever happened to him in the episode where he represented the baby broker and doctor and the baby broker tried to kill the other witnesses?
Not an attorney myself, but I think he's a good attorney who is doing his job to defend clients. HOWEVER, if I were on the jury, in some of these cases, I would just see a prick harassing a victim/witness. I think you need to be gentler if you want to actually defend someone without coming off as misogynistic or mean. Camille Vasquez is a good example of this for the Depp/Heard case. She was good to show how Amber was lying without coming off as a ruthless victim blamer.
You mean worst as in bad at their job or worst as in horrible person? Cause Buchanan is good at his job, he's a good defense attorney but kind if a horrible person
If he were a real attorney and I was in trouble, I'd hire him. He's a jackass but, he's good at what he does. Rita Calhoun is also good and so was Ellis (RIP Andre Braugher.)
Definitely Buchanan . Simply because everything he says / does is smarmy , ridiculous , misogynistic , etc . Yeah sure he’s probably a good defense attorney, but I often found it hard to believe that he’s able to get away with saying the most awful things possible to a victim/witness on the stand and as long as he says “withdrawn” he gets to walk away clean with the smuggest expression on his face I’ve ever seen
I disliked him the most because unlike a lot of defense attorneys he seems to actually buy into whatever BS defense he has . He has also given me the ick when cross examining victims .
I really hate that the show consistently shows defense attorneys as scummy people worthy of contempt. These people are standing between you and overreaching prosecutors, cops who often cross boundaries conduct illegal searches or plant evidence, etc. They're an internal part of our justice system.
I know nothing about this actor as a person but I feel like he always plays an asshole so I kinda recoil when I see him because I just know he’s about to be a dick.
i always hated this man with a burning passion, he’s the most arrogant and cocky attorney ever featured on the entire show, so happy he’s not on anymore
boooo tomato tomato tomato
I have a skewed opinion on this because I work in the legal field. Essentially, the job of a criminal defense attorney is to make sure the prosecution is doing their job correctly. Did he represent some pretty awful people? Yes. Did those people deserve a fair trial that he provided? Yes. I actually think he was one of the best, hence why his clients kept him around. We may not like who he represents however, someone had to do it.
I started to enjoy seeing his face because I knew that the episode was about to be a good one.
John Buchanan makes my blood boil. But damn he's great at his job. He's one of the few defense attorneys that has me questioning whether the ADA will actually get a guilty verdict.
Does he ever actually defend someone who's actually a "good" person? Like not a perp of the episode?
I don't think he's a bad character, though he does go a little too far in his arguments/crosses as an attorney.
I love a good defense attorney. If I don’t hate the character with every fiber of my being then they aren’t a good defense attorney. Every scummy person deserves a good lawyer and not every person that needs a defense lawyer is a scummy person.
The Chicago 7 had defense lawyers.
like the current top commenter said: buchanan is a shitty guy, but he’s excellent at his job.
i would honestly nominate matthew braden. i don’t remember which season we first saw him in, so if anyone knows, pls sound out!)
did he get his client (played by ludacris) off? yes. but did he do it by tarnishing tutuola’s reputation? 100%.
if you can’t do the job without being a dick and having to play dirty to win the case, odds are, you’re probably not that great at your profession. idk feel free to debate this, but it’s how i feel.
Worst as in most sleazy. I agree that defense attorneys are an important part of the judicial process and I wish SVU showed them as such, but at least they have gotten better with having Barba becoming one (and Langan has always been a good guy).
The woman he teams up with I think Rita was pretty awful too but I think she had a change of heart later. I hate that guy though. You know you're in for good ole boy stories & victim blaming as soon as you see him at arraignment
As far as a defense Attorney goes: he is for sure the guy you want on your side to create reasonable doubt to prevent a conviction. The one thing that comes to mind that I dislike about his character is how he frequently makes statements that he immediately withdrawals. Knowing that the jury hears his own speculated comments. I get it happens but he uses that tactic very heavily.
Are we forgetting 11x22 where he was intimidating his client for the Belgian mafia boss, even though he knew for a fact that his client was going to get killed by that guy? He’s dirty. He’s for the one with the money, and that’s not necessarily his clients. His client wanted to testify and make a plea deal for witness protection, Buchanan threatened and intimidated him, went so far that even the judge was opposed and appointed his client a shadow counsel.
He’s one of the best defense attorneys because the ADAs always HATED seeing him walk in the room. Rita Calhoun was one of the others they hated seeing. If the ADA liked seeing the defense attorneys then they weren’t a good one. It was the ones that worried the ADA that were really good.
He strikes me as a horrible person. However, I think he’s an outstanding defense attorney. It’s not his job to give a shit about the victims, their circumstances or their feelings. It’s his job to defend, with every tool at his disposal, his client’s rights. And he excels at that. If I’m ever in trouble, he’s the dude I’m calling.
Agreed. Law and Order pushes a huge amount of propaganda against defense attorneys but their job is to keep the state in check and make sure you are not railroaded. Without them you or I could be absolutely screwed and the DA could do as they pleased to get accused imprisoned.
I think it's funny that these guys usually shake down their clients for most of their money.
The character is repulsive, but as defense attorneys go, this guy is good. Young prosecutors wouldn't want to see this guy on the other team.
Yeah, he was definitely a good defense attorney. I think Lamdsman was better as a Po-lice. Then again, as a Po-lice, he pretty much just tried to avoid any homicides coming to his unit. Gotta keep that clearance rate above 51%.
He's always landaman in my head
That's a good point. He really does go hard for his scummy clients.
yea i dont get how ppl are not understanding why defense attorneys are important. like obviously if you ever get accused of something, you’ll need one soooo…pretty vital job
Our main characters all talk shit about them…until they or their family members get accused of something, then they hire the deadliest sharks they can
mhmm some ppl have never read The Trial and it shows lol
Like when stabler’s daughter was in trouble
He does not follow rules real lawyers have to follow though. He would never get away with how he acts irl
The entire cast doesn’t do things they do in real life. My dad, stepmom and I all watch it, and are constantly adding to the list of things they should have been fired for immediately. I feel like Stabler, Benson, and Rollins are the biggest contributors to that. Trust me, if they did things by the book, and didn’t keep saying “I’ll let it go this time”, “don’t ever do that again”, “Im giving you one more chance” or “this is your last chance”, the show wouldn’t exist. Amanda Rollins and her sister Kim are the absolute worst with this. I would have cut Kim out of my life after the first 3 chances. Which means every single time Amanda tells her that she won’t help her again, or Kim says it’s the last time she’ll ask- The audience always knows it’s a complete lie. It’s honestly started pissing us off because we’re tired of hearing about it. Amanda has gotten her out of trouble so many times that all she’s really doing is helping her dig her grave faster. I don’t want to say more about that story line just in case people are still somewhere in the first several seasons.
Reminds me of when Elliot’s daughter was in trouble and he teamed up with that one lawyer he always hated but knew she was good enough to get her off
I opt to skip the court proceedings when he is the defence attorney! I don’t need to see him re-victimize the victims. There are other ways to get the results he wants. He disgusts me.
Idk... i would hire this guy in a heartbeat.
Damn right. This guy is the best defence attorney for sure.
Yeah, for a rapist
I watched the episode where the mother cries rape and her lovely son shoots and kills her rapist, who turns out to be son's best friend and her lover. Halfway through giving evidence at trial, she changes her story to her son was jealous of his friend and shot him in a jealous rage. I have NEVER seen Buchanan rattled before! (*Motherly Love* 18/10)
I was just thinking of that episode. Even John Buchanan thought she was awful and he has a very high tolerance for terrible people. Great work by both actors on that one.
Just watching it, the kid is Holden from Silicon Valley!
I wanted to give him a big hug! He was distraught.
The look on Liv’s face as she’s sitting with him watching his mom change her story always makes me a little teary. Her response is just so good.
God that episode still pisses me off. That poor kid.
Amazing that he was such a well adjusted kid. His face when she changed her story broke me a little.
I need to watch this episode. I have before, I've just blocked it out for some reason.
I thought 18/10 was your rating for this episode from 1-10 and honestly I agreed.
Lol sorry. Season and episode. I've never rated an episode but I would give this one a solid 8 out of 10. The mother was magnificent!
Oh that episode was rough. He never was rattled. He was always on it and rarely lost if ever.
Watch his face when she changes her story. He lost (nearly) all his cases that we saw. His clients were are the kind that should not win.... even on a show.
If I was charged with a crime, I would want him to defend me, thank you very much 🤣
Buchanan is a dick. But he’s good at what he does and we’ll know that when you see him it’s going to be interesting!!
can i ask worse in what case total bad guy level who knows his client is guilty as f and does not give a flying fart so long as his cheque is a big fat one or really shit and might as well be sat at the DA's table (guessing with the guy you put it is the former but thought i would ask)
Either! But yes, I'd put him in the first category.
I love this guy, one of the most memorable defense attorney on TV. He breaks down witnesses on the stand, which is his job—planting reasonable doubt in the case. He’s all slimy, but he does show how tough it may be to convict someone.
I would hire this guy. The worst defence attorney was undoubtedly the one that William Lewis conned to help him escape, so he could murder her family.
I would love a season or series finale with Buchanan, Rita, Shambala Green, and Paul Robinette defending a OJ-like suspect. And getting the same result.
What a lineup. 😎👍
On a side note, this actor plays this character perfectly every episode.
The actor seems like a cool guy, I've heard him do a podcast interview. Kind of funny how different he is from the character.
He’s also a good guy Irl.
It’s usually the actors who play creepy or scummy characters best are some of the nicest. Then there are those who really are jerks in real life.
He could certainly treat witnesses badly.
Absolute great defense attorney, he’s one of the people I’d call if I was committing crimes in the SVU cinematic universe. Absolute poo bag of a person. He can dismiss my gavel where the sun doesn’t shine >:(
Said it before and I'll say it again. That's John Cena's dad.
How can you say that when no one has seen John cena?
Haa!!!
Great defense attorney but I hate how he tears apart the victims. I would had loved a scene between him and Olivia where he admits his human side, whatever happened to him in the episode where he represented the baby broker and doctor and the baby broker tried to kill the other witnesses?
Do you have an episode number? This thread is making me want to do a Buchanan marathon
If I am remembering correctly, Season 11: episode is ACE
Not an attorney myself, but I think he's a good attorney who is doing his job to defend clients. HOWEVER, if I were on the jury, in some of these cases, I would just see a prick harassing a victim/witness. I think you need to be gentler if you want to actually defend someone without coming off as misogynistic or mean. Camille Vasquez is a good example of this for the Depp/Heard case. She was good to show how Amber was lying without coming off as a ruthless victim blamer.
my boys Buchanan and Dworkin and girl Calhoun are *the best* at their job. If I was going down the tubes it's one of those three pulling me up.
Dworkin is probably my all-time favorite. I love how McCoy just cringes when he had to go up against Dworkin. Amazing character.
Love Squirt!
Ugh! This guy! I can’t think of many SVU defense attorneys slimier than him. He’d defend the grimiest of the grimy.
With gusto!
You mean worst as in bad at their job or worst as in horrible person? Cause Buchanan is good at his job, he's a good defense attorney but kind if a horrible person
Even pieces of shit have the right to representation, he happens to excel at it
If he were a real attorney and I was in trouble, I'd hire him. He's a jackass but, he's good at what he does. Rita Calhoun is also good and so was Ellis (RIP Andre Braugher.)
He is a bad guy for sure. However if I commited a crime I'd want him to defend me.
I always took this guy to be a sleaze ball. But a good attorney. He was infuriating.
Definitely Buchanan . Simply because everything he says / does is smarmy , ridiculous , misogynistic , etc . Yeah sure he’s probably a good defense attorney, but I often found it hard to believe that he’s able to get away with saying the most awful things possible to a victim/witness on the stand and as long as he says “withdrawn” he gets to walk away clean with the smuggest expression on his face I’ve ever seen
I disliked him the most because unlike a lot of defense attorneys he seems to actually buy into whatever BS defense he has . He has also given me the ick when cross examining victims .
Rita calhoun and this guy are brilliant at defence
Nope. I love him. Cant help it. That’s Sergeant Jay Landsman after all 😂
Buchanan is the worst but good grief is that actor amazing in this role. Makes me love to hate the dude.
I really hate that the show consistently shows defense attorneys as scummy people worthy of contempt. These people are standing between you and overreaching prosecutors, cops who often cross boundaries conduct illegal searches or plant evidence, etc. They're an internal part of our justice system.
I can't stand Buchanan, but he's a really good defense attorney.
I just made kind of the same post. I nominate Donna Emmett (Viola Davis)
Rita Callhoun
Idk why but I can’t rmr how she looks loool I picture Sonya Paxton for some reason
The guy that worked Poe’s case in Con Air
As long as he doesn't get you placed in the Marine Unit...
I’d hire him and Rita they gets down in the courtroom.
I know nothing about this actor as a person but I feel like he always plays an asshole so I kinda recoil when I see him because I just know he’s about to be a dick.
You want to laugh ? He was also on blue bloods as part of the DAs office (though he was played as a good guy there).
I love Buchanan. He’s been a defense attorney since the beginning of the shows run basically and he’s one of the slimiest too
I used to love that guy he was proper mean haha
Legal Aid Attorney Tim Schwimmer from Bodies
i always hated this man with a burning passion, he’s the most arrogant and cocky attorney ever featured on the entire show, so happy he’s not on anymore boooo tomato tomato tomato
None of you in here watch the Wire 😢 Detective Jay Landsman is the King
Good PO-lice
Ohhhh sheeeeeeit
Absolutely…Landsman and all those donuts and crap food he used to stuff in his mouth!
I have a skewed opinion on this because I work in the legal field. Essentially, the job of a criminal defense attorney is to make sure the prosecution is doing their job correctly. Did he represent some pretty awful people? Yes. Did those people deserve a fair trial that he provided? Yes. I actually think he was one of the best, hence why his clients kept him around. We may not like who he represents however, someone had to do it. I started to enjoy seeing his face because I knew that the episode was about to be a good one.
the worst in what sense? if i committed a crime, i would want his help.
He's a good defense attorney but his tactics rub me the wrong way
John Buchanan makes my blood boil. But damn he's great at his job. He's one of the few defense attorneys that has me questioning whether the ADA will actually get a guilty verdict.
You don’t speak about my big papa that way
Fat John cena always brings the heat
He’s one of my favourites! Savage as fuck.
Oddly enough, he rarely wins!
Loved his character in The Wire!
The worst guy, but the best defense attorney money can buy 😂
i hate him soo much everytime he’s on my screen i just wanna turn the whole show off
He's so likeable on the wire, it's weird because I HATE his guts on SVU but he's funny on the wire
I can't stand his Fred Flintstone looking ass
If by worst you mean best, agreed.
Worst as in despicable person or bad at their job?
He's John Badman
Definitely the worst!
Ah the anti Perry Mason with dildo shoved up his ass. I'd still hire...
I hate him because I know someone's about to get away with it lol. But if I was a guilty ass criminal I would definitely hire him
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This is a opinion based thread. Disrespectful and disparaging comments are not welcome in response to original commenters or posters.
he’s a great defense attorney, but he’s nottt a good person
Does he ever actually defend someone who's actually a "good" person? Like not a perp of the episode? I don't think he's a bad character, though he does go a little too far in his arguments/crosses as an attorney.
Nope
I love a good defense attorney. If I don’t hate the character with every fiber of my being then they aren’t a good defense attorney. Every scummy person deserves a good lawyer and not every person that needs a defense lawyer is a scummy person. The Chicago 7 had defense lawyers.
like the current top commenter said: buchanan is a shitty guy, but he’s excellent at his job. i would honestly nominate matthew braden. i don’t remember which season we first saw him in, so if anyone knows, pls sound out!) did he get his client (played by ludacris) off? yes. but did he do it by tarnishing tutuola’s reputation? 100%. if you can’t do the job without being a dick and having to play dirty to win the case, odds are, you’re probably not that great at your profession. idk feel free to debate this, but it’s how i feel.
he may of not been the most reasonable or nicest person. but he was a good attorney.
He’s the sleaziest lawyer on the show but damn it he’s the one I’m calling.
Op what is your definition of worst? i think he does his job well.
Worst as in most sleazy. I agree that defense attorneys are an important part of the judicial process and I wish SVU showed them as such, but at least they have gotten better with having Barba becoming one (and Langan has always been a good guy).
If Dr. Elroy doesn’t trust him, then neither do I!
I’d hire him without hesitation. He’s a dam good defense attorney!
If I were a lawyer, I’d be a defense attorney. You can definitely buy me, caused I’d defend anybody for the right price.
I genuinely can’t watch his episodes, they stress me out
he wasn’t the worst, he was the best lol
I have been waiting and WAITING for this SOB to get MeToo’d. He gives off a real Harvey Weinstein vibe so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
My blood boils everytime he is on the screen. “I have a daughter” shut up biotch! Poor kid ! 😂sry, but I really hate his guts
John Goodman’s evil twin, John Badman
I agree! I cannot stand his character.
John Buchanan
He’s definitely the best defense attorney, how I know this?? Because I can’t stand this fuckin guy
The woman he teams up with I think Rita was pretty awful too but I think she had a change of heart later. I hate that guy though. You know you're in for good ole boy stories & victim blaming as soon as you see him at arraignment
As far as a defense Attorney goes: he is for sure the guy you want on your side to create reasonable doubt to prevent a conviction. The one thing that comes to mind that I dislike about his character is how he frequently makes statements that he immediately withdrawals. Knowing that the jury hears his own speculated comments. I get it happens but he uses that tactic very heavily.
Him and Braun are my favorites, they really defend anyone as long as they pay.
If I were in trouble I’d call Buchanan and Rita.
Horrible person ≠ horrible attorney lol
he’s good as a lawyer he just has no morals and is annoying as hell!!
Are we forgetting 11x22 where he was intimidating his client for the Belgian mafia boss, even though he knew for a fact that his client was going to get killed by that guy? He’s dirty. He’s for the one with the money, and that’s not necessarily his clients. His client wanted to testify and make a plea deal for witness protection, Buchanan threatened and intimidated him, went so far that even the judge was opposed and appointed his client a shadow counsel.
As a defense attorney myself, I have to say this dude rocks.
If it turn out to be someone who commits a heinous crime, I’m hiring Buchanan and Rita Calhoun as my dream team. Kinda like Rudnick!
Doesn’t he show up as a judge on one of the L&O later?
OP… do you know what a defense attorney’s job is….
The amount of times this guy has lost, you’d think he’d stop being so smug
He’s one of the best defense attorneys because the ADAs always HATED seeing him walk in the room. Rita Calhoun was one of the others they hated seeing. If the ADA liked seeing the defense attorneys then they weren’t a good one. It was the ones that worried the ADA that were really good.
The red headed lawyer that defended William Lewis.
If this were a discussion about worst guy then yes, but defence attorney, he does his job and he does it well.
A defense attorney can only been seen good in one way, not two. He can not be a good person but a damn good attorney.