Sonya Paxton

Sonya Paxton
Law & Order character
Christine Lahti as Sonya Paxton in "Sugar"
First appearance	"Unstable"
Last appearance	"Pursuit"
Portrayed by	Christine Lahti
Time on show	2009–2011
Seasons	11, 12
Credited appearances	7 episodes (total)
Preceded by	Alexandra Cabot (as ADA)
Succeeded by	Alexandra Cabot (as ADA) David Haden (as EADA)

Sonya Paxton is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Golden Globe, Emmy, and Academy Award winning actress and director Christine Lahti.

Paxton works in the Manhattan District Attorney's office under the authority of Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston; Law & Order), as an Executive Assistant District Attorney. A member of the DA's office for over 25 years, she has a black-and-white view of the law, and makes sure all procedures are handled " by the book." Having previously worked in the Appeals Bureau, she was the first prosecutor to get a capital conviction in New York when the then newly elected Governor George Pataki brought back the death penalty in 1995. As opposed to other female executives, such as Elizabeth Donnelly, she was permitted to work as a Homicide ADA in the 1980s.

Sonya Paxton is introduced in the eleventh season premiere of SVU, "Unstable", as the unit's new Assistant District Attorney, temporarily replacing ADA Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) for four episodes. An Executive, Paxton is sent to 'clean the house' in the 'he-said, she-said unit' due to too many convictions being overturned. However, things start out rocky as she butts heads with the SVU team, particularly Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), with whom she gets into a heated argument after Paxton calls a suspect's lawyer after he declines his right to counsel twice.