Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Stolen (2001)

Dann Florek: Captain Donald 'Don' Cragen

Photos 

Quotes 

• Donald Cragen : Do we have any idea who the other kids belong to?

  Elliot Stabler : We don't even know if they were kidnapped or sold.

  Donald Cragen : ACS is coming to take custody of them. We'll get their photos out to the media. You know somebody's gonna come forward.

  Elliot Stabler : Yeah, every couple who'd love to adopt them.

• Alexandra Cabot : [to Cragen]  What the hell was that?

  Donald Cragen : Well, you weren't getting him to talk, so I had to give it a shot.

  Alexandra Cabot : What? With the macho cop routine? I could have used the kidnapping charge as leverage if you'd just given me the chance.

  Donald Cragen : I gave you your chance.

  Alexandra Cabot : You lost your cool. You are too emotionally invested in this case.

  Donald Cragen : Damn right.

• Donald Cragen : Tyler, I'm sorry, but what I did today is my job. I didn't want to take you, but I had to because the law says so. But the law also says that I have to protect you from anything bad and that's a part of my job I like.

• Erin Blake : [about Tyler]  For God's sake, he's our son! You can't just take him away after all these years.

  Donald Cragen : I know how hard this must be for you.

  Erin Blake : We are the only parents he has ever known. We were a happy family until you came along. How could you do this to us?

• Donald Cragen : [to Cabot]  We can't play Solomon and split the child.

  Alexandra Cabot : I can't get him into a foster home until tomorrow morning. I hate to do it, but I think Tyler's gonna have to spend the night at the Laight Street Shelter.

  Donald Cragen : Why put him in that hellhole when his grandparents have right of natural guardianship?

  Alexandra Cabot : I don't like it any more than you do, but the law doesn't give grandparents automatic custody...

  Donald Cragen : Just forget the law and just for one minute, think about what's in the best interests of this child!

  Alexandra Cabot : Don't you think I am? Right now, everybody wants a piece of Tyler. Maybe the best place for him is somewhere neutral.

  Donald Cragen : [when Tyler's maternal grandparents arrive]  Why don't you tell that to his grandparents?

• Margaret Talmadge : [to Cragen]  Our daughter was taken away and now you're telling us that we can't have our grandson?

  Donald Cragen : I can't release Tyler to you unless a judge says I can, but you can apply for temporary custody.

  Margaret Talmadge : We have to go to court?

  Herbert Talmadge : What about permanent custody?

  Donald Cragen : Tyler's biological father is probably going to claim his parental rights and as long as he's deemed fit, his rights supersede yours.

  Margaret Talmadge : His mother was our only child. You gave us our hope back. Now how can you just take it away from us like this?

• Alexandra Cabot : [to Cragen]  Got a minute?

  Donald Cragen : Only if you promise not to tell me you told me so.

  Alexandra Cabot : You were just doing your job. Following the lead of a 12-year-old crime.

  Donald Cragen : And now Tyler Blake's the victim and I don't know how to fix it.

  Alexandra Cabot : Then let me help.

  Donald Cragen : You have any suggestions, I'm all ears.

  Alexandra Cabot : Tyler's going to need a law guardian for the adoption hearing. There's a three-week backlog on court-appointed attorneys, so I'll volunteer.

  Donald Cragen : Well, that's a hell of a gesture, Alex, but the law favors the biological parent.

  Alexandra Cabot : The law also says that Tyler is old enough and mature enough to know who he wants to live with. If I'm his attorney, I have to fight for what he wants, and he wants to live with the Blakes.

• Donald Cragen : [to Mark Sanford]  After I tie you to the Talmadge kidnapping and murder, I'm gonna nail your ass to the wall.