Say it ain't so, L-T!

Michael Ausiello reports on the Entertainment Weekly website that S. Epatha Merkerson, Lt. Anita Van Buren on "Law & Order," is leaving the show after 16 years.

In an interview with Ausiello, Merkerson says the timing is right: "It’s a graceful way to go. It’s the end of my contract this year, and the storyline has been so perfect. I’ve given it my best for 16 years. It’s time to move on. I’m doing other things and this will be a great way to leave what has been an extraordinary gig."