Law & Order (TV Series)

Tragedy on Rye (2002)

Sam Waterston: Executive ADA Jack McCoy

Quotes 

• D.A. Arthur Branch : [after defendants convicted of first-degree murder have been exonerated]  You know this whole affair makes you think twice.

  Jack McCoy : About the death penalty?

  D.A. Arthur Branch : About where to buy you a steak.

• Serena Southerlyn : Maybe the governor of Illinois was right imposing a moratorium on capital punishment. People do make mistakes.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : Only it seems to me we've got enough evidence for two cases on this one. The only thing we don't have is a busload of nuns as eyewitnesses. I mean, am I wrong? Do we know these punks are guilty or don't we?

  Jack McCoy : They're guilty, but Arthur, are you sure this is the best case for you to prove a point?

  D.A. Arthur Branch : You don't like to be sandbagged. I don't like the race card thrown in my face.

  Jack McCoy : Hey!

  Serena Southerlyn : Well you've got to admit you're not the typical New York City District Attorney.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : Twenty years here and still the carpetbagger.

  Jack McCoy : My point is this decision may not sit that well with a large portion of the state.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : You worry about the law. I'll worry about the politics. Is there anything else?

• Ted Vavoulis : Specifically, my field is forensic accounting. I determine the worth of businesses, usually for the purposes of litigation or matrimonial matters.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : At my request, Mr. Vavoulis, did you evaluate the worth of Lucy Dolan's enterprise?

  Jack McCoy : [Objects]  Again, no foundation.

  Ted Vavoulis : Actually, I can help with that.

  Judge Lisa Pongracic : Let's hear what you've got.

  Ted Vavoulis : This chart helps establish what we call a PBA, a pattern of business activity. The enormous volume of phone calls over the past five months is a clear indication of business activity.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : And the underlying data was derived from Lucy Dolan's home phone?

  Ted Vavoulis : No, it's a cellular phone. But the same principles apply.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : Go on.

  Ted Vavoulis : When this phone activity is viewed in light of Miss Dolan's net worth, as determined by her tangible assets. such as automobiles, home furnishings, personal property, I see not just a going concern, but a thriving one.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : And could you determine what kind of business Miss Dolan was involved in?

  Ted Vavoulis : No, but if I had to guess, based on the voluminous cell phone use and the hours of the incoming calls, I'd say it was something perhaps not legal.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : Drugs?

  Ted Vavoulis : Perhaps.

  Defense Attorney Andrew Maynard : And have you ever analyzed a narcotics business before, Mr. Vavoulis?

  Ted Vavoulis : Yes. I've been hired by the FBI on several occasions. And this fits the profile.

  Jack McCoy : Could this pattern also apply to some other home business, such as, say, selling Tupperware?

  Ted Vavoulis : Yes.