Paul Robinette quotes from Law & Order

Robinette

Its a whole new concept: crime without punishment

Robinette

We're not Gods. We're not even angels.

Robinette

Eye for an eye's worked for thousands of years.

Robinette

Justice is swift, not fair.

You know the difference between Auster and a serial killer?

Robinette

The weapon.

She was attacked down in the subway by 3... youthful offenders. After she recovered, she came to work here.

Robinette

What was her reaction to the attack?

Same as anybody's. She was fearful, resentful of all the little...

Robinette

Little what? Little Black bastards? You see some Black teenagers on the train, are you automatically afraid of them, Ms. Maltese?

Aren't you?

Robinette

It's not a perfect world, but at least we can walk away from this knowing we did the right thing.

Did we? Seems to me all we did was make 2 wrongs look like a right.

Robinette

At least we gave them justice.

Justice doesn't give you grandchildren.

Robinette

You think I sold out?

Does it matter what I think? If it does I'll tell you, but it's something you got to decide for yourself.

Robinette

You got a ‘shave yourself in the morning' speech?

Maybe. Do you think of yourself as a black lawyer, or a lawyer who's black?

Robinette

Depends on the context.

You make a decision based on something from within. You live with it, you examine it, it's all you got.

Robinette

You think by morning I'll come to love it?

No, but I don't think you'll have any problem with the guy in the mirror. See you tomorrow.

You look me in the eye and you tell me this system is just. This system is equal.

Robinette

At times the system stinks, Eaton. I know that as well as you do. But don't for one damn minute tell me that your self-aggrandizing polarization is going to solve the problem. Don't tell me that tearing down a 200-year old justice system, no matter how flawed, is going to alter the consciousness of a society. Now, we're past the separate drinking-fountain stage. We're past legal discrimination. We're at the hearts and minds stage. And believe me, there's no quick fix.

Another zombified soul casts his vote for order rather than justice. Negative peace over positive peace.

Robinette

Paraphrasing Martin Luther King's thoughts won't lend credence to yours. King walked with the angels...you'd slide in slime on your belly to get what you want.

Robinette

That's why we need a warrant.

[laughing] A warrant. Sounds like a fishing license to me.

Call Cragen and tell him to pick up Masucci.

Robinette

For what?

I don't give a damn. For spitting on the sidewalk.

Robinette

We need motive.

Greevey

Who says the little son of a bitch needs motive?

Max...

Greevey

[loudly and with anger. At each 'Bam' he mimes gunshot] What the hell's his motive for this anyway?! "He took my seat." BAM. "He looked at my girlfriend." BAM! "I need dem shoes." BAM!

Max has been busting his chops on this case.

Robinette

I understand...

Greevey

Hey, I can apologize for myself, alright? Only I don't feel very apologetic! I'm fed up!

Robinette

Aren't you always giving me the "You can't win every case" speech?

I don't mind losing, Paul.

Robinette

You could have fooled me.

What bothers me is 12 law-abiding citizens knowing a defendant is guilty and acquitting him anyway.

Robinette

They were flim-flammed by the angle of self-defense.

They knew they were being flim-flammed, and they still acquitted. That is frightening.