A case that involves the movers and shakers of New York's society might spell the end of the Special Victims Unit and Olivia Benson's career.

The police are tasked "to serve and protect," but what if the people who are supposed to be doing the protecting are the ones doing harm? That's the dilemma that Lieutenant Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team are facing in episode 17 of "Law & Order: SVU" season 17.

A synopsis for the upcoming episode, titled "Manhattan Transfer," teases that as the SVU looks into a case of underage Catholic school girls being sexually exploited, they make a shocking discovery that involves several judges, attorneys, legislators and members of the NYPD.

A sneak peek into the episode seems to shed more light on this nefarious event. The trailer shows a private party in progress, with young girls seen dancing and mingling with much older men. While Olivia and her team run surveillance, they're shocked when they recognized a judge, 2 assemblymen and a council man that are in attendance. The SVU crash the party and apparently make several arrests. The clip teases that the case might "bring the end of the SVU" as ADA Barba (Raul Esparza) is shown telling a shocked Olivia that they "are done talking." The trailer ends with Benson putting away her desk tag, moving boxes are clearly seen in the background.

This promises to be one of the most challenging cases that the SVU will face as they are pitted against powerful men who can do real damage to their careers. While not all judges and legislators are involved in the scandal, it's a given that they might close ranks to protect their colleagues or call in favours to save their skins.

The episode's title also suggests an interesting mystery, as viewers will no doubt be wondering whether a member of the SVU will be transferring to Manhattan and for what reason. Some fans even say that it might be Benson, but as Design & Trend pointed out, the character is a key piece of the SVU and is unlikely to be shipped out.

"Law & Order: SVU" season 17 episode 17 will be aired on March 2.