Joel Thayer was being investigated by the District Attorney's office for threatening the child of Janet Rudman. His last case before "voluntarily surrendering" to the D.A.'s office dealt with a man charged with his third DUI who had continued to drive even with a suspended license. Arthur Gold, Joel's attorney, had phoned and notified him to the fact that the ADA who set up the photo identification array was none other than Claire Kincaid.
So Judge Thayer dismissed the option of the jury trial and dismissed the option of a plea bargain. His verdict was a sentence of five to fifteen years on three charges of aggravated assault. However, Thayer suspended the sentence under the condition that he not go near alcohol and be entered into a 12-step rehab program. After his ruling was handed down, Thayer pled out to attempted assault and was sentenced to six to twelve months for attempted assault. While Thayer was incarcerated, he called the last man he sentenced. Thayer had suspended his sentence because he knew, with the Janet Rudman case going against him, that he would need someone on the outside to monitor Claire Kincaid for him. So Thayer had threatened the last man he sentenced with the only judicial power he had left- Thayer said he'd notify the D.A.'s office that he was unduly influenced in the sentencing process. Along with a private detective hired by the flunky, Thayer was completely informed of all of Claire Kincaid's doings- both professional and private- with incriminating photo evidence as well. Photo evidence that documented the "extra-curricular" activities Claire participated in. Coached by none other than her new boss, Jack McCoy.
Joel always knew that Claire was attracted to older, powerful men. Moreover, she always did have a thing for her bosses. But a week before the Mickey Scott execution, both Claire and Joel found out something to completely change their lives. Claire was pregnant.
The day of the execution, Joel took his flunky out for a few drinks in the same smoky bar Jack McCoy and Lennie Briscoe were frequenting that day. Thayer heard Jack call Claire from the bar pay phone multiple times. Finally, Jack left, "to hell with her" being the last words he uttered. Joel thought that Claire wouldn't be telling Jack about their little "accident" anytime soon. A very short time after Jack's departure, Claire Kincaid arrived at the bar. By that time, Joel Thayer and his flunky had left. Joel left his lackey drunk as a fish, at an intersection, with directions to hit a specific car when it crossed the intersection. Keeping in touch with the private detective via a pay phone on the corner of the intersection and the pay phone which Jack McCoy had so recently used to call his lover; Joel Thayer was able to signal to his flunky exactly which car to hit.
Three days later, Joel Thayer received some thrilling news. His most expensive mistress was dead.