This episode is based in part on the real-life case of Arizona Senator Gabrielle Giffords (D). On January 8, 2011 Giffords was a victim of an assassination attempt near Tucson, at a Safeway supermarket where she was meeting publicly with constituents. She was critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head; six people were killed and thirteen injured in the shooting, among them federal judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green. The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner is currently serving life without the possibility of parole in federal prison after pleading guilty in order to avoid the death penalty. He pled guilty to 19 felony counts including attempted assassination of a sitting US Congressman and murder of a federal judge for the death of judge John Roll.
The pamphlet in the trial showing a crosshair over the Senator's photo is based on a real-life poster that featured stylized crosshairs on an electoral map over Arizona Senator Gabrielle Giffords' (D) district released by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R). Shortly after the assassination attempt on Senator Giffords' life some blamed Governor Palin saying her poster was in part to blame for Senator Giffords' attack.
Intravenous ethanol (alcohol) used to be used to treat preterm labor, however this practice has not been used for a long time as multiple studies have shown that not only is I.V. ethanol ineffective at preventing premature labor, (it performed no better than a placebo and far worse than modern premature labor drugs) it is dangerous for the fetus due to the increased risk of the child being born with fetal alcohol syndrome, and other increased health risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Larry Sheppard was born on February 13, 1979.