Law & Order (TV Series)

Nullification (1997)

Sam Waterston: Executive ADA Jack McCoy

Quotes 

• Jack McCoy : This country began as an experiment in freedom. The foundation of that freedom is equality before the law. Everyone, whoever they are, whatever they may believe, must be equally accountable. Mr. Christie hopes you will ignore the evidence and nullify. A power, he says, derives from a higher law. I agree that such a higher law exists. And each of you, as members of the jury, bound yourselves to it when you swore, on your conscience, before God and as a citizen, that you would decide this case on the facts. You are asked to judge one thing, were the defendants, whatever their reasons, whatever their beliefs, part of a criminal conspiracy to commit armed robbery and murder? These guys did a great job of memorization; too bad they didn't lean from it. We all remember that phrase from the Declaration of Independence about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the unalienable rights of everyone. Notice that "life" comes first. You can forget everything else about this case, if you remember one thing: these defendants, these conspirators, targeted an ordinary citizen, someone just like yourselves, a guy with a job and in the private sector, with bills to pay and a family to take care of, and they took his life. They *took his life*! If it's okay for them to shoot him, it's okay for them to shoot anyone, including any one of you. Without the law, there can be no freedom, and without justice, there can be no law.

• A.D.A. Jamie Ross : [after the jury is hung and a mistrial is called]  If he only knew. You could've sunk this trial and you didn't. You played it straight, Jack. That rates as a moral victory.

  Jack McCoy : It could be a hollow one, if those clowns could find even one person who'd acquit them. What does that tell you about this country?