Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Protection (2002)

Dann Florek: Captain Donald 'Don' Cragen

Quotes 

• Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola : [When Luis refuses to tell the police where his mother is]  That kid's hanging tough.

  Donald Cragen : Can we hold him?

  Alexandra Cabot : For cutting class?

  Donald Cragen : As a material witness. We know he saw something.

  Alexandra Cabot : We put him in the system, they put him in juvenile detention which just terrifies him further. He didn't do anything. Let's try harder.

• Alexandra Cabot : [about Maria]  Fredo has her spooked.

  Donald Cragen : How many times have we seen this, Counselor? Woman trapped in a violent relationship and doesn't want to press charges.

  Alexandra Cabot : Yeah, but she left him. That takes courage.

  Donald Cragen : And no doubt pissed off the bastard.

• Olivia Benson : [after Maria shoots Fredo Garcia]  What's going on?

  Donald Cragen : Alex wants to indict Maria.

  Olivia Benson : For what?

  Donald Cragen : Attempted murder.

  Olivia Benson : Are you kidding me? Fredo terrorized Maria and her sons for two years.

  Alexandra Cabot : That doesn't give her the right to become a vigilante.

  Olivia Benson : This isn't about revenge, Alex. It's self-defense.

  Alexandra Cabot : No, Olivia, Fredo's gun was two rooms away. Unless Maria had reason to believe her life was in immediate danger, she had no justification for shooting him.

  Olivia Benson : How about extreme emotional distress?

  Alexandra Cabot : Doesn't apply here. Maria knew exactly what she was doing. She dropped Luis off at her mother's, she ditched the Bronx detectives, she bought the gun and she went to kill Fredo.

  Olivia Benson : We put her in that position because we couldn't protect her.

  Alexandra Cabot : No one could guarantee Maria's safety 100%.

  Olivia Benson : Look, she is scared for her life and her boys.

  Alexandra Cabot : Maria committed a crime.

  Olivia Benson : Which we are partly responsible for. Alex, cut her a break.

  Alexandra Cabot : I have to enforce the law.

  Donald Cragen : Maria is your only eyewitness to Fredo executing Joey Stapleton. Convict her and her credibility is shot along with your murder case against Fredo.

  Alexandra Cabot : The law is not always about justice. Your words, remember?

  Donald Cragen : Maria didn't kill anybody, but, Fredo. Fredo's got two bodies to his name that we know about. We don't lop his head off now, he will kill again. And if anything happens to Maria or Luis, it's on you.