Law & Order: Special Victims Unit quotes

I protected all of them.

Benson

Protected them? How?

Like they were my own daughters. Lisa White, Fela Bashear, Brett Baker, Anya Beck Skobler - she was 18. They were all dead already.

Sonny

What are you talking about?

Their souls were dead. The minute they walked into my courtroom. Junkies, thieves, stealing their own lives, their own futures from their parents who loved them, who were helpless. I kept their daughters safe. I made sure they only had good, clean doses. No OD's. Kept them alive.

That's enough, Edward.

It is not enough! It's never enough! They were dead inside, their eyes are dead. But if they are still breathing, if their hearts are still beating, then they still have a chance! If I'd given Delia that chance, then maybe... [chokes up]

Sonny

Delia?

She was 16 when she overdosed. It did not have to end that way. Her body in the ground. Cold. Alone. My little girl.

Benson

You’ve been preying on boys for 30 years.

Talk to my lawyer.

Benson

Brian Cassidy, Hudson Youth League.

[hesitantly] What about him?

Benson

You know, it takes balls to molest a cop’s son. Or maybe you’re just so sick you couldn’t help yourself.

Go to hell!

Benson

Gary Dolan, you're under arrest for sexual assault. And you're going to pay for what you did to Brian Cassidy.

Good luck making any of that stick.

Benson

You don't know me very well, Dolan, but I don't give up. Ever. Especially when someone hurts someone I care about.

Cassidy

I'm damaged goods, Stone. I see it every time I look in the mirror.

I think you should talk to Liv.

Cassidy

No. She can't know about this. You have to promise me you won't tell her.

She can help you.

Cassidy

No! She's the only person who ever saw any good in me. I need that. I can't not have that.

Cassidy

You know, I read your rap sheet on the way up here.

Did you?

Cassidy

Yeah, and I'd bet $100 that's booze in that thermos.

You know, I always liked you, Cassidy, but I'm not above knocking your lights out.

Cassidy

I'm not one of your survivors, OK?. I'm a cop, Liv.

Benson

I know that. But -

Cassidy

Yeah, I'm a cop. Your pep talks and your support groups, they're not gonna work on me. You know what, the best thing for us would have been if you'd have never looked at that baseball picture.

Benson

Brian, obviously, I'm saying the wrong thing here. I just don't want you to run away from this.

Cassidy

I'm not getting involved in your case, Liv.

Benson

It’s not about my case, Brian. It's not about my case. I just, I care about you. And I'm scared that if you don't deal with this, Brian, that I'm gonna get a call one day that you’re the one who has a plastic bag over his head.

Cassidy

I'm dealing with it. My way. [leaves]

Benson

Paige, let me tell you where you stand. I can take you down to the squad room, where you're gonna sit and you're gonna wait until Detective Rollins gets you a search warrant.

And we'll be in exactly the same position we are now, except that I'll be extremely pissed off because you will have wasted two hours of my life.

I coulda taken any car - I had to take the one with the baby in the trunk.

Fin

Some guys are just unlucky.

You believe me?

Fin

No. Where'd you boost that car?

Parking lot from the mini mall in Jamaica. Look, I'm a low-life, scumbag car thief. I admit it.

Fin

A 2003 Saturn? You're not a good one.

This is harassment! I'm gonna sue you!

Fin

Wouldn't be the first.

We pay our taxes.

Fin

That should be enough to keep your son in oatmeal at Sing Sing.

Benson

Two kids were kidnapped, one of them's dead, and we have a legal system where we can't do anything about it. What the hell are we doing?

See? I'm not making porn anymore. It's erotic podcasts. People can listen in the kitchen, the car, at work...

What?

Fin

That's why stop and go traffic is so bad.

I have been personally threatened by cops dozens of times, and now I have been assaulted after a police party, so why aren't you questioning them? You should be looking at your own.

Sonny

You know why sharks don't attack lawyers, right? Professional courtesy.

Detective Rollins, you need to be very careful here.

Because I'm asking a few procedural questions?

Because you're bringing kitchen matches to a firefight. For the good of your squad and your own good person, you drop this. You're getting very close to the flame.

If we strike at the king and miss, it'll be both our heads on the chopping block.

Benson

So let's make sure we don't miss.

Let me tell you something: you're either a wolf in this life, or a lamb. My father was a lamb. He ran a shop, and every week the wolves in my neighborhood would come and pick the shelves clean. And when there was nothing left to steal, they took my sister in the back room. And my father did nothing. You know what I learned? I'd rather run with the wolves.

Sonny

[cuffing him] If I were you, I'd shut up.

I'll be out of these cuffs in an hour.

Benson

I wouldn't be so sure. Once word gets out that you've been arrested, your friends are gonna turn on you. And nobody helps the wolf when he's bleeding.