Law & Order quotes

McCoy

We'll offer David Sutton a plea to Man-2. 6-12 years.

Cutter

For a first-degree murder?

McCoy

Have you looked at your evidence lately? 6-12, Mike. In an medium security prison. And make the offer tonight.

Cutter

You wanna tell me why we're carrying water for the Feds?

McCoy

It's called banking an IOU, which I can use in the Delacroix bank fraud case, where we'll need the Feds' help. I don't know how to break this to you, Mike, but yours is not the only case on my plate!

Cutter

Trade leniency for a murderer for help for a bank fraud case.

McCoy

A $2 billion bank fraud case, and your murderer still goes to prison. That's the kind of math I have to do in this job.

Cutter

Jack says the deal's off the table.

Connie

Well, that's good, seeing as that's what you already told David's lawyer.

Connie

What do you think? Catholic Children's Charitable Trust might have popped Decker and Prescott?

Cutter

American Poetry Foundation. That's a cutthroat bunch.

35 years ago, I won an Overseas Press Club Award for my coverage of the fall of Saigon. Now, I make happy talk with morons in low-cut dresses. My career has been dead for a long time, I just – I just haven't had the decency to bury it.

[about anti-immigration violence] I get it, the anger. Back in South Central L.A., young Black men can't get jobs because the bosses know illegals will work for four dollars an hour and no benefits, and that they're too scared to go to the police. So, yeah, round them up, treat them humanely, and send them back. And that fence? Dig deep and build it high.

There's a solution. It's called a Depression. Believe me, all those illegals are heading home now.

McCoy

Justice isn't a finite resource. Just because it's given to someone doesn't mean it'll be denied to someone else. But if it is denied to one, it will be denied to all.

Why would someone deliberately eat dog chow?

Dr. Rodgers

Well, unless he was starving to death or at my ex-sister-in-law's for Thanksgiving, he wouldn't.

Screw Cooper and the fire truck he married! All I wanted was for my son to come home in one piece! [tears up] Excuse me. [leaves]

Connie

"Fire truck"?

My guess, all the firemen rode her.

There's only one person responsible for Spence's death, and that's the owner of the auto parts business. He illegally subdivided his offices.

McCoy

And he's up next after we're done with Toshack.

If you're still in office by then. You actually think you can get elected without the support of the firefighters?

McCoy

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

I'll pretend you did.

Do you think New York City would hire a mentally ill woman?

It would explain a few things about the tax code.

Connie

[to Teale] You're an infant. You think your life sucks now, Mr. Teale? Just wait and see where you wake up tomorrow. And unlike your sister's condition, this will be a nightmare of your own making.

[about three homeless murder victims] They could be hobos. There's a freight line right over there.

"Hobos"? What's this, 1933?

Docket no. 36533, People vs. Jonah Applebaum, three counts of murder in the second degree.

Plea?

Your Honor, we're going to need a 730 exam.

I wanna plead not guilty.

I believe that may be what your attorney has in mind, sir.

No, not not guilty on account of I'm crazy, not guilty on account of I didn't do it.

Let's just call it not guilty and split hairs later.

Cutter

Jonah Applebaum is the Boxcar Basher?

McCoy

You just put an insane serial killer back on the street.

Connie

He doesn't know that we know that. We... we can still pick him up.

McCoy

You damn well better. This could be Willie Horton all over again.

Cutter

Willie Horton? You're not worried about the election, are you?

McCoy

I'm worried about everything. About him killing someone else. About the way this office is run. A serial killer in our hands and then released. Am I being too picky?

Cutter

Because of what I did, a sick man is getting medication he needs.

McCoy

But that's not why you did it; you did it for your case.

Cutter

[shrugs] Win-win.