Editing Law & Order (section)

===Seasons 15 and 16===
After 12 years on ''Law & Order'', Orbach announced in March 2004 that he was leaving the show at the end of season 14 for the spin-off ''[[Law & Order: Trial by Jury]]''. Lennie Briscoe was written off as retiring from the NYPD and later taking a position as an investigator for the D.A.'s office. He was replaced at the 27th Precinct by Detective [[Joe Fontana (Law & Order)|Joe Fontana]], played by [[Dennis Farina]].<ref name="Orbach departure" /> At the time, Orbach would not state the reason for his departure,<ref name="Orbach departure">{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Starr|first=Michael|date=May 18, 2004|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/05/18/jerry-orbach-signs-off-after-12-years-on-law-order.html|title=Jerry Orbach Signs Off After 12 Years on 'Law & Order'|publisher=Fox News|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203072834/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120231,00.html|archive-date=December 3, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> but it was eventually revealed that he had been battling [[prostate cancer]] (for over 10 years) and that his role on ''Trial by Jury'' was designed to be less taxing on him than his role on the original series was. However, Orbach died from his cancer on December 28, 2004, and was featured in only the first two episodes of ''Trial by Jury.'' (His character was subsequently written off as having also died off-screen, though this was not revealed on the original series until the season 18 episode "Burn Card".)<ref name="Orbach death">{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Brantley|first=Ben|author2=Severo, Richard|date=December 29, 2004|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/29/arts/29cnd-orba.html|title=Jerry Orbach, Star of 'Law & Order,' Dies at 69|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204085153/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/29/arts/29cnd-orba.html|archive-date=February 4, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In Season 15, Röhm left the show mid-season in January 2005. Röhm's final scene on the show, in the episode "Ain't No Love", sparked controversy within the fanbase, as A.D.A. Southerlyn asked Arthur Branch if she was being fired because she was a lesbian, a fact the scripts had never hinted at until then.<ref name="Martin exit">{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Roush |first=Matt |date=April 24, 2008 |url=https://ew.com/article/2008/04/24/martin-goes-out |title='Law & Order' recap: Ed Green turns in his badge |work=TV Guide |access-date=March 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151858/http://www.ew.com/article/2008/04/24/martin-goes-out |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Wolf said Röhm's departure was unexpected. For a few seasons, Southerlyn had often argued opposing points to McCoy and Branch, the latter of whom thought she would be better as a defender rather than a prosecutor. Southerlyn's replacement was [[Annie Parisse]] as Assistant District Attorney [[Alexandra Borgia]].

Martin left the show midseason to film ''[[Rent (film)|Rent]].'' Ed Green was temporarily written off as being shot in the line of duty and was replaced during his recovery by Detective Nick Falco, played by [[Michael Imperioli]], who had previously guest-starred as a murder suspect in the season 6 episode "Atonement".<ref name="Parisse-Imperioli">{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Levin|first=Gary|date=December 6, 2004|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-12-06-lno-inside_x.htm?csp=34|title='Law & Order' stays orderly| publisher= Gannett | location = McLean VA|issn = 0734-7456  |work=   USA Today|access-date=December 20, 2009}}</ref> Parisse left the series at the end of season 16 (with A.D.A. Borgia written off as being murdered), and Farina shortly afterward announced that he was leaving the show to pursue other projects. (Detective Fontana was written off as having retired off-screen.)<ref name="Parisse-Farina">{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Marinovich |first=Milosh |date=May 31, 2006 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/law-order-cast-shakeup/ |title='Law & Order' Cast Shakeup |publisher=CBS News |access-date=February 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111122018/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/31/entertainment/main1671381.shtml |archive-date=November 11, 2010 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>