1. Donald Cragen was born in 1950 and comes from an Irish Catholic background, and graduated from a Catholic university in New York City, although different episodes have given conflicting information about exactly which school; he calls St Raymond's University his alma mater in the first season episode "Sophomore Jinx", but says it is St John's in the third season episode "Justice".
Donald Cragen served as a Green Beret in the US Army Special Forces in the Vietnam War before joining the New York Police Department, where he was a homicide detective partnered with Max Greevey.
The episode "Prescription for Death" establishes that Donald Cragen is a recovering alcoholic.
Donald Cragen says that his drinking problem had become so severe in his early career that Greevey insisted he would no longer partner with him unless he joined Alcoholics Anonymous.
Donald Cragen finally hit rock bottom when he pulled his service revolver on a taxi driver while in a drunken rage; horrified, he quit drinking, joined AA, and has been sober ever since.
Donald Cragen is jaded by city politics and no longer votes.
Donald Cragen is a fan of the New York Mets, and keeps an autographed baseball in a case on his desk.
Donald Cragen is reluctant to cooperate in the investigation against O'Farrell, but when District Attorney Adam Schiff and EADA Ben Stone apply pressure by calling for his indictment, Donald Cragen agrees to wear a wire during conversations with O'Farrell, ultimately leading to O'Farrell's arrest.
When Greevey is murdered in the episode "Confession", Donald Cragen is a pall-bearer at his funeral.
The Donald Cragen character was removed from the series after the third season, making his last appearance in the season finale episode "Benevolence".
Florek said upon reprising the role on SVU that he and the show's producers crafted a back story in which Marge's death led Donald Cragen to start drinking again, and that, in his loneliness, he solicited prostitutes.
In "Stalked", a first-season episode, Donald Cragen participates in a sting operation in which one of his detectives, Olivia Benson, serves as bait for Richard White, a serial rapist who had been stalking her.
When evidence surfaces proving Vega's innocence, a guilt-stricken Donald Cragen arranges for his immediate release.
At the start of the ninth season, Donald Cragen is briefly relieved of duty for failure to supervise due to the actions of several of his detectives, such as Detective Odafin Tutuola's stepson, Darius Parker, committing three murders and being acquitted of them, Benson aiding her fugitive half-brother Simon Marsden and her partner, Detective Elliot Stabler, covering up his daughter's DUI.
Donald Cragen is forced to transfer to the office of Chief of Detectives and cede control of his precinct to the newly promoted Sergeant John Munch.
The transfer is short-lived as Donald Cragen's command is restored after Munch allows a suspect faking dissociative identity disorder to be released into her sister's care, only for her to kill her parents.
Donald Cragen is suspended while the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau investigates him for murder.
The SVU detectives arrest Foster, which allows the charges against Donald Cragen to be dropped.
Donald Cragen explains that he is leaving to join his girlfriend, Eileen Switzer, on a six-month cruise around the world, which would take him to his mandatory retirement date.
Donald Cragen tells the squad room it was his privilege to work with each one of them, and announces that Benson would be taking over as their new interim supervisor.
Donald Cragen uses his connections from the 27th precinct to help SVU get information they could never have accessed otherwise.
Donald Cragen replies that he does not know for certain whether the elder Stabler broke the law, but he does know that he was a good cop during a difficult time for New York City.
Donald Cragen believed the producers and crew were not giving him enough direction and guidance in forming the character, pointing out that he did not learn Cragen was an alcoholic until several weeks into filming.
Donald Cragen was one of two actors dismissed from the series along with Richard Brooks, who played Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette.