▁the ▁case ▁for ▁himself ▁with ▁a ▁proced ural ▁mis step ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁one ▁port rayed ▁in ▁" And ▁the ▁Rock ets ▁Dead ▁G lare ". ▁In ▁the ▁episode , ▁Russ om ▁asks ▁Howard ▁whether ▁she ▁had ▁ever ▁seen ▁a ▁murder ▁victim ▁killed ▁by ▁both ▁a ▁kn ife ▁and ▁a ▁gun . ▁This ▁allows ▁Howard ▁to ▁mention ▁a ▁second ▁victim ▁police ▁suspect ▁" P ony " ▁Johnson ▁murder ed , ▁which ▁she ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁allowed ▁to ▁mention ▁had ▁Russ om ▁not ▁asked ▁her . ▁Hom ic ide ▁film m akers ▁sought ▁to ▁port ray ▁the ▁trial ▁scenes ▁in ▁a ▁far ▁more ▁real istic ▁light ▁than ▁most ▁police ▁drama ▁shows , ▁particularly ▁with ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁less ▁dram atic ▁court room ▁elements ▁such ▁as ▁Howard ' s ▁waiting ▁anx iously ▁to ▁test ify ▁and ▁the ▁awk ward ▁p aus es ▁during ▁her ▁testim ony . ▁ ▁" And ▁the ▁Rock ets ' ▁Dead ▁G lare " ▁presents ▁a ▁case ▁for ▁drug ▁liberal ization , ▁arg uing ▁from ▁the ▁pers pect ives ▁of ▁hom ic ide ▁detect ives ▁Tim ▁Bay l iss ▁and , ▁particularly , ▁John ▁M unch ▁that ▁legal izing ▁dru gs ▁would ▁help ▁cur b ▁violent ▁crime . ▁M unch ' s ▁pro - d rug ▁liberal ization ▁comments ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁actor ▁Richard ▁Bel zer ' s ▁real - life ▁personal ▁history ▁with ▁drug ▁ab use ▁and ▁drug ▁dealing , ▁which ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁insp ire ▁further ▁development ▁of ▁M unch ' s ▁dru gg