Character mistake: At the end of the episode, Abby Carmichael says that professor Rousseau will be convicted of three class-A felonies, with a term of a year each. According to NY state laws, three class-A felonies would lead to the death penalty; Abby meant to say three class-A misdemeanors.
Character mistake: Sgt Lloyd Andrews' attorney, during arraignment, asked the judge that the defendant be "remanded on his own recognise." The proper terminology for ROR, and what he meant to say is "Released on his own recognizance."
Character mistake: Detective Stabler and ADA Cabot go to talk to Allen and Hannah Cooper in the courthouse, and Ottis Toole, the alleged murderer of Adam Walsh, comes up into the conversation. Stabler states that Toole died of AIDS on death row, when, in fact, Toole died of cirrhosis (liver damage). (00:27:15)
Character mistake: When Munch and Finn visit victim's apartment, Munch states that the glass in the broken window is tempered, The glass is not tempered but more likely laminated wire glass; due to he fact that the glass is still intact and the child had to use wire cutters to get out.
Character mistake: The fetus' blood type was AB and the mother had a known type of A. So Dr. Huang said the Father had to be type B which is not completely true. The father could also be type AB as long as he had a single chromosomal copy of the B allele, which any doctor would know. During meiosis only half your genetic DNA is passed on to the offspring.
Character mistake: Capt. Cragen says that Columbine shooter Eric Harris shouts, "All jocks stand up" during the massacre, when, in fact, it was the other perpetrator, Dylan Klebold who stated this. (00:12:20)
Character mistake: When Casey is talking to Rebecca Balthus about Jennifer's defense, Balthus claims that Jennifer is innocent and intends to prove it. While she can present a defense, Balthus is not required to prove anything: the burden of proof lies solely on Casey; Jennifer possesses what is called the presumption of innocence, the basic principle that she is considered innocent until it's proven she's guilty.
Character mistake: Elliot Stabler is interrogating a suspect and he says "Well maybe he got pissy because of the 2.2 you blew into the breathalyzer." He said two-point-two but he meant point-two-two because a 2.2 BAC is like 5 times the lethal limit, so a 0 .22 BAC makes more sense. (00:20:10)
Character mistake: In the scene where Detective Benson is presenting possible home care suspects for the rape of Cara, she says that Drew Cummings is on trial for distribution of Schedule 4 drugs. When asked which ones by Detective Stabler, she says "Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, you name it..." Vicodin was a Schedule 3 drug, recently rescheduled to Schedule 2. Percocet and Oxycontin, the main ingredient for both being oxycodone, have always been Schedule 2. Schedule 4 drugs are drugs like Xanax and Phentermine, less addictive with lower legal penalties for distribution. (00:32:35)
Character mistake: In the final scene, when Carisi and Rollins are about to get on the elevator, he calls her "Alex." Her name is Amanda. (00:41:25)
Character mistake: At the end of the episode, Carisi calls Amanda Alex.
Character mistake: Avery is referred to as transgender, but he appears to be a transvestite.
Character mistake: Once Cabot's law-breaking is revealed to her, Benson, as an officer of the law, would be obligated to arrest her but doesn't.
Answer: I didn't see the show so I don't know the details. A general answer would be because a reckless endangerment charge is easier to prove "beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in court and get a conviction. This charge would not require the prosecutor to prove intent, which would be required for proving aggravated or simple assault. Also, if there were no visible injuries, it is difficult to show bodily injury. Just because the reckless endangerment charge was specifically mentioned, it does not necessarily mean there were not other charges filed. Police often make multiple charges, like lesser-included offenses, so that the defendant's act will fall under one of them if the legal requirements are not met for the others, if they are not sure of the best charge to make (the district attorney knows and can decide), or to have something to plea bargain with.
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