Law & Order (TV Series)

Tragedy on Rye (2002)

Fred Thompson: DA Arthur Branch

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?

• Anita Van Buren : Mr. Branch, I was just coming to see you.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : What can I do for you, Lieutenant?

  Anita Van Buren : I saw your news conference.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : Yes. I thought it went well.

  Anita Van Buren : Well, I understand all about PR, sir, but I think you may have gone just a bit overboard on this one.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : To quote a great legal scholar, "So what?" The two nice ones carry the TV while the surly one does the shooting. Any way you deal the cards, Lieutenant, it's your garden-variety felony murder, punishable by death in this state. Besides, I'd think you'd favor this course of action.

  Anita Van Buren : You know what my problem is? If we fry Carton and Johnson, the next time my officers find themselves in a similar situation, the bad guys may just shoot to kill. What the hell? They'd be facing the death penalty anyway.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : You want to talk next time? What about the next time three punks hit a 7-Eleven? Do you want the two without the gun to get a pass, when their buddy blows the cashier's face off? That's not the message I wanna send for all the next times. And in case you missed the obvious, I'm trying to save the career of one of your officers.

  Anita Van Buren : Maybe his isn't the only career being saved. The Federal case could sway the jury in your murder trial, and we both know a D.A. Can't get re-elected in this city if he can't convict three men caught on tape leaving the scene with the victim's property in their arms.

  D.A. Arthur Branch : You know, Lieutenant, in the end, a man's motives are secondary to his accomplishments.

  Anita Van Buren : That same great legal scholar?

  D.A. Arthur Branch : That's right. Me.