Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

She Paints for Vengeance (2020)

Jenna Stern: Trial Judge Elana Barth

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Quotes 

• Dominick Carisi Jr. : Uh, Your Honor, pursuant to People v. Molineux, the State seeks to include evidence of two prior rapes committed by the defendant, one in 2018, one in 2016.

  Judge Namazi : I've read your brief, Mr. Carisi. Neither woman filed a report?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Not at the time, but they have gone on record. The assaults described go to modus operandi. There are consistent details in all three victims' accounts.

  Judge Elana Barth : Because they were coached. Your Honor, these women only came forward after they saw Ms. Russo's lawyer on TV. Obviously, they're seeking publicity. Does Ms. Miglani really expect us to believe she didn't coordinate their stories?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Your Honor, the defense can cross on motive. These women have nothing to gain. Initially, they were afraid to make a accusation against a powerful celebrity.

  Judge Namazi : As sympathetic as I am to the many reasons a rape victim may not be willing to come forward, these statements are unsubstantiated, and I'm concerned about collusion.

  Judge Elana Barth : Thank you, Your Honor. Don't worry, Ms. Miglani. You can always harass my client with a civil suit.

  Judge Namazi : That's enough, Ms. Barth. You know better. Mr. Carisi, I'm excluding these witnesses.

• Judge Elana Barth : You consider yourself an artist, don't you, Ms. Russo?

  Monica Russo : I am an artist.

  Judge Elana Barth : How many shows have you had?

  Monica Russo : It's really hard to get shows when you're starting out, especially in New York.

  Judge Elana Barth : So, none. And you've never sold any of your artwork, have you?

  Monica Russo : No.

  Judge Elana Barth : In fact, your biggest success as an artist to date has been that billboard.

  Monica Russo : I wanted attention to the...

  Judge Elana Barth : Attention? You got it! Was that your plan all along? To accuse a famous man of sexual assault and then get your art all over Instagram.

  Monica Russo : I had to! Nobody was listening to me, and he just sits there while I'm up here baring my soul.

  Judge Elana Barth : Well, isn't that what you do for a living, Ms. Russo? You bare yourself.

  Monica Russo : I'm a performer.

  Judge Elana Barth : Oh, are you performing right now? Is this an act? Because I gotta hand it to you, you are creative.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Objection.

  Judge Elana Barth : Withdrawn. Nothing further.

• Dominick Carisi Jr. : Now, it was your idea to go into the champagne room that night, wasn't it?

  Markeevious Ryan : Yes. But she wanted to.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : How'd you know that?

  Markeevious Ryan : Come on. She's a stripper. I mean, I'm a celebrity. They all want a piece of me.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : I get it, I get it. It just... it's actually why I'm kind of surprised that-that you had to pay for sex.

  Markeevious Ryan : I didn't have to. Just trying to keep it simple. Avoid the drama. These free-range women, they just...

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : You mean the women who-who you don't pay for? Who are free to say no?

  Markeevious Ryan : You know how it is. One way or another, you always end up paying for it.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : And these women, they... let's face it, they always want something.

  Markeevious Ryan : Yeah, they're all smiles and eyelashes, all "Markeevious this, Markeevious that." They just want to rub up on me. You know, get some of that glow, some of that money.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : So you've had other women come after your money before?

  Markeevious Ryan : All the time. Ask my ex-wife. She'll tell you all the lawsuits I've had to fight.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : The lawsuits? For what, raping women?

  Judge Elana Barth : Objection.

  Judge Namazi : Your client opened the door.

• Judge Elana Barth : Did you get a rape kit?

  Monica Russo : The officer I reported it to told me there was no point.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Objection, Your Honor. The officer verified that he took her report.

  Judge Namazi : Sustained.

  Judge Elana Barth : And then he threw that report out when he decided that her complaint was unfounded.

  Monica Russo : He wasn't even listening to me!

  Judge Elana Barth : You sound angry, Ms. Russo. Are you?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Objection! I-It's badgering.

  Judge Namazi : I'll allow the question.

• Dominick Carisi Jr. : I know this isn't easy, Ms. Russo.

  Monica Russo : No, it isn't.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Having the defense imply that because you took the money, you weren't raped.

  Monica Russo : I don't want money. I want justice.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Being called a liar because you're a stripper, does that make you angry?

  Monica Russo : It makes me furious.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : And they can say whatever they want about you. Doesn't strike me as fair. Not when the man who raped you is just... is just sitting there.

  Judge Elana Barth : Objection. Is there a question here?

• Monica Russo : [after an outburst in court]  I know, you told me where the line was, and I crossed it. I screwed up.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : No, you didn't.

  Dara Miglani : You're fine.

  Judge Elana Barth : Excuse me. What the hell was that? Amateur hour? Keep it up, you're gunning for contempt.

  Dara Miglani : Oh, go back to your rapist client.

  Amanda Rollins : [Barth storms off]  She's pissed. You got to her.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Not me. Monica. My guess is it worked.

• Judge Elana Barth : Just to be clear, Ms. Russo, and forgive me, I'm still getting the ins and outs of the stripper business, but you were initially paid $800 that night?

  Monica Russo : The club gets more than half of that.

  Judge Elana Barth : But you accepted my client's $200 tip?

  Monica Russo : Okay, I was on autopilot.

  Judge Elana Barth : Just answer yes or no.

  Monica Russo : Yes.

  Judge Elana Barth : So you're saying that my client raped you, and then afterwards, you and the club collected $1,000.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Asked and answered, Your Honor.

  Judge Namazi : Ms. Barth, move on.

• Dara Miglani : There was no collusion.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : These three women were never in the same room together? Get your client ready to testify, because as of now, this is all on her.

  Judge Elana Barth : Mr. Carisi, they tell me tomorrow's your first trial. I'd promise you I'd go easy, but that's just not how it works.

• Monica Russo : Yeah, I'm angry.

  Judge Elana Barth : Angry enough to defame my client by painting a billboard?

  Monica Russo : Yeah, because he raped me!

  Judge Elana Barth : So you claim, but isn't what you're really angry about is that you have to dance at a strip club for a living instead of working as an artist?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Objection!

  Judge Elana Barth : Withdrawn.

• Markeevious Ryan : I didn't rape these women, but they see me as their golden ticket. The guy who pays the bills.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Oh.

  Markeevious Ryan : Smiles for their dumbass selfies.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : So you do all the work, and these women, they just take and they take.

  Judge Elana Barth : Objection.

  Judge Namazi : Overruled.

  Markeevious Ryan : What am I? Am I every bitch's charity?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Right, they take and they take, and what do they give you?

  Markeevious Ryan : The only thing they got.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Sex.

  Markeevious Ryan : What else do they have that I want?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Yeah, but what if they don't give you that?

  Markeevious Ryan : Doesn't happen. Nobody says no to Markeevious.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Yeah, but what if they do? What if they get the nerve to say no to you?

  Markeevious Ryan : That just means they want more money.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Because you're Markeevious Ryan, and every woman wants a piece!

  Markeevious Ryan : You're damn right!

  Judge Elana Barth : Objection, Your Honor.

  Judge Namazi : Overruled.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : No further questions.