David McNorris
David Francis McNorris (played by Neal McDonough) is a Los Angeles deputy district attorney.
Early life[]
McNorris grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, one of four children. We see that he was strongly influenced by his father Jack "Mac" McNorris, who was a “Fixer” -- a man behind the scenes charged with the responsibility of keeping people in powerful positions out of trouble through whatever unethical or violent means necessary. Jack also cheated on his wife (David's mother) with numerous women, routinely drank to excess and gave David his first taste of beer at the age of eight. In Inadmissible we find out that, as a teenager, David would often stay up all night drinking and making his mother worry.
Professional career and life in the Boomtown[]
David became a prosecution lawyer in Los Angeles, eventually becoming deputy district attorney. He dislikes his boss, District Attorney Ben Fisher, but is highly ambitious and dreams of becoming D.A. himself. In The David McNorris Show, Fisher and powerful filmmaker Ron Berman convince David to help Berman's son Zach escape prosecution for suspected murder; David agrees in exchange for Berman's support for his bid to become D.A.
David often works closely with the Central Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department, including Detectives Joel Stevens and "Fearless" Bobby Smith (and later Katherine Pierce). However he has a volatile relationship with Officer Ray Hechler, whom he suspects was involved in the Vista Heights police corruption scandal.
David met reporter Andrea Little -- who reported on Vista Heights and with whom David eventually has an affair -- about four years before the start of the series, as revealed in Reelin' in the Years. Andrea had been campaigning on behalf of Kevin Van Horn whom she believed was wrongly convicted of murder, and asked David to review the case. He provides her with information before anyone else, in exchange for favourable reporting on him.
In Execution, "Chronic", notorious gangster on death row summons David to his cell hours before his scheduled execution, after reading David's college law review arguing against the death penalty. David tells Chronic that his views have changed since then. He later admits to Andrea that they have not, and he is still secretly opposed to capital punishment despite his position.
David has a photograph of former President Bill Clinton in his office.
Personal life[]
David has been married to Marian for eight years, but about six months before the start of the series, began an affair with reporter Andrea Little. Andrea ends their relationship at Halloween, just as Marian begins to suspect an affair.
Depressed over his increasing corruptibility and Marian’s decision to leave him, David begins abusing alcohol, culminating in a drunken blackout one night. He awakens to find blood on his car. Believing himself responsible for a hit-and-run overnight, David works frantically to cover up his crime. He eventually checks himself into a rehabilitation clinic.
David enjoys boxing, regularly spending time at the ring at Sharkey’s gym, and keeps a punching bag in his office.
He has a strained relationship with his father.