Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Annie Corley: Judge Laura Burch

Quotes 

• Clyde Shelton : [in court, laughing and clapping after judge grant bail, after his charade]  Thank you.

  Judge Laura Burch : Excuse me?

  Clyde Shelton : No, I don't think I will excuse you. You see, this is what I'm talking about. You were about to let me go. Are you kidding me? This is why we're here in the first place. You think I don't remember who you are, lady?

  Judge Laura Burch : I would tread carefully, Mr. Shelton.

  Clyde Shelton : Well, how carefully should I tread? Because apparently I just killed two people, and you were about to let me walk right out that door! How MISGUIDED are you? I feed you a couple of bullshit legal precedents, and there you go - you jump on it like a bitch in heat. Folks, you all hang out...

  Judge Laura Burch : [nervously starts pounding with gavel on a sounding block]  I'm warning you, Mr. Shelton!

  Clyde Shelton : ...in the same little club...

  Judge Laura Burch : You will be held in contempt!

  Clyde Shelton : ...and every day you let madmen and murderers back on the street. You're too busy treating the law...

  Judge Laura Burch : [keeps pounding]  One more time!

  Clyde Shelton : ...like it's a fucking assembly line!

  Judge Laura Burch : One more time.

  Clyde Shelton : Do you have any idea what justice is?

  Judge Laura Burch : You are now...

  Clyde Shelton : Whatever happened to right and wrong?

  Judge Laura Burch : ...in contempt of court.

  Clyde Shelton : Whatever happened to right and wrong?

  Judge Laura Burch : Remove this man.

  Clyde Shelton : Whatever happened to the people?

  Judge Laura Burch : Bail denied!

  Clyde Shelton : Whatever happened to justice?

  Judge Laura Burch : Bail denied!

  Clyde Shelton : And I bet you take it up the fucking ass, bitch.

  Judge Laura Burch : Bailiff!

  Clyde Shelton : [to Nick Rice, as he's being dragged away in cuffs by bailiffs]  Hey, see you later, Nick.

• Judge Laura Burch : [while in her office, Burch's cell phone rings; she reaches for it] 

  Nick Rice : Hey, wait, you're gonna take that? After all the grief you've given me over cell phones?

  Judge Laura Burch : Well, that's one of the benefits of being a judge, Mr. Rice. I can... pretty much do whatever I want.

  [as soon as she answers the phone, it explodes - immediately killing her] 

• Nick Rice : [In court]  In light of Mr. Shelton's economic means and his potential flight risk, the egregious nature of both Mr. Ames's and Mr. Darby's deaths, the state requests that bail be denied, Your Honor.

  Judge Laura Burch : Seeing as how you've... waived your right to counsel, Mr. Shelton, do you have anything to say? Mr. Shelton? Do you have anything that you'd like to say, Mr. Shelton?

  Clyde Shelton : Yes yes yes, Your Honor. Should I stand?

  Judge Laura Burch : Please.

  Clyde Shelton : Your Honor, I'm a law-abiding citizen. I'm just a regular guy. I am not a flight risk. And this is my first alleged offense. And the prosecution has not presented one single piece of evidence against me. Now in these circumstances, unless the state has obtained some new piece of information relating to my involvement in the matter in question, then I find it highly prejudiciaI, even constitutionally offensive, to keep me detained without bail. It's a slippery slope, Your Honor. Haven't we seen the result of such violations, both internationally and domestically? Case in point would be Day v. McDonough, docket 041325.

  Judge Laura Burch : [stunned]  I am... actually inclined to agree with you, Mr. Shelton.

• Judge Laura Burch : [while in her office]  I can't supersede the penal code you've already got him in solitary confinement, if he gets a descent paralegal he'll be out of there by next week

  Jonas Cantrell : We just want to limit his options, give him less contact less access even if it's just rescinding his mandatory exercise for a week

  Judge Laura Burch : Under what clause?

  Nick Rice : Whatever clause you want wrap it around any legal piece of doctrine that will help you rationalize it

  Judge Laura Burch : Let me get this straight: you want me to violate his God given civil rights in the name of some murky sense of the "greater good"?