Fans are mourning the death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Grammy-winning musician and actor who passed away on July 20, 2025, due to drowning. The tragic accident occurred while he was swimming at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica. In the wake of his untimely passing, many are now revisiting his notable acting credits, which include a brief appearance on the Showtime hit drama Dexter.
Here are all the details on Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s role in Dexter.
What role did Malcolm-Jamal Warner play in Dexter?
Malcolm-Jamal Warner appeared on Dexter Season 1 as Rita Bennett’s lawyer. He had appeared on the show for only one episode.
Warner played Rita’s lawyer in the tenth episode of Dexter’s debut season, titled “Seeing Red.” In the episode, Rita learns that Paul has been released from the Baptist Memorial Hospital. He was there because Rita had hit his head with a baseball bat in the previous episode, after he tried to sexually assault her.
However, once discharged from the hospital, Paul files an assault charge against Rita, who is then taken to the police station. Distraught and helpless, she calls Dexter, who refers her to his lawyer friend.
Warner then comes in as Rita’s lawyer. He asks her for a detailed explanation of what went down the night she hit him with the bat. He asked her whether she had invited Paul to her bedroom or asked him to leave. Rita then opened up about Paul’s history of abuse and revealed that he was drunk on that fateful night.
Later during the deposition, it was revealed that Rita had previously broken a visitation agreement. She also needs to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, which will determine whether she can retain custody of her children. Due to these factors, the lawyer informs Rita that Paul unfortunately has a chance of winning the case.
However, Dexter decides to take matters into his own hands before the trial begins. He abducts Paul and injects heroin into his system. Later in the episode, the lawyer returns to inform Rita that Paul is back in jail for violating the “Florida Three Strikes Law.” This is the last we see of Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Rita’s lawyer.
