Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

No Good Reason (2017)

Kelli Giddish: Detective Amanda Rollins

Quotes 

• Amanda Rollins : [to Mandy]  You know, it might feel good to take control. You know, you can keep a promise to yourself that if it does get bad, you could always do something about it.

  Mandy Fowler : You don't know how I feel.

  Amanda Rollins : I know more than you think. You know I told you my name was Amanda, too. Well, when I was your age, I lived in a tiny town in Georgia and everybody gossiped. And I did something stupid and I got a reputation. And it's all about the names that they were calling me: "Easy Ass Amanda" and worse. It took a long time and I realized what other people said about me, it didn't define me. Only I can define me. And when I was old enough, I went and got this.

  [shows Mandy a tattoo that has her name on on it] 

  Amanda Rollins : It's my name, Amanda. Just to remind myself that's who I am, not any of these other names that I was branded with.

• Olivia Benson : Kids have always been cruel, but when did they become cowards?

  Amanda Rollins : Since the invention of the Internet.

  Olivia Benson : What kind of world are our kids going to grow up...

  Amanda Rollins : I don't... just whatever we think we're gonna have to worry about, it's not gonna be that. It's gonna be something we never saw coming.

• Amanda Rollins : [to Olivia]  Mandy Fowler, 15. She posted this on her blog this morning and then disappeared. The photo was being texted by her classmates and it was apparently taken at a party on Saturday night.

  Olivia Benson : So she's the victim of cyberbullying or worse.

• Rafael Barba : [while reading the texts that were sent to Mandy]  "We hate you, you ugly bitch," "You wanted it, now you're crying rape, you piece of trash," "Liar, liar, ugly little liar."

  Olivia Benson : Mandy's been sent dozens of texts, messages, photos. She's been bullied non-stop for the past three days. She hasn't told her parents. She hasn't told anyone.

  Rafael Barba : Do we know who's sending these?

  Amanda Rollins : Yeah, I mean, it's kids from the high school, boys and girls. And girls are actually more brutal.

  Olivia Benson : The school has issued some suspensions, but they say that they can't police off-campus social media use.

  Rafael Barba : Yeah, they're teenagers, so they don't listen to their parents.

  Amanda Rollins : Yeah, and they're empowered because they're behind a screen. I mean, even Andrew's been texting her.

  Rafael Barba : Anything that rises to the level of harrassment?

  Olivia Benson : Oh. Yes. "Why are you doing this?", "Call me back", "We need to talk." It's... it's non-stop. I mean, you ask me, that's harassment.

  Rafael Barba : You ask a judge, it's not.

  Amanda Rollins : The level of viciousness from these other kids, I mean... they... they drove her to a point, you know, right; I mean, she was... she was on the edge of the cliff.

  Rafael Barba : And you and Liv pulled her back.

• Rafael Barba : The strongest message we can send is a conviction on the rape. How is Mandy's state of mind now? Can she testify?

  Amanda Rollins : She's... she's getting counseling and her parents are supportive, but... it's gonna take time.

  Rafael Barba : Which we don't have.

  Olivia Benson : Can you make the case without her?

  Rafael Barba : If I have to. I wouldn't want to.

• Dominick Carisi Jr. : Mandy hasn't used a debit or credit cards. We got photos of her out at the subway stations, bus terminals.

  Olivia Benson : Okay, has she ever run away before?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : The parents say no. She's a straight "A" student. She's got no trouble with her peers.

  Amanda Rollins : Until this weekend.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : [his phone chimes]  Hold on. TARU got her cell log. Before she powered down, she texted a guy named Andrew Drake ten times.

  Olivia Benson : Okay, we get an address?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Yeah. Upper West Side. That's two blocks from the high school.

• Amanda Rollins : There is still a chance that the D.A.'s office can reach a plea agreement with Andrew.

  Bruce Fowler : Wait, wait, wait. Don't... don't we get a say in that?

  Olivia Benson : Yes, but the goal is holding Andrew accountable for what he did and if we can do that while sparing Mandy from testifying, I think that's the answer.