Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Making a Rapist (2016)

Raúl Esparza: ADA Rafael Barba

Photos 

Quotes 

• Rafael Barba : Ms. Harper, you blame yourself for your daughter's death, don't you?

  Melanie Harper : Excuse me?

  Rafael Barba : You caused Ashley's death. You sent him to prison where he was victimized and abused for 16 years. Thanks to you, he learned how to become a killer and a rapist.

  John Buchanan : Objection. Is there a question anywhere here?

  Judge Elana Barth : Get to the point, Mr. Barba.

  Rafael Barba : The point is, if you had not made that false identification 16 years ago, he never would've gone to prison which means he never would've killed Ashley.

  Melanie Harper : That's not true.

  Rafael Barba : That's not true or you don't want it to be true? Because in your mind, if he killed Ashley, you killed her and that's too painful to accept. That's why you don't want to testify.

  Melanie Harper : [crying]  I-I sent him there. Every time he was beaten or raped, it was my fault. I turned him into a rapist, a monster. And it was my fault. I'm the... I'm the guilty one here.

• John Buchanan : [to Charlie Dobkins]  So Detective Rollins encouraged you flirted with you to say you had seen Sean Roberts leave Ashley's home at 1:15?

  Rafael Barba : Objection. Mr. Buchanan is putting words in this witness's mouth.

  Judge Elana Barth : Overruled. Answer the question.

  Charlie Dobkins : No. I just wanted her to like me and she needed to solve her case.

  John Buchanan : So Detective Rollins encouraged you to see Sean Roberts, then you made her happy by saying you had seen him at 1:15 exactly?

  Charlie Dobkins : That's a good way of saying it.

• Rafael Barba : We got a guy on trial who was wrongfully convicted on bad eyewitness testimony, and you don't tell me that the kid waffled on the ID or the time.

  Amanda Rollins : He waffled. He did not lie. There is a big difference.

  Rafael Barba : Now you're parsing degrees of deceit.

  Olivia Benson : [to Rollins]  Listen, Buchanan is gonna turn this into you manipulating the kid to defend Fin.

  Amanda Rollins : Charlie's telling the truth. He saw Sean leave the house, toss the knife after he and his girlfriend had sex, which was around 1:15 or so. That's the truth. I can't help it if the kid has a crush on me, or...

  Olivia Benson : Hold on, so you were aware that he had an affection for you, that he had a desire to make you happy?

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : Lieutenant, listen. I was there, all right? Rollins didn't lead him.

  Rafael Barba : Don't make excuses for her. That's not what the jury thinks.

  Amanda Rollins : Oh, come on.

  Dominick Carisi Jr. : You know what, Counselor? It's not Rollins's fault that Buchanan spun that kid upside-down and you didn't know how to stop him.

  Olivia Benson : Okay, thank you. We're done.

• Rafael Barba : Look, guys. This isn't about Melanie. It's about her daughter. We need to get justice for her with or without cooperation.