Law and Order SVU - Changes

On July 12, 2013, it was announced that Raúl Esparza would be elevated to the main cast as ADA Rafael Barba during this season. Esparza portrayed Barba in a recurring capacity during the series' fourteenth season. On the promotion, SVU Executive Producer and showrunner Warren Leight expressed, "Making him [Esparza] a series regular is a small way of acknowledging his enormous contribution to our show". Barba will be the first regular ADA on the series since Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) in the eleventh season.

On September 27, 2013, it was announced through the plot release of the fifth episode, "Wonderland Story", that Richard Belzer's character Sergeant Munch will be retiring from the Special Victims Unit after fifteen years in the episode.

Law and Order Special Victims Unit - Season 15 - Pictured: Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch - NBC - 2013.