Law & Order: Special Victims Unit quotes

Sonny

Is she conscious?

In and out. And she's not a she.

Transgender?

Boy dressed as a girl? That makes him... her a special victim, right?

Sonny

Yeah. Good call.

I was taking pictures on the bridge, when they surrounded me.

Sonny

Avery, can you describe them?

Black. My age. They were giving me the look.

Sonny

What look is that?

Benson

What were they saying?

Tranny. He-she, my personal fave. I told them to leave me alone. One grabbed my skirt, another my camera. I was pushed, and I tripped on my heels.

Benson

Avery, can you remember anything else about the boys? Anything they said or they did?

It was all a blur of shoving. People laughing, taking video.

This isn't the first time. And the local precinct never follows up.

Benson

We will. We take this very seriously. I give you my word, Mr. Parker.

Fin

Manuela Azuna?

What you got?

Fin

We got your kids. Get up!

What do you mean? They're my kids! I'm their mother!

Fin

That's what you tell yourself?

Are you the most incompetent manager in the world who can't tell the difference between a false report and a legitimate one? Or did you instruct case workers to falsify reports to meet productivity goals?

Objection! Badgering!

I'll allow. The witness will answer.

So which is it, Miss Grayson?

I didn't want any of this to happen.

You didn't want to advance your career by ignoring innocent children's pain and death, or you didn't wanna get caught?

Objection!

I'm asked to do what the courts can't do. What the cops can't do.

You are asked to do your job!

Oh! GOD himself could not do this job!

We need a recess, your honor.

You wanna judge me? You wouldn't last an hour in my world. And if I go, who's gonna be on the front lines? [points at Barba] You?! [points at the judge] You?!

Your honor!

I mean, you dump the most hapless cases in the world on us every day! More and more! We get the dregs of humanity, children raised by WOLVES! And you see them come in this court in and out, week in and week out. They come to you as criminals. Do ya ever stop to think: "Gee, what happened before that?"?

Miss Grayson, do you need a break?

Oh! Now you wanna gimme a break? After 25 years of "Make your quota, Janette!" "Push that paper!" "Hit those numbers!" Right, Matt? Right? It's impossible! And everybody knows it. You all know it. But you wanna scapegoat me. You wanna make me feel bad. You wanna take me down so you can feel better about yourselves. See? 'Cause you pretended like you don't know that there are poor people out there in the city. Broken people. You don't turn away from the homeless guy on the subway? 'Course you do. Everybody does, 'cause it's too much. You wanna put me in jail for this? Look in the mirror, my friend. Look in the damn mirror.

I have to convene a grand jury. The DA says it's my last chance to work my way back into the good graces of City Hall.

Benson

So they're hanging you out to dry.

Politicians want an indictment, DA wants an indictment. If I fail to get it, it's on me.

Benson

So you'll push for one, even though those officers were just doing their jobs?

Their jobs? They fired at an unarmed college student 35 times.

Benson

We were in hot pursuit of a dangerous rapist. Terrence matched the BOLO down to his jersey, he ran...

A black man in a basketball jersey runs when he gets stopped by the police? You're right, he deserves the death penalty.

Benson

That's not what I'm saying.

It's not?

The grand jury starts tomorrow. My advice: Make sure your guys, and your guys especially, tell the truth in their own words. If they sound coached or too legalistic...

They'll do fine. It's a tragedy...

Benson

... but it was a good shoot.

Tom Wolfe was right - sooner or later, all cops become Irish.

Mom, you gotta talk to Kim. She is making a mistake.

She is? You're the one who had her arrested. You used me to set up my own daughter! If you hadn't, she'd be safe and sound and outta town.

If we hadn't found Kim, her pimp could have killed her.

What are you talking about? She handled that man just fine.

But...

Kim can take care of herself. This was about you.

What are you talking about?

You chose your work over your family, just like you always have!

Can we not do this now?

No, let's not do this at all.

What do you mean?

I'm sorry, darlin'. I came up here to help you, but it's quite clear you know what you're doing. I'd just be in the way.

Okay, so what, you're gonna leave?

I'll be back for your sister's trial, and maybe by then, you will have finally learned the value of family.

On the advice of counsel, the Bakers won't be speaking to you anymore. They've gone back upstate.

Fin

That's OK, Pastor - we want you.

Oh?

In July, when Lane was on her mission trip, you were with her?

I was.

Fin

You spend time alone?

So that's where you're going with this.

Fin

Any reason why we shouldn't?

Respect. Basic human decency. That's not to say I don't understand where you're coming from. People like the Bakers and me, we scare you. The values that we espouse, our faith. You live in Gomorrah. When men of God come and preach love for the Scripture, it threatens you people to the core.

You think this is religious persecution?

Well, you said, it, not me. But I have seen it before. Every time I leave New York, I think, "Just keep going. Don't look back." But there is too much work to be done, too many souls to minister to.

Fin

Like you ministered to Lane?

OK, I've had enough of this.

Not quite. We're gonna need a DNA sample.

Fin

Since you didn't do the deed, you shouldn't have any problem giving us one.

Well, I believe you need a warrant for that.

Fin

[pulls out a warrant] Ask, and ye shall receive.

Fin

Well, Dodds, do you still think this was a waste of time?

No, I get it, it's just that I thought SVU would be taking rapists off the street, not out of churches.

Benson

For what it's worth, Dodds, most rapists don't hunt on the street. They hunt where they're trusted.

Benson

[about Gary] He lawyer up yet?

Fin

Not yet, but we don't need his statement.

Sonny

We know it's him. We got the DNA, Lily's blood, fibers from the moving blankets, ratchet straps in the van...

Yeah, but we don't know why.

Fin

There's never a good answer to that question.

Benson

Paperwork can wait.

Yeah. Lily's parents... they're never gonna get over this, are they?

Benson

Losing a child? No.

You have a kid. That's gotta make this job harder.

Benson

Yeah, it does. You know, Dodds, I'm gonna tell you something that I wish somebody had told me after my first tough case. Go home, talk to somebody you love, and don't make this job your whole life.

Sonny

Lisa Hassler. Wow. Her old man is a legend.

Yeah. She's still trying to impress him. He's been dead for 11 years.

[to Benson] Lewis Hodda may walk if Hassler can make it look like your emotions are getting in the way of your police work, which is what they're doing right now. I need you to sit your ass down and work with me.

Benson

Fine. Start working.

Look, thank you so much for meeting me for lunch. I have been going stir crazy on maternity leave.

Sonny

How's being a mom?

You were right. It's... it's the greatest thing ever.

Do you usually encourage your suspects to get a lawyer?

This is on us. We pushed this kid to testify.

That's not what he did.

Benson

He was trying to get a confession. He was molested by the man that he killed.

He planned this. He tortured that man, he left him to die, and was glad to hear that he bled out in pain. It was premeditated.

You're gonna charge him with 1st degree murder? That's 25 years!

His lawyer can plead for leniency at sentencing.

Benson

His life will be over!

Lieutenant, his life was over at 15.