Rafael Barba
| Rafael Barba | |
|---|---|
| Law & Order character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "Twenty-Five Acts" |
| Portrayed by | Raúl Esparza |
| Time on show | 2012–present |
| Seasons | 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 |
| Credited appearances | 90 episodes (total) |
| Preceded by |
Alexandra Cabot Casey Novak |
Rafael Barba is a fictional character portrayed by Raúl Esparza, who joined the cast of the long-running NBC crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on a recurring basis during the 14th season episode "Twenty-Five Acts". The character was promoted to a series regular for the 15th season.
Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba transfers from the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, to Manhattan, after requesting what he refers to as a "lateral move". Barba is brought in to work with the Special Victims Unit at the behest of temporary SVU captain, Steven Harris (Adam Baldwin), due to the aftermath of the Delia Wilson case. He is an aggressive, often ruthless prosecutor who puts pressure on not only the detectives, but also the victims and witnesses, in order to achieve outcomes. He is well-read, and fond of referencing authors such as Tom Wolfe and Kurt Vonnegut.
In his first case with the Special Victims Unit, he prosecutes a rape similar to a best selling erotic novel Twenty-Five Acts by Jocelyn Paley (Anna Chlumsky), who is the rape victim. Barba tells the detectives to uncover anything and everything about Paley and her attacker. After rushing to put Paley on the stand to testify, Barba and the detectives discover that Paley did not write the book, which forces Barba to get creative with the trial. Barba taunts the defendant with a belt tied around his neck, resulting in him lashing out and choking Barba from behind the way he did to the victims. After this, the jury finds the defendant guilty.
Barba goes head to head with the Suffolk County District Attorney, Pam James (Jane Kaczmarek), in the episode "Beautiful Frame", after a Manhattan rape victim is charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend in Suffolk County. Detective Benson questions the charges against the woman and gathers enough evidence for Barba to put another man on trial for the same murder, as Barba and James race to get a conviction before the other. Barba and the SVU detectives uncover a scandal within the Suffolk County DA's office, as one of James' investigators set the young woman up for the murder. Barba offers to spare James' office of more embarrassment as long as the investigator is convicted for the murder in Suffolk County.
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