Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)
Painless (2004)
Diane Neal: ADA Casey Novak
Quotes
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Doctor Amy Solway : [through a translator] I help people who don't want to suffer anymore.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : The truth is you don't know who they are, do you? They're just names on a computer screen.
Doctor Amy Solway : Stop! They're in pain, I know what pain is! I live with it every day. You don't! How can you judge me? How can you judge them?
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Dr. George Huang : [about Amy Solway] The irony is that her website gives her a reason to live.
Det. John Munch : Playing God with people's lives? She's like Kevorkian.
Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola : Come on, Munch. All the stuff you whine about, don't tell me you haven't once thought about hanging it up.
Det. John Munch : I believe life's worth living.
Elliot Stabler : Amen.
Olivia Benson : I don't know. If I had something like Huntington's Disease and all I had to look forward to was a long, horrible death, I can't say I wouldn't think about suicide.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Olivia] Moredock will try to stack the jury with people like you.
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Det. John Munch : [to Novak about Amy] How could they not convict her?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : The jury deadlocked 10-2. I underestimated the power of Moredock's argument.
Det. John Munch : You can't blame yourself because two people wanted to acquit Amy.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : The two holdouts were for conviction. The majority voted to let Amy walk.
Det. John Munch : Well, just let me know when you need me for the retrial.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : There's not going to be a retrial, John.
Det. John Munch : Why the hell not?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Because the D.A. doesn't want to make Amy Solwey a martyr for assisted suicide.
Det. John Munch : Translation: We lose, so we're letting her off the hook?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : We'll... we'll get her, it's only a matter of time before she does it again.
Det. John Munch : So we let her help someone else die.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : I don't like it either, John, but I don't have a choice.
Det. John Munch : Well, that's great, I just can't wait to tell Christina's sister.
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A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Amy when she refuses to go on dialysis] When Judge Bradley hears about this stunt, he's gonna blow a gasket.
Barry Moredock : There's a lot I'd do to win a case, Miss Novak, but I'm on your side here.
Det. John Munch : [to Amy] Why are you doing this?
Doctor Amy Solway : I would rather die now than in prison.
Det. John Munch : You mean you'd rather be a martyr, don't you?
Doctor Amy Solway : Stop calling me that!
Det. John Munch : Or do you finally feel some guilt over tricking Christina Nerrit into your bogus suicide pact?
Doctor Amy Solway : I did not trick her. I thought by saying I would die with her, it would make her feel more comfortable, feel better about her decision. Her decision.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : This won't work. I'll get a court order to force the dialysis.
Barry Moredock : You know full well, no judge will ever issue such an order.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : I can still try.
Doctor Amy Solway : You can't force me to eat. I'll just starve.
Det. John Munch : I thought you were all about avoiding pain.
Doctor Amy Solway : When you don't eat, your body releases endorphins as it breaks down its own tissue for fuel. I'm told it's a very pleasant and painless death.
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A.D.A. Casey Novak : [When Munch shows up at Novak's apartment at night] John, what are you doing here?
Det. John Munch : Why the hell didn't you call me?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : There's nothing anyone can do, Amy's made her choice.
Det. John Munch : Which is?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : If we're going to put her in prison, it's a waste of a kidney.
Det. John Munch : Then plead her out to a lesser charge.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Excuse me?
Det. John Munch : Don't let her do this to herself.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : You're the one who wanted me to jump through hoops to retry her. Why are you so invested in this?
Det. John Munch : Her dying isn't worth it.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : If we cave on Amy, it opens the door for any other perp who wants to force a plea by threatening suicide. I can't jump just because she's got a gun to my head.
Det. John Munch : She's different.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : No, she's not, John. I'm sorry.
Det. John Munch : So am I.
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Judge Walter Bradley : You'd better not be wasting my time with politics, Miss Novak.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : I'm not, Your Honor. We can prove Amy Solwey entered into a suicide pact with Christina. Amy's still alive, so clearly, she had no intention of going through with it.
Barry Moredock : She just wants my client to plead out to a spurious charge.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Read this statute: when two people enter into a suicide pact and one of them pulls out for personal gain after the other one is dead, that's Murder Two.
Barry Moredock : What could Amy Solwey possibly gain by Christina Nerrit's death?
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Validation of her cause, which is exactly what she got when that jury deadlocked.
Barry Moredock : You're not going to let her sell you this bill of goods, are you, Judge?
Judge Walter Bradley : Don't insult my intelligence, Mr. Moredock. That's how the law is written. Unless you can prove Miss Novak wrong, we're going back to trial.
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Barry Moredock : Miss Novak, I believe in the Constitution. I bet you do, too.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : You're reaching, Mr. Moredock. This case is about murder, not free speech.
Barry Moredock : I disagree. So does my client.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Your client handed Christina the weapons she killed herself with.
Barry Moredock : She didn't force Christina to use it.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : The law doesn't make that distinction.
Barry Moredock : The law in this case is the problem, not what Amy Solwey did.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Your client's not a violent, cold-blooded killer. We may be open to a deal.
Barry Moredock : Oh, we're not interested in a deal, Miss Novak. Amy wants her day in court.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : She does or you do?
Barry Moredock : I represent my client's interests, not my own.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : Well, then talk to her. Don't let her spend what time she has left in prison.
Barry Moredock : You already locked her up and for no good reason.
A.D.A. Casey Novak : I'm sorry. I can't take the chance you're wrong.
Barry Moredock : Then let your Dr. Huang evaluate her. He'll tell you Amy's no more suicidal than you and I.