[Stabler enters Paxton's office, after spending 2 days in solitary, at his own choice]
Where the hell have you been?
The hall. I wanna drop the charges.
Don't be a wuss, Stabler. You took a bad trip in your own head, and now what? You feel sorry for Donovan? Well, that's your problem. Mine is convicting a would-be cop killer, who thinks doing a little time gives him the right to whack the first cop who looks at him cross-eyed.
Actually, it is. If Donovan walks it's open season on law enforcement, for any perp that did a day in the hall.
Look, you don't have to set him a precedent. Just cut him a deal.
If I plea-bargain Donovan, he's out in 5 years, and then what? Does he run down the cop who pulls him over for speeding? I won't take that chance.
I'll report you for assault. The DA will suspend you.
Go ahead. [pauses and then smiles] Thought so. You may have lost your balls in lock-up, but I still got mine.
[Paxton enters the interrogation room in the middle of an interview with Dalton]
Yeah. For him to admit he killed and raped Audrey Hale. [to Stabler and Benson] I got tired of watching you 2 play patty cake. Sorry.
How can I admit something I don't remember? Look, I had a history of blackouts in my drinking days. One time, I woke up in a hotel room in Phoenix. I had no clue how I got there.
[mocks] "The liquor made me do it! My partner made me do it!"
Please. It's not like he slipped you a Mickey. And he's not the one who killed Audrey. You are. You lured her to your place, found out what she did for a living, and then you killed her in a drunken rage.
I'm not even anti-abortion!
Okay. So, her profession was just a fluke. Then why did you kill her?
I don't know! I swear, I have no memory of what happened that night.
Fine. Maybe this will jog your memory.
[she shows Dalton a video with a recreation of the crime scene, with his image]
You can't show that to a jury, can you?
No. Not with your likeness. But everything else. I made this one just for you.
[Dalton shuts the computer]
I wanna talk to a lawyer.
[during Dr. Sopher's testimony]
Dr. Sopher, you conducted a study involving the brain imaging of alcoholics.
SDr. Sopher
Yes, and the results indicate...
People renew their objection to this hearing in its entirety.
It doesn't matter what voodoo science she trots out as an excuse. Intoxication has been banned as a defense to rape and murder dating back...
The People didn't meet their burden for rape. That charge was dropped!
[corrects herself] Banned as a defense to murder, dating back to the 19th century.
Would your honor remind Miss Paxton that the entire point of a Frye hearing is to consider the admissibility of new science at trial.
I do have other matters to consider. Objection overruled.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I warn you: What you are about to see is graphically violent. And forensic evidence proves that these are the indisputable actions of the defendant.
[she plays the video of the recreation of Dalton beating Dr. Hale to death; however, Dalton's face is photoshopped on it]
Objection! Move for a mistrial, your honor!
No! She can't play that! She told me the jury couldn't see this one!
Bailiff, remove the jury!
Wrong one! [stops and ejects the disc] Your honor, I have no idea how this happened.
[at the behest of the judge, Benson enters the courtroom with a breathalyzer]
Where would you like me to administer the test, your honor? Right at the defense table?
Unfortunately, the prosecution.
No. You can't be serious.
Could you please clear this up, Olivia? They're trying to ruin my reputation.
I have no desire to ruin your reputation, counselor. [to Benson] Detective, were you drinking with Miss Paxton last night?
I saw her consume two drinks.
So you did lie to me. How many drinks did you have after Detective Benson left?
I object to this line of questioning, your honor.
No. I can attest, as an officer of this court, that I am not intoxicated.
Sonya, your eyes are bloodshot and watery, your speech is slurred, and you stink of booze. Now, blow.
I thought you were my friend.
Don't do this to me, Olivia. Please don't do this to me.
You did this to yourself, Sonya. Now, blow.
[Paxton exhales steadily into the breathalyzer; Benson removes it]
Bring it up here. Let me see.
I saw it, your honor. It's .07. It's legally sober.
For the record, your blood level count is .082.
That's residual from last night. I'm fine, your honor. I am ready to proceed.
Counselor, you have a problem. I'm ordering you removed from this courtroom.
[Benson and Dalton exit the courthouse after Dalton's trial has ended in a mistrial and dismissal]
I hope you know that you're the luckiest man alive.
Ya think? No matter how long I live, no matter what I do with the rest of my life, my obituary is already written: Dalton Rindell, the man who killed Audrey Hale.
It's still all about you.
I've destroyed so many lives.
You finally owning up to it? You know, you can never serve time for this, no matter what you tell me. So, why don't you get it off your chest? Tell me.
After seeing all the evidence, after watching that prosecutor falling down drunk, ruining her own career, it was like looking in the mirror. [shook up] I finally realize that I'd done it. I killed her.
[sobs] I swear, I don't know. I swear to God! [inhales] I had no reason to hurt her. My doctor told me that in an alcohol blackout, maybe I might've known exactly what I was doing. But the memory never formed. And it never will. Maybe the stress from my business going under made me snap and I took it out on her. I don't know. How am I supposed to live with that?
[SVU captures members of O.S.L. and throw them into a holding cell]
FSFirst suspect
I still don't understand what I did wrong.
I'm throwin' you in a cage full of pedophiles. See if they can help you figure it out.
SSSecond suspect
I've never seen that kid before in my life.
Pictures don't lie. We got him sitting on your lap.
TSThird suspect
I don't have anybody to watch my shop.
That's the least of your problems, baby raper. [she shuts the cell] Bet you didn't think NYPD would be hosting this year's Our Special Love convention.
[Stabler brings O'Donnell in]
Hey, all you vermin! You can thank your leader, Kevin O'Donnell, for keeping such meticulous records. Enjoy, Kevin.
ODO'Donnell
You can't leave me in here! [Benson shuts the cell] I want my lawyer.
She'll meet you in arraignment, tomorrow.
[O'Donnell looks behind him and sees all his customers staring at him]
Eva. You don't have to move.
EEva
But Thomas pays the mortgage and he's never given me any of the passwords on any of our accounts.
So? We'll go to the bank, we'll show them your ID, we'll empty the accounts, we'll start a new one in your name and then we come here and change the locks.
EEva
[sighs with relief] Damn, girl, you got a little gangster in you, huh?
[outside the Supreme Court steps, Alex notices EADA Paxton]
I thought you stood me up.
Sorry, I couldn't make it through the door. Guess I'm not quite ready.
Why don't you tell me what you want?
Just to give you some much needed advice. Don't give the State Bar anymore ammunition.
I didn't blow a trial by breathing vodka onto a judge, and I sure as hell wasn't forced to take a breathalyzer in open court.
Actually, it was scotch, and drunk or not, I've never been accused of a Brady violation.
I take my oath very seriously, and I did not withhold evidence from the defense.
Look, even if it was the cops who didn't turn over every scrap of evidence, you're still culpable. They'll yank your license.
Benson and Stabler would not do that.
They're good cops, but their loyalty is to each other, not to you.
I know you didn't get along with Stabler, but this is low, even for you.
I don't have any ax to grind.
No, you just want to bury it in their backs.
Who are you gonna blame when you lose your job, Alex?
You're telling me not to trust them.
No. I'm telling you to do your job and watch your ass.
