The Star Chamber (1983)

Michael Douglas: Steven Hardin

Photos 

Quotes 

• Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : The law. Nothing is right or wrong! It's either the law or its not the law. Well, we got a problem here, because it's not working anymore. It turns out that right and wrong count.

• Judge Benjamin Caulfield : It's always been a game, only now the bad guys have a stronger team, got a better draft.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : You know I took a lot of notes in your class and I can never remember you saying anything quite like that.

  Judge Benjamin Caulfield : You should have taken fewer notes and listened more.

• Dr. Harold Lewin : Judge Hardin? Mr. Hardin, please? Can I talk to you? I have something that I want you to see.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : What is it?

  Dr. Harold Lewin : It's a photograph of a boy; he's a ten-year-old 4th-grader, his front teeth are too big, and his hair falls on his face.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Are you Dr. Lewin?

  Dr. Harold Lewin : I was Dr. Lewin; I'm not anymore now. School sent us these pictures. They wanted to know how many we were gonna order. How many 5-by-7s, how many wallet-size. We took them all. I want you to have one.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : I'm sorry, I can't take this.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : Why not? Might help in your deliberations, might help you decide whether these men go free or not.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Dr. Lewin, please try to understand: I am not deciding how guilty or not guilty these two men are. Now, I'm sure your son was a wonderful boy and I know how you must... no, I don't. I don't have any idea how you must feel. Can we sit down for a minute, please?

  [they both sit on a bench] 

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : I have to rule on a court of law that has nothing to do with these two defendants. It's only concerned with how a particular piece of evidence was obtained.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : My wife... she has to be sedated all the time. She says she can hear Danny screaming. We had to move out of the house. She kept going into Danny's room. I had to get her away from him. How can someone torture a child? How do you erase that sound from your head? Those two are creatures, they're not human beings. Look at the photograph. That was my little boy, not a plaintiff or a statue. That is my little boy, it's not a point of law. Look at the goddamn photograph!

  [Hardin gets up] 

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : I understand how you feel, I really do. But I can only deal with the law.

  [Hardin walks to the elevator, Lewin follows him] 

  Dr. Harold Lewin : What about justice? You ever deal with that? Does that ever fit into this little crossword puzzle that you call the law? You're so worried about the rights of those two monsters! What about my little Danny's rights? You don't escape so easily. You don't run and hide so easy.

  [He sticks the photo under Hardin's arm] 

  Dr. Harold Lewin : You take this photograph, and you look at it. That's what this is all about. Nothing else. Nothing else.

• Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : There's a lot of nobility in this room. Must be the paneling.

• Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : I wanted to check to see if you could make bail.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : Yes, I'm putting my house up as collateral. The policeman, I'm told he's gonna be alright?

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Yes.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : That's good.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Well, if there is anything I can do, please just let me know.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : That's very kind of you, I think you've done enough. Tell me, do they really make license plates in prison, or is that just in the movies?

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Dr. Lewin...

  Dr. Harold Lewin : I'm not upset, you know? I'm really not. I tried to do something. At least I tried to do something. My only regret is that I didn't kill those two creatures. You want absolution? I'm not gonna give it to you. Try a priest.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : No, I understand. As a man, I would have tried to kill them too. As a judge, I can't.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : [sarcastically]  Well, you don't have to worry; you didn't murder my son. So you're covered. I take it that's what you wanted to hear.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : Maybe, yeah.

  Dr. Harold Lewin : You did murder someone else's son; you're gonna have to deal with that pretty soon.

  Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin : What are you talking about?

  Dr. Harold Lewin : Didn't you hear? You should be in prison. They have a wonderful communication system in this place, it's better than the 6 o'clock news. Another little boy was tortured and murdered last night, just like Danny. There's another father that's gonna have those sounds in his ears for the rest of his life. And you're gonna have to face it, and explain to him how you let those two go, so they could murder his children. This one's on you, your Honor. This one you did. That boy would be alive if you hadn't let them go. You go tell that father about your system, you give him the... the lecture on your precious justice, save all the platitudes that you were gonna use on me, you use them on him. Better than that, use them on yourself. But don't worry about me, I am really alright. I can look at that man. I tried to do something. You killed his son.