Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)
The Newsroom (2017)
Raúl Esparza: ADA Rafael Barba
Quotes
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Deputy Chief William Dodds : 1PP got a call from Steven Turner at "HNT". You're investigating Harold Coyle on assault charges?
Olivia Benson : It's very preliminary.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Who's the complainant?
Olivia Benson : It's really very preliminary.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Okay. That's what Turner said. Your detectives are basically throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Rafael Barba : All due respect, I hope you're not advising we stay away from "HNT"?
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Of course not. A powerful, bombastic news organization with a penchant for suing law enforcement, who go after enemies on Twitter, and who have friends in the current administration...
Olivia Benson : I hear you.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : If you have reason to believe there are individuals in such organizations that may be guilty of sexual assault, of course you have to investigate. Just have a damn good reason.
Olivia Benson : I hear you, Chief.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : I'll leave you two to it.
Olivia Benson : [Dodds leaves] So, happy to be back at work yet?
Rafael Barba : After that? Almost makes me miss suspension.
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Olivia Benson : Everybody at "HNT" knows about Coyle, but nobody's willing to talk about it.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Okay, par for the course.
Rafael Barba : I was hoping for at least one corroborating witness.
Olivia Benson : Well, we have Heidi's story, and once she came forward, she's been consistent.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : What about texts? E-mails to Coyle? Any change after the alleged assault?
Olivia Benson : Well, there's no communication saying "Why did you rape me?". And there's certainly nothing from him to her.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : What about the timeline?
Olivia Benson : She got to work at 6:00. She was in with him from 6:20 to 7:10.
Rafael Barba : Behind closed doors with no witnesses.
Olivia Benson : Somebody else was there. Coyle. Look, I think it's time for us to get his side of the story.
Rafael Barba : With no evidence for leverage?
Olivia Benson : He doesn't know that. And he's notoriously paranoid.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Okay, we'll talk to him. Together.
Olivia Benson : You don't think that I can handle it alone?
Deputy Chief William Dodds : I do. But I want him to know how seriously NYPD is taking this.
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Harold Coyle : I hope you know what you're doing.
Deputy Chief William Dodds : It's good to see you, Harold.
[Coyle leaves, and Barba approaches]
Deputy Chief William Dodds : Good luck. Careful what you wish for.
Olivia Benson : [Dodds leaves] Now what?
Rafael Barba : I file a motion to include the testimony of the four other victims. The defense files a motion to exclude.
Olivia Benson : You know the other women are pursuing a civil case.
Rafael Barba : I do. I already asked for the depositions. Hope to hell the judge agrees that they show pattern, or we're looking at a he said/she said with a man who has no compunction about lying.
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Rafael Barba : [his motion to include has been denied] Not the ruling I was hoping for.
Olivia Benson : So where does that leave us?
Rafael Barba : With two witnesses. Heidi Sorenson and George Thanos.
Olivia Benson : Is that enough to go to trial?
Rafael Barba : If I'm willing to go out on a very high, very shaky limb.
Olivia Benson : I assume that's a "yes"?
Rafael Barba : Damn right it is.
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Rafael Barba : [Benson is on the witness stand] You were seated next to Ms. Sorenson. In your experience as an SVU, Lieutenant, what can you tell us?
Olivia Benson : She was triggered. She was traumatized. In my opinion, she exhibited symptoms of a victim of sexual assault.
Rafael Barba : But when you tried to follow up, she refused to speak to you?
Olivia Benson : No, she had an emotional reaction and then she backed down, which is not uncommon.
Rafael Barba : Two days later, she did disclose that Harold Coyle had assaulted her?
Olivia Benson : Yes.
Rafael Barba : Thank you. Nothing further.
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Dominick Carisi Jr. : All right, so we got four women, all former "HNT" employees, with credible stories of harassment going back fifteen years.
Rafael Barba : Okay, good. What's the bad news?
Amanda Rollins : They're all allegations of misdemeanor assault, from over two years ago. Outside of the statute of limitations.
Rafael Barba : Except for Heidi's rape, which is a he said/she said.
Amanda Rollins : And one allegation of attempted rape. Alana Reed, twenty years old. She quit right after the incident.
Rafael Barba : Tell me she went to HR.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : No, but she was George Thanos' assistant, and he already hates Coyle.
Rafael Barba : And this gives him one more reason.