Law & Order quotes

Schiff

The whole world says her father's a murderer; one guy tells her he's sick. She heard what she wanted to hear.

Ross

We all do.

McCoy

Yeah, but we don't all pay $40,000 to hear it.

In those S&M scenes, they were rehearsing what happened to them.

He's something, isn't he?

McCoy

So was Ted Bundy.

McCoy

Mr. Pressman is right. This is not a First Amendment issue. We can all agree that what we see powerfully affects us, but that doesn't excuse us from being decent human beings, or from making moral choices. What we choose to watch, and how we react, is up to us. The baby boom generation, to which Congressman Maxwell and I both belong, grew up watching hundreds of hours of violent TV. We dressed up like Davy Crockett, with his trusty rifle, Old Betsy. Like Hopalong Cassidy, with his pearl-handled six-shooters. And what was the result of all this make-believe TV-inspired violence? We grew up to be a generation that marched against war, and preached peace, love, and flower power. And yes, Mr. Pressman watched the Vietnam War on TV, and how did that change him? I looked up his record. He became a conscientious objector, and a Harvard Law professor. Dangerous guy, huh? We are creatures of free will and moral choice. No matter what we see, read, or hear, we still make choices. Eddie Chandler, a man who murdered and tortured two innocent people, chose evil.

What good will all this do?

McCoy

Mr. Singer, your wife and Mr. Harding plunged into a moral quagmire that the law can only begin to address. Maybe they'll both drown in it.

God owed me a grandchild. God owed me!

Al Napoli, the Diaper Don!

Schiff

[after a guilty verdict] Let's go inform the public of the good news. Happy faces, everyone...

Briscoe

Divorce lawyers: God's way of telling you to stay single.

Curtis

Or married.

[after Atkins' allocution] You killed my wife to win a divorce case, and you're SORRY?!!

Briscoe

Some other people we talked to said May was shy, but everybody liked her. Fun, not wild, a little naïve. If she'd been a little more streetwise...

Lt. Van Buren

...maybe she would have been killed on the street.

I've always supported you, Adam. Every time you've come up for re-election, I've busted my hump for you, and I've never asked for anything in return. But if you don't back off on this one, I'll bury you.

Schiff

Start digging.

Lt. Van Buren

[having heard of Briscoe's testimony] Where the hell do you get off pullin' a stunt like this?

Briscoe

They were gonna dismiss the charges.

Lt. Van Buren

So you lied to a judge?

Briscoe

I didn't lie.

Lt. Van Buren

I'm lookin' at the transcript, Lennie. You're an inch away from perjury!

Briscoe

More like a foot, foot and a half.

Lt. Van Buren

[slams the transcript on her desk] I am not laughing. How dare you go behind my back on somethin' like this.

Briscoe

We owe this girl something. We called her a liar, and we sent her straight into Lowery's arms. Well, I don't think she lied, and that's what I said.

Curtis

And thanks to you, Lowery's gonna walk.

Briscoe

What the hell's that supposed to mean? I stopped him from walking.

Curtis

What, for a couple of minutes? His lawyer just subpoenaed me to testify at the trial. For the defense!

Briscoe

Fine! So back me up.

Lt. Van Buren

One of my detectives lying under oath is more than enough! Thank you! That's it!

Ross

Did you lie?

Curtis

Look, I felt sorry for her. I didn't think that she should get fired from her job.

Ross

Is that a yes? You lied?

Curtis

Yes.

Ross

Are you lying now?

Anyway, how about a free large latte on the house?

Briscoe

[gestures to Curtis] Maybe for the kid here, but I'd like a regular coffee.

Okay, how would you like it?

Briscoe

Uh, regular?

You turning soft on me, Jack?

McCoy

You know I'm a sucker for an execution. I'm just here for the tortellini.