Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Poison (2004)

Diane Neal: ADA Casey Novak

Quotes 

• Judge Oliver Taft : Ms. Novak, I'm afraid the People haven't met their burden of proving the interview wasn't suggestive. Therefore the defense motion to suppress the witness' testimony is granted.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : This is a joke.

  Judge Oliver Taft : I beg your pardon, Detective Stabler?

  Detective Elliot Stabler : I said this is a joke.

  Judge Oliver Taft : You'd be wise to remember no one cares what you think once you're out of that box, Detective.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : That interview wasn't suggestive.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Elliot, stop.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : You're one of these judges who thinks cops strong-arms witnesses in order to make their case. What, do you think I bullied a seven-year-old into lying?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Elliot, leave!

  Judge Oliver Taft : No, Elliot, stay. Enjoy the hospitality of our holding cells. You're in contempt. Officer of the court, escort the Detective out of here.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : I want Taft off the bench.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : And I want a '65 Stingray.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I'm serious, I'm going after him.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : Casey, don't do this, what good does it do to kill your career?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : If this is justice, I don't want this career.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [about Judge Taft]  This guy is an arrogant prick.

  Judge Mary Clark : True. And he completely takes issue with young attorneys who think they know more about the law than he does.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : And you're worried about my ego? This guy abuses his power and gets away with it.

  Judge Mary Clark : You didn't help the situation by mouthing off to the trial judge.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Judge Taft]  Did you tell Karen Campbell to suffocate her daughter?

  Judge Oliver Taft : Absolutely not.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : But you talked to her even though it was clearly improper.

  Judge Oliver Taft : It was a mistake.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : You don't make mistakes though. You make judgments. Who's innocent, who's guilty. You saw Rosalin Silvo and she was a whore. That means she's a bad mother and then you saw Karen Campbell. Why did you talk to her, Judge?

  Judge Oliver Taft : Your Honor...

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Why talk to Karen Campbell? Why talk to a woman that tried to murder her daughter?

  Judge Oliver Taft : I didn't know!

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Didn't know what? That she'd turn around and try to do it again?

  Judge Oliver Taft : I thought they were good people!

  Judge Walter Bradley : [bangs his gavel]  That's enough. Ms. Novak, try that again and you're in contempt.

  [to Taft] 

  Judge Walter Bradley : Sir, you will be as well if you don't sit down now.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Nothing further.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Judge Taft]  With all due respect, Your Honor, I was confused by those questions.

  Judge Oliver Taft : I wouldn't go around admitting that, Ms. Novak.

• Detective Elliot Stabler : [to Novak after he is held in contempt]  Thanks for getting me a couple hours off.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : You're not blaming this on me.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : You did let that defense attorney trash me pretty good.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : That stunt that you pulled, that's gonna help ensure that Judge Taft is gonna screw me in the trial, but, hey, at least your ego's still intact.

  Detective Elliot Stabler : You got me out to talk about my ego?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I did not get you out of there.

  Judge Mary Clark : I called in a favor. The contempt citation is withdrawn. So if you could possibly stop acting like a petulant child, that will be thanks enough.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Clark]  Rosalin Silvo is innocent. Here's the M.E.'s report.

  [hands Clark some papers] 

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Judge Taft let his bias run that courtroom. He pulled the same crap he always pulls, only this time he stole a woman's life.

  Judge Mary Clark : That son of a bitch.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Seems to be the preferred way to describe this guy.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [to Judge Taft]  The People request that Your Honor recuse himself from this trial.

  Judge Oliver Taft : On what grounds?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : That your conduct indicates a clear bias toward the defense. Recusing yourself now would preserve the appearance of impartiality on the part of this court.

  Judge Oliver Taft : Judges are charged to examine their conscience for any hint of bias and then decide accordingly. Perhaps we should do that more often? I'm satisfied that I'm impartial in this case. Your motion is denied, Ms. Novak, but I do thank you for your candor. Opening arguments tomorrow morning.

• Judge Mary Clark : [to Novak]  You asked an egomaniac to recuse himself?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : He as much as told the defense that if they waived a jury, he'd acquit. "You were reaching with the attempted murder charge, Ms. Novak." What the hell is that?

  Judge Mary Clark : It's a tactic. He's trying to get you to plead out the case and make his life easier.

  [Novak hands her some papers] 

  Judge Mary Clark : You're staying the trial? Why?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : To get Taft recused or disqualified. I've got an appearance before an appellate judge this afternoon.

  Judge Mary Clark : t's one thing to ask for a recusal, but to publicly humiliate a judge? You'll be the enemy in every courtroom in Manhattan.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I'm already the enemy as far as Taft is concerned.

  Judge Mary Clark : The trial judge is the sole arbiter of recusal. If Taft believes he's impartial, the Appellate Term will have no reason to find otherwise.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : So a biased judge gets to decide if he's biased?

  Judge Mary Clark : Yes. That's our legal system, so work within it. Plead out the case or you're looking at an acquittal.

• Judge Mary Clark : Casey, what's wrong?

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I need a favor.

  Judge Mary Clark : If this is about Taft, forget it.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I've been going through his decisions over the past ten years. He's capricious, he disregards procedure on a whim. He dismissed assault charges without a motion and without a hearing, and he repeatedly sets exorbitant bail to force pleas.

  Judge Mary Clark : Casey, this is a total waste of time.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : And every attorney that asks for Taft's recusal, they lose, including another child-poisoning case: The People v. Rosalin Silvo.

  Judge Mary Clark : All right, let me see it.

  [Novak hands her the transcripts] 

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Here are the transcripts. Silvo takes her daughter to the emergency room, she gets arrested for poisoning her with antifreeze. She waives her jury at the trial, Taft disallows an expert witness who's gonna testify that her daughter has a genetic disease, so Silvo's attorney asks for Taft's recusal. Silvo's doing 25 to life. Do you know what this is?

  Judge Mary Clark : You don't know what this is. You've no idea what the circumstances were.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : This is grounds for getting his ass thrown off the bench. I need you to call Jack Dryer at the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and ask if anyone's filed confidential complaints against Taft.

  Judge Mary Clark : No. Absolutely not. You want to talk to Dryer, be my guest, but I guarantee he's going to laugh you out of his office.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : I'm asking you to make one phone call.

  Judge Mary Clark : And I'm telling you that nothing you've shown me proves that Taft's done anything unethical or improper. You find such proof, bring it to me. Otherwise I'm done with this, Casey.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : Taft told Karen to get help which means he knew Alexis's poisoning was no accident. He was afraid she'd try it again with her other kids. Acquitting her gave her the means and the opportunity to commit a Class A felony.

  Donald Cragen : He's protected by judicial immunity, Casey.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : He smoked his judicial immunity the second he had an ex parte communication with the defendant.

• A.D.A. Casey Novak : [about Judge Taft during his arrangement]  Your Honor, the defendant's being charged with knowingly facilitating a murder.

  James Woodrow : This is an outrage, Your Honor. An overzealous ADA is upset because she lost her case and is using the courts to exact retaliation.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : He acted beyond the scope of his position by communicating ex parte with a woman who later committed murder.

  Judge Wyler : There's no grounds for these charges. An acquittal does not constitute aid to commit a felony.

  A.D.A. Casey Novak : Your Honor...

  Judge Wyler : You're making a mockery of this court, Ms. Novak. I'm throwing the charges out. This is hubris and it reeks of professional misconduct. And you'd better believe Arthur Branch will hear about it.