1
00:01:25,530 --> 00:01:27,599
All right,
let's chop and load.

2
00:02:11,210 --> 00:02:13,044
Good evening, Officer.

3
00:02:13,111 --> 00:02:15,747
Y'all need my license
or anything, huh?

4
00:02:15,813 --> 00:02:19,050
No, that's not necessary.

5
00:02:19,117 --> 00:02:21,452
That's a sharp-looking truck
you got.

6
00:02:21,519 --> 00:02:22,987
Yes, sir. Thank you.

7
00:02:23,054 --> 00:02:26,157
Those rims look like
they cost you a pretty penny.

8
00:02:27,592 --> 00:02:29,295
Who you been working for?

9
00:02:29,361 --> 00:02:31,462
Oh, no, sir.
I don't work for nobody.

10
00:02:31,529 --> 00:02:32,997
Got my own pulping business.

11
00:02:33,064 --> 00:02:35,566
You know, I clear out
all these trees around here.

12
00:02:35,633 --> 00:02:39,271
So, you ain't got no boss
to check in with, huh?

13
00:02:39,338 --> 00:02:41,005
That must be pretty nice.

14
00:02:41,072 --> 00:02:42,640
Free to run
up and down the road,

15
00:02:42,707 --> 00:02:44,343
wherever you want to,
whenever you want to,

16
00:02:44,410 --> 00:02:46,978
in this fancy truck.

17
00:02:47,045 --> 00:02:50,416
Hey, well, not if my wife
got something to say about it.

18
00:02:52,951 --> 00:02:54,719
Yeah.

19
00:02:54,786 --> 00:02:57,522
I heard that ain't stopped you
before, though.

20
00:02:58,790 --> 00:03:00,925
Ain't that right, Johnny D.?

21
00:03:10,768 --> 00:03:13,972
You want to make
a break for it? Hmm?

22
00:03:14,038 --> 00:03:15,506
No, sir, I don't wanna
do nothing...

23
00:03:15,573 --> 00:03:17,608
'Cause after what you done,

24
00:03:17,675 --> 00:03:20,279
I'm looking for any excuse
to get this over with

25
00:03:20,346 --> 00:03:22,480
right here, right now.

26
00:03:22,547 --> 00:03:23,915
Sir, I ain't did nothing,

27
00:03:23,982 --> 00:03:25,717
and I think y'all got
the wrong person here.

28
00:03:25,783 --> 00:03:27,252
Y'all got me confused

29
00:03:27,319 --> 00:03:28,486
with somebody. And I think...

30
00:03:28,553 --> 00:03:29,754
I ain't got you confused
with nobody.

31
00:03:29,821 --> 00:03:33,825
I don't have a thing
to do with this.

32
00:03:33,891 --> 00:03:35,294
Sir, you got me
confused with somebody.

33
00:03:35,361 --> 00:03:36,561
I ain't did nothing wrong.

34
00:03:38,529 --> 00:03:39,630
<i>We all know Monroeville</i>

35
00:03:39,697 --> 00:03:41,065
<i>as the peaceful town</i>

36
00:03:41,132 --> 00:03:43,235
<i>where Harper Lee wrote</i>
To Kill a Mockingbird.

37
00:03:43,302 --> 00:03:46,938
<i>Last year, that peace was
shattered by a brutal crime.</i>

38
00:03:47,005 --> 00:03:50,108
<i>On the 1st of November,
18-year-old Ronda Morrison</i>

39
00:03:50,174 --> 00:03:52,478
<i>was found dead
at Jackson Cleaners.</i>

40
00:03:52,543 --> 00:03:56,315
<i>Morrison had been strangled
and shot by Walter McMillian,</i>

41
00:03:56,382 --> 00:03:58,716
<i>known locally as Johnny D.</i>

42
00:03:58,783 --> 00:04:00,918
<i>McMillian was convicted
by a jury</i>

43
00:04:00,985 --> 00:04:02,954
<i>who recommended
a life sentence.</i>

44
00:04:03,021 --> 00:04:04,256
<i>But today,</i>

45
00:04:04,323 --> 00:04:07,625
<i>Judge Robert E. Lee Key
overrode their decision</i>

46
00:04:07,692 --> 00:04:10,396
<i>and sentenced McMillian
to death.</i>

47
00:04:10,462 --> 00:04:11,763
<i>We promised the community</i>

48
00:04:11,829 --> 00:04:13,365
<i>that we would find him,
and we did.</i>

49
00:04:13,432 --> 00:04:16,435
<i>You commit a crime
like this in my town,</i>

50
00:04:16,502 --> 00:04:19,003
<i>one way or another,
you're gonna pay for it.</i>

51
00:04:19,070 --> 00:04:20,938
<i>As McMillian
awaits execution</i>

52
00:04:21,005 --> 00:04:23,208
<i>at Holman
Correctional Facility,</i>

53
00:04:23,275 --> 00:04:26,144
<i>a grieving community
can take some solace</i>

54
00:04:26,211 --> 00:04:27,545
<i>in knowing that, today,</i>

55
00:04:27,612 --> 00:04:30,548
<i>justice has finally
been served.</i>

56
00:04:48,866 --> 00:04:50,269
Thank you.

57
00:05:20,265 --> 00:05:21,966
You got one hour.

58
00:05:28,639 --> 00:05:29,740
Uh...

59
00:05:29,807 --> 00:05:33,611
Hi, Mr. Davis. I'm Bryan.

60
00:05:33,678 --> 00:05:35,447
Henry.

61
00:05:35,514 --> 00:05:37,115
Um...

62
00:05:37,182 --> 00:05:38,916
The Southern Prisoners
Defense Committee,

63
00:05:38,983 --> 00:05:41,320
they sent me here
to tell you that,

64
00:05:41,386 --> 00:05:43,355
that they don't have
a lawyer for you yet,

65
00:05:43,422 --> 00:05:45,224
but they hope to soon.

66
00:05:45,290 --> 00:05:46,858
You're not a lawyer?

67
00:05:46,924 --> 00:05:49,794
No. I'm still in school.

68
00:05:49,861 --> 00:05:52,830
Just interning here
for the summer.

69
00:05:52,897 --> 00:05:56,734
So, you can't tell me nothing
about my case?

70
00:05:56,801 --> 00:05:59,937
I mean,
I was supposed to tell you

71
00:06:00,004 --> 00:06:01,639
that you're not
at risk of execution

72
00:06:01,706 --> 00:06:03,708
any time
within the next year.

73
00:06:08,012 --> 00:06:11,216
Can you say that again?

74
00:06:11,283 --> 00:06:14,286
That you're not at risk
of execution any time

75
00:06:14,353 --> 00:06:15,387
within the next year?

76
00:06:20,459 --> 00:06:23,861
That's the best news
I've heard in a long time.

77
00:06:35,207 --> 00:06:38,343
I didn't want
my wife or kids

78
00:06:38,410 --> 00:06:41,746
showing up if I had
an execution date coming.

79
00:06:43,549 --> 00:06:45,750
Now they can come visit.

80
00:06:47,553 --> 00:06:48,953
Thank you.

81
00:06:49,787 --> 00:06:51,223
Thank you.

82
00:06:55,394 --> 00:06:56,628
Serious.

83
00:06:56,694 --> 00:06:58,430
My mom made me
join our church choir

84
00:06:58,497 --> 00:06:59,797
when I was, like, four.

85
00:06:59,864 --> 00:07:02,133
I sang lead baritone
all through high school.

86
00:07:02,201 --> 00:07:04,101
I played piano
at my church growing up.

87
00:07:04,168 --> 00:07:05,237
AME?

88
00:07:05,304 --> 00:07:06,338
God is good...

89
00:07:06,405 --> 00:07:07,506
...all the time.

90
00:07:07,573 --> 00:07:09,441
All the time.

91
00:07:09,508 --> 00:07:13,345
A couple AME Choir boys
hanging on death row.

92
00:07:13,412 --> 00:07:14,745
My mom would go trip.

93
00:07:14,812 --> 00:07:16,113
Man, that's crazy.

94
00:07:16,181 --> 00:07:17,915
What school are you going to?

95
00:07:17,982 --> 00:07:19,951
I'm at Harvard.

96
00:07:20,017 --> 00:07:22,688
Seriously?
You're going to Harvard?

97
00:07:22,753 --> 00:07:24,323
That's white-boy status, bro.

98
00:07:24,389 --> 00:07:26,592
What the hell are you doing
slumming it up in here for?

99
00:07:28,227 --> 00:07:30,094
I'm in law school because
I just wanted to help people.

100
00:07:30,161 --> 00:07:32,863
Just haven't figured out
the best way to do that yet.

101
00:07:32,930 --> 00:07:34,266
Honestly, this internship

102
00:07:34,333 --> 00:07:37,068
has been the best
experience so far.

103
00:07:37,134 --> 00:07:39,870
Working on death row
has been your best experience?

104
00:07:39,937 --> 00:07:42,106
You need
to get out more, bro.

105
00:07:44,775 --> 00:07:46,511
Should've been done
two hours ago.

106
00:07:46,578 --> 00:07:49,113
- I'm sorry, I didn't realize.
- Supposed to watch the clock.

107
00:07:49,181 --> 00:07:51,816
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hey, hey, hey. Sir!

108
00:07:51,882 --> 00:07:53,552
Calm down,
he didn't do anything!

109
00:07:53,619 --> 00:07:54,720
You need to shut your mouth.

110
00:07:54,785 --> 00:07:56,421
It's okay, Bryan.

111
00:07:56,488 --> 00:07:58,657
Don't worry about me.
You just come back.

112
00:08:02,661 --> 00:08:05,796
<i>♪ I'm pressing on ♪</i>

113
00:08:05,863 --> 00:08:09,033
<i>♪ The upward way ♪</i>

114
00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:14,939
<i>♪ New heights
I'm gaining every day ♪</i>

115
00:08:15,006 --> 00:08:18,710
<i>♪ Still praying as ♪</i>

116
00:08:18,776 --> 00:08:22,146
<i>♪ I'm onward bound ♪</i>

117
00:08:22,214 --> 00:08:25,717
<i>♪ "Lord, plant my feet ♪</i>

118
00:08:25,783 --> 00:08:28,186
<i>♪ On higher ground" ♪</i>

119
00:08:42,867 --> 00:08:44,403
Mom still mad at you?

120
00:08:44,869 --> 00:08:45,970
For what?

121
00:08:46,037 --> 00:08:47,339
I don't know.

122
00:08:47,406 --> 00:08:48,740
Maybe for rejecting
all those job offers

123
00:08:48,806 --> 00:08:50,642
so you can be poor
in Alabama.

124
00:08:50,709 --> 00:08:52,043
And Howie telling her

125
00:08:52,109 --> 00:08:53,010
about that lynching in Mobile
didn't help.

126
00:08:53,077 --> 00:08:54,212
What?

127
00:08:54,279 --> 00:08:55,213
I said it happened
seven years ago.

128
00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:56,748
Yeah, that made it better.

129
00:08:56,814 --> 00:08:59,016
You two were supposed
to be on my side.

130
00:08:59,083 --> 00:09:00,385
Pop, how are we
looking up there?

131
00:09:00,452 --> 00:09:02,187
Just added
three quarts of oil.

132
00:09:02,254 --> 00:09:03,888
But you should check it again
when you get there.

133
00:09:03,954 --> 00:09:05,490
All right, thanks.

134
00:09:05,557 --> 00:09:07,825
Talk to your mom yet?

135
00:09:13,864 --> 00:09:15,467
What did those leaves
do to you?

136
00:09:19,003 --> 00:09:21,306
You're not gonna say bye
to your son?

137
00:09:22,374 --> 00:09:23,974
I know you got
your law degree now,

138
00:09:24,041 --> 00:09:25,544
and you think you're grown,

139
00:09:25,610 --> 00:09:27,312
but you're still my child.

140
00:09:27,379 --> 00:09:28,846
And I'm the one
who has to deal

141
00:09:28,913 --> 00:09:30,147
with your funeral arrangements

142
00:09:30,215 --> 00:09:31,583
if you get killed down there.

143
00:09:31,650 --> 00:09:32,850
Come on, Ma.

144
00:09:32,917 --> 00:09:34,985
Oh, you think this is funny?

145
00:09:35,052 --> 00:09:36,153
'Cause if you can't see

146
00:09:36,221 --> 00:09:37,589
the danger
in what you're doing,

147
00:09:37,656 --> 00:09:39,924
you need to ask Harvard
for your money back.

148
00:09:39,990 --> 00:09:42,194
You used to be smarter
than that.

149
00:09:58,042 --> 00:10:00,178
The first time
I visited death row,

150
00:10:00,245 --> 00:10:03,448
I wasn't expecting to meet
somebody the same age as me.

151
00:10:04,716 --> 00:10:06,385
Grew up on the same music.

152
00:10:06,451 --> 00:10:08,587
From a neighborhood
just like ours.

153
00:10:12,691 --> 00:10:14,359
Could've been me, Mama.

154
00:10:16,795 --> 00:10:21,098
I don't wanna move far away
from you. I love you.

155
00:10:21,165 --> 00:10:22,768
But you always taught me
to fight for the people

156
00:10:22,834 --> 00:10:24,669
who need the help the most.

157
00:10:28,774 --> 00:10:31,108
I am very proud of you, son.

158
00:10:33,110 --> 00:10:36,581
I know your heart's
in the right place.

159
00:10:36,648 --> 00:10:39,184
But it's not that simple.

160
00:10:39,251 --> 00:10:42,621
What you're doing is gonna
make a lot of people upset.

161
00:10:44,922 --> 00:10:46,924
You better be careful.

162
00:10:48,727 --> 00:10:50,161
I will.

163
00:10:52,864 --> 00:10:54,266
I promise.

164
00:10:58,303 --> 00:11:00,672
There she goes.

165
00:11:50,288 --> 00:11:51,756
You gotta be kidding me.

166
00:11:51,823 --> 00:11:54,793
We had an agreement to rent
this space for two years.

167
00:11:54,860 --> 00:11:56,328
You said it was a done deal.

168
00:11:56,394 --> 00:11:57,896
That's before I knew
what you were doing here.

169
00:11:57,963 --> 00:11:59,264
We are giving
poor people

170
00:11:59,331 --> 00:12:01,299
their constitutional right
to counsel, Bill.

171
00:12:01,366 --> 00:12:02,601
Do you mind explaining
to my son

172
00:12:02,667 --> 00:12:04,168
what you think
is so wrong with that?

173
00:12:04,236 --> 00:12:05,337
Eva, what's up?

174
00:12:05,403 --> 00:12:06,872
Oh, Bryan. Thank God.

175
00:12:06,938 --> 00:12:10,308
This is the executive director
of our organization.

176
00:12:10,375 --> 00:12:11,776
He just got here
and was expecting

177
00:12:11,843 --> 00:12:14,144
to move into the office
that you promised us.

178
00:12:14,212 --> 00:12:16,248
You said
you were the director.

179
00:12:16,314 --> 00:12:18,082
Director of Operations.

180
00:12:18,148 --> 00:12:19,284
And you're making me
look very bad

181
00:12:19,351 --> 00:12:20,752
in front of my boss
right now.

182
00:12:20,819 --> 00:12:22,287
She said you were a lawyer,

183
00:12:22,354 --> 00:12:24,823
but nobody told me it was
for murderers on death row.

184
00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:27,559
We're providing legal services
to people who need help.

185
00:12:27,626 --> 00:12:29,594
And they'll have to do it
someplace else.

186
00:12:29,661 --> 00:12:32,297
'Cause I can't have
people like that around here.

187
00:12:32,364 --> 00:12:35,065
Not everyone is in there
for a good reason, sir.

188
00:12:36,468 --> 00:12:38,770
Y'all have a good day now.

189
00:12:40,104 --> 00:12:42,240
What a piece of shit.

190
00:12:42,307 --> 00:12:43,608
I'm so sorry.

191
00:12:43,675 --> 00:12:45,744
This is not how I wanted
to welcome you here.

192
00:12:45,810 --> 00:12:48,045
I will find us an office,
I promise you I will.

193
00:12:48,112 --> 00:12:49,414
I just gotta
change my tactics.

194
00:12:49,481 --> 00:12:51,283
It'll be fine.
We can work from anywhere.

195
00:12:51,349 --> 00:12:52,551
Yeah,
we'll just have Kris

196
00:12:52,617 --> 00:12:53,985
clean up his toys
in the living room.

197
00:12:54,051 --> 00:12:55,287
- Right, Kris?
- Oh, yeah?

198
00:12:55,353 --> 00:12:57,422
I'll think about it.

199
00:12:57,489 --> 00:12:59,123
I'm sorry for cussing, baby.

200
00:12:59,190 --> 00:13:00,592
It's okay.

201
00:13:00,659 --> 00:13:02,694
He was a piece of shit,
though.

202
00:13:03,962 --> 00:13:05,363
I was a psychology major

203
00:13:05,430 --> 00:13:06,998
writing a paper
on capital punishment

204
00:13:07,064 --> 00:13:10,635
when I met my first death row
inmate, Wayne Ritter.

205
00:13:10,702 --> 00:13:13,638
He and his friend robbed
a pawn shop in Mobile.

206
00:13:13,705 --> 00:13:17,475
His friend shot the owner
and they both got death.

207
00:13:17,542 --> 00:13:20,077
Is he the reason
why you got into this?

208
00:13:20,144 --> 00:13:24,081
His attorney was openly
in favor of the death penalty.

209
00:13:24,148 --> 00:13:27,285
He thought
mad dogs ought to die.

210
00:13:27,352 --> 00:13:28,620
A lot of the folks
on death row

211
00:13:28,687 --> 00:13:30,188
either had
shitty representation,

212
00:13:30,255 --> 00:13:31,556
or none at all.

213
00:13:31,623 --> 00:13:33,191
So, I just started
calling every law firm

214
00:13:33,258 --> 00:13:34,626
in the Yellow Pages,

215
00:13:34,693 --> 00:13:36,328
just trying to find anybody
that could help.

216
00:13:36,394 --> 00:13:40,298
I was averaging
20 rejections a day.

217
00:13:40,365 --> 00:13:42,067
She was pretty stressed out.

218
00:13:42,132 --> 00:13:43,802
I was just about to give up

219
00:13:43,868 --> 00:13:47,606
when I got a call from
a Harvard lawyer saying that

220
00:13:47,672 --> 00:13:49,407
he had just passed
the Alabama Bar

221
00:13:49,474 --> 00:13:52,142
and had federal funding
to start a legal center

222
00:13:52,210 --> 00:13:54,679
for inmates on death row.

223
00:13:54,746 --> 00:13:57,882
I was in before
you even offered me the job.

224
00:13:57,949 --> 00:14:00,518
And before you knew
I couldn't pay you anything.

225
00:14:00,585 --> 00:14:01,820
What's that?

226
00:14:01,886 --> 00:14:04,022
Oh, yeah, Doug doesn't know
about that part yet.

227
00:14:04,089 --> 00:14:05,557
- Sorry, honey.
- All right.

228
00:14:05,624 --> 00:14:08,293
How's it going, son?
You seem tired.

229
00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,562
Okay.
Let's go brush your teeth.

230
00:14:10,629 --> 00:14:11,663
Excuse us.

231
00:14:13,398 --> 00:14:15,533
I'll make up the couch
for you, Bryan.

232
00:14:16,568 --> 00:14:18,670
I'm excited about
what you're doing.

233
00:14:20,905 --> 00:14:22,374
Me, too.

234
00:15:37,183 --> 00:15:38,817
I should be in the log.

235
00:15:38,883 --> 00:15:41,319
I'm scheduled
to see six clients today.

236
00:15:43,421 --> 00:15:46,324
Well, I ain't seen you before.

237
00:15:46,391 --> 00:15:48,526
That's because
I just moved here.

238
00:15:50,995 --> 00:15:52,664
You really a lawyer?

239
00:15:54,332 --> 00:15:57,635
Yes. I am.

240
00:15:57,702 --> 00:15:59,237
Well, I'm gonna have
to search you.

241
00:15:59,304 --> 00:16:02,208
Just go on in that room there
and take everything off.

242
00:16:02,273 --> 00:16:05,610
Attorneys aren't strip
searched for legal visits.

243
00:16:05,677 --> 00:16:07,512
Well, you ain't gonna
visit shit

244
00:16:07,579 --> 00:16:09,981
unless you get in that room
and strip.

245
00:16:11,149 --> 00:16:12,517
Let's go.

246
00:16:32,204 --> 00:16:33,838
Pants and underwear.

247
00:17:00,431 --> 00:17:02,634
Bend over and spread.

248
00:17:10,842 --> 00:17:11,976
You're clear.

249
00:17:44,709 --> 00:17:46,644
<i>I fought in Nam.</i>

250
00:17:47,579 --> 00:17:49,814
First Cavalry Division.

251
00:17:51,283 --> 00:17:55,620
Saw a lot of friends die.

252
00:17:57,655 --> 00:18:02,093
Doctor said I got PTSD.

253
00:18:04,495 --> 00:18:08,833
I did what they said I did.

254
00:18:10,602 --> 00:18:14,072
I put the bomb
on her porch.

255
00:18:16,140 --> 00:18:19,477
I know it don't make sense,

256
00:18:20,645 --> 00:18:24,515
but I didn't mean
to kill nobody.

257
00:18:27,919 --> 00:18:34,360
I think they're gonna
set my execution soon.

258
00:18:34,425 --> 00:18:35,960
Last lawyer said

259
00:18:36,027 --> 00:18:38,663
there ain't nothing
left to do.

260
00:18:40,798 --> 00:18:43,902
There's always something
that we can do.

261
00:18:43,968 --> 00:18:48,106
Whatever you did,
your life is still meaningful.

262
00:18:48,172 --> 00:18:49,841
And I'm gonna do
everything possible

263
00:18:49,908 --> 00:18:51,943
to keep them from taking it.

264
00:19:00,451 --> 00:19:05,023
Now, tell me everything
that happened.

265
00:19:05,089 --> 00:19:07,492
I was given
a court-appointed lawyer,

266
00:19:07,558 --> 00:19:09,961
and he was pretty pitiful.

267
00:19:10,028 --> 00:19:13,665
Never really talked to me
about setting up a defense.

268
00:19:13,731 --> 00:19:16,167
I probably met
the dude three times.

269
00:19:17,535 --> 00:19:19,204
Literally.

270
00:19:19,271 --> 00:19:21,307
<i>He told me that it
would be in my best interest</i>

271
00:19:21,373 --> 00:19:23,841
<i>to plead no contest
to all of those charges.</i>

272
00:19:23,908 --> 00:19:25,476
I'm gonna plead not guilty.

273
00:19:25,543 --> 00:19:26,811
I said I didn't do it.

274
00:19:26,878 --> 00:19:28,247
I didn't have nothing
to do with that.

275
00:19:28,314 --> 00:19:30,349
"You're 20 right now,
if you take this plea

276
00:19:30,416 --> 00:19:31,816
and you do the whole time,

277
00:19:31,883 --> 00:19:34,286
you'll only be 45
when you get out."

278
00:19:34,353 --> 00:19:37,256
<i>In the middle
of my trial, which only lasted</i>

279
00:19:37,323 --> 00:19:40,858
45 minutes to a hour,
which is unheard of.

280
00:19:40,925 --> 00:19:42,894
He wouldn't let me
take the stand.

281
00:19:42,961 --> 00:19:45,331
So, they ended up
finding me guilty.

282
00:19:45,397 --> 00:19:46,998
The judge laughed at me
and said

283
00:19:47,065 --> 00:19:50,202
rehabilitation was
a 70-year-old joke.

284
00:19:50,269 --> 00:19:51,636
<i>My lawyer,</i>

285
00:19:51,703 --> 00:19:52,971
<i>he was there,
but he wasn't there.</i>

286
00:19:54,772 --> 00:19:57,242
It was like I was by myself.

287
00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:17,628
Last lawyer I had,
sitting where you sit, said,

288
00:20:17,695 --> 00:20:19,063
"Johnny D.,
don't worry about nothing,

289
00:20:19,130 --> 00:20:21,065
everything gonna be
all right."

290
00:20:23,835 --> 00:20:26,504
Then they put
that death sentence on me.

291
00:20:28,273 --> 00:20:30,275
Family run out of money.

292
00:20:30,342 --> 00:20:32,277
Money run out, he run out.

293
00:20:35,780 --> 00:20:37,849
What you gonna do different?

294
00:20:40,651 --> 00:20:41,719
Well, the first thing
we could do

295
00:20:41,786 --> 00:20:43,021
is apply for a retrial.

296
00:20:43,087 --> 00:20:45,823
I already did that.
They denied it.

297
00:20:45,890 --> 00:20:48,593
It's right there
in your files.

298
00:20:51,230 --> 00:20:55,033
Okay, then we can ask
for a reconsideration on that.

299
00:20:55,099 --> 00:20:57,202
Then a direct appeal to
the Court of Criminal Appeals

300
00:20:57,269 --> 00:20:59,704
and work our way up to
the State Supreme Court.

301
00:20:59,771 --> 00:21:02,307
If we get denied there,
we could file a Rule 32.

302
00:21:02,374 --> 00:21:04,108
Then a federal
habeas petition.

303
00:21:04,176 --> 00:21:05,411
And if all that fails,
Mr. McMillian,

304
00:21:05,477 --> 00:21:06,677
we could take your case

305
00:21:06,744 --> 00:21:08,146
all the way
to the Supreme Court.

306
00:21:08,213 --> 00:21:10,748
You don't know what you into
down here, do you?

307
00:21:10,815 --> 00:21:12,251
You think all of them
fancy words

308
00:21:12,317 --> 00:21:15,521
gonna get you somewhere
around here in Alabama?

309
00:21:15,586 --> 00:21:18,089
All they gonna do is eat
you alive and spit you out,

310
00:21:18,156 --> 00:21:19,657
just like every other
black man they do,

311
00:21:19,724 --> 00:21:21,260
when they step out of line.

312
00:21:21,326 --> 00:21:24,430
You coming around here
with them fancy suits,

313
00:21:24,496 --> 00:21:25,763
talking all white,

314
00:21:25,830 --> 00:21:27,065
these people don't give
a damn about that.

315
00:21:27,131 --> 00:21:28,633
The only suit
they wanna see a nigga in

316
00:21:28,699 --> 00:21:30,302
is the suit I got on.

317
00:21:32,703 --> 00:21:34,373
Mr. McMillian, I can see
how that could be hard...

318
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,040
No, you don't!

319
00:21:37,909 --> 00:21:41,346
No, you don't.
No, you don't. No, you don't.

320
00:21:43,915 --> 00:21:45,149
You a rich boy from Harvard,

321
00:21:45,217 --> 00:21:47,219
you don't know
what it is down here.

322
00:21:47,286 --> 00:21:50,688
When you're guilty
from the moment you born.

323
00:21:52,957 --> 00:21:54,592
And you can buddy up
with these white folks

324
00:21:54,659 --> 00:21:56,027
and make them laugh,

325
00:21:56,094 --> 00:21:57,695
and try to make them like you,
whatever that is,

326
00:21:57,762 --> 00:21:58,896
and you say,
"Yes, sir. No, ma'am."

327
00:21:58,963 --> 00:22:00,164
But when it's your turn,

328
00:22:00,232 --> 00:22:02,100
they ain't got to have
no fingerprints.

329
00:22:02,834 --> 00:22:05,036
No evidence.

330
00:22:05,103 --> 00:22:09,640
And the only witness they got
made the whole thing up.

331
00:22:12,810 --> 00:22:15,214
Ain't none of that matter,
when all y'all think is,

332
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,382
is I look like a man

333
00:22:18,250 --> 00:22:20,219
who could kill somebody.

334
00:22:22,954 --> 00:22:25,190
But that's not what I think.

335
00:22:30,695 --> 00:22:32,364
You know how many people
have been freed

336
00:22:32,431 --> 00:22:34,266
from Alabama death row?

337
00:22:38,069 --> 00:22:39,338
None.

338
00:22:44,809 --> 00:22:47,945
What make you think
you gonna change that?

339
00:22:52,150 --> 00:22:54,520
I ain't doing this shit again.

340
00:22:54,586 --> 00:22:56,288
- Guard.
- Mr. McMillian...

341
00:22:56,355 --> 00:22:57,788
We done here.

342
00:22:57,855 --> 00:23:00,292
Mr. McMillian, please.

343
00:23:01,426 --> 00:23:03,228
I'm here to help.

344
00:23:07,865 --> 00:23:09,301
What's up, Johnny D.?

345
00:23:09,368 --> 00:23:10,636
Say hello!

346
00:23:10,701 --> 00:23:12,304
How's it going,
my brother?

347
00:23:12,371 --> 00:23:13,605
How'd it go?

348
00:23:15,207 --> 00:23:17,842
How you treating
them needs, motherfucker?

349
00:23:39,565 --> 00:23:41,132
Johnny D.?

350
00:23:42,668 --> 00:23:44,536
Johnny D., you there?

351
00:23:44,603 --> 00:23:45,937
'Sup, Herb?

352
00:23:46,871 --> 00:23:48,273
Ray there?

353
00:23:50,642 --> 00:23:52,944
Ray.

354
00:23:53,010 --> 00:23:55,414
Unavailable at the moment.

355
00:23:56,615 --> 00:23:58,183
Where you at?

356
00:23:58,250 --> 00:24:02,119
Buckingham Palace.
I'm having tea with the Queen.

357
00:24:02,187 --> 00:24:03,355
Oh.

358
00:24:03,422 --> 00:24:04,755
She's a very nice lady.

359
00:24:04,822 --> 00:24:06,658
I'll let you know
when we done.

360
00:24:08,260 --> 00:24:12,397
Hey, Johnny D.,
what you think of the lawyer?

361
00:24:12,464 --> 00:24:14,566
I think he a kid.

362
00:24:14,633 --> 00:24:16,834
Don't know
what he's talking about.

363
00:24:16,901 --> 00:24:18,102
Making all these promises

364
00:24:18,169 --> 00:24:20,205
he ain't gonna
be able to keep.

365
00:24:21,540 --> 00:24:24,276
I thought he was nice.

366
00:24:24,343 --> 00:24:25,377
Nice?

367
00:24:25,444 --> 00:24:28,580
The hell you want
a nice lawyer for?

368
00:24:28,647 --> 00:24:30,716
Nice ain't gonna get you shit.

369
00:24:30,781 --> 00:24:32,116
Look at Johnny D.

370
00:24:32,184 --> 00:24:34,952
Nice as a puppy,
yet he in here with us.

371
00:24:35,019 --> 00:24:36,255
Well, I didn't know

372
00:24:36,321 --> 00:24:37,788
you thought about me
like that, Ray.

373
00:24:37,855 --> 00:24:39,857
I mean,
just you nice and everything,

374
00:24:39,924 --> 00:24:42,026
you not as nice
as La Toya Jackson,

375
00:24:42,093 --> 00:24:45,129
but for an old man
on the row, you a'ight.

376
00:24:45,197 --> 00:24:47,932
Hey, I thought you said
I was the old man.

377
00:24:47,999 --> 00:24:50,968
Well, Johnny D. is old, Herb,
you more ancient.

378
00:24:51,035 --> 00:24:52,937
Sorry to tell you.

379
00:24:59,977 --> 00:25:01,812
Herb, turn that music up.

380
00:25:02,414 --> 00:25:04,048
You got it.

381
00:25:44,489 --> 00:25:46,991
All right. Here...

382
00:26:24,962 --> 00:26:26,331
Bryan,

383
00:26:27,766 --> 00:26:30,134
did you get any sleep?

384
00:26:30,202 --> 00:26:31,936
I, uh...

385
00:26:32,002 --> 00:26:33,538
I don't think
McMillian did it.

386
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,209
The State based
its entire case

387
00:26:37,275 --> 00:26:40,379
on the testimony of one man.
Ralph Myers.

388
00:26:40,445 --> 00:26:42,848
Myers spent most of his life
in and out of prison.

389
00:26:42,913 --> 00:26:44,216
When he testified,

390
00:26:44,282 --> 00:26:45,517
he was on trial
for a different murder,

391
00:26:45,584 --> 00:26:47,652
which he ended up
getting 30 years for.

392
00:26:47,719 --> 00:26:49,120
Seems like a pretty good deal.

393
00:26:49,187 --> 00:26:50,389
In his statement,
he said that

394
00:26:50,455 --> 00:26:51,956
Johnny D. approached him
at a car wash

395
00:26:52,022 --> 00:26:53,492
and forced him at gunpoint

396
00:26:53,558 --> 00:26:56,795
to drive to Jackson Cleaners
because his arm hurt.

397
00:26:56,862 --> 00:26:58,196
That sounds logical.

398
00:26:58,263 --> 00:26:59,598
When they get there,
Johnny D. tells him

399
00:26:59,664 --> 00:27:01,466
to wait in the truck
while he goes inside.

400
00:27:01,533 --> 00:27:03,568
And while he's waiting
for his kidnapper,

401
00:27:03,635 --> 00:27:05,604
he doesn't run,
he doesn't go to the police.

402
00:27:05,670 --> 00:27:08,973
Instead, he drives to the
liquor store for cigarettes,

403
00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:11,643
and then comes back
to the crime scene.

404
00:27:11,710 --> 00:27:12,910
Excuse me?

405
00:27:12,977 --> 00:27:15,012
Myers hears gunshots,
goes inside

406
00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:16,681
and sees the body
of Ronda Morrison

407
00:27:16,748 --> 00:27:18,216
lying on the ground, face up,

408
00:27:18,283 --> 00:27:20,385
and Johnny D.
standing over her with a gun

409
00:27:20,452 --> 00:27:23,921
with some older white guy
who he claimed was in charge.

410
00:27:23,988 --> 00:27:25,424
Anyone trying
to look for him?

411
00:27:25,490 --> 00:27:27,359
Exactly.

412
00:27:27,426 --> 00:27:30,829
Oh, wait. They have one other
witness to back his testimony.

413
00:27:30,896 --> 00:27:32,597
A young black man
named Bill Hooks.

414
00:27:32,664 --> 00:27:34,466
Says he saw Johnny D.'s
low-rider truck

415
00:27:34,533 --> 00:27:36,967
leaving the cleaners
around the time of the murder.

416
00:27:37,034 --> 00:27:38,537
And that's it.

417
00:27:38,603 --> 00:27:40,205
That's all they have.

418
00:27:41,273 --> 00:27:42,940
Hmm.

419
00:27:43,007 --> 00:27:46,678
So, an 18-year-old white girl
is murdered in broad daylight

420
00:27:46,745 --> 00:27:48,979
and the sheriff can't solve
the crime for how long?

421
00:27:49,046 --> 00:27:50,582
Almost a year.

422
00:27:50,649 --> 00:27:51,917
And then some other guy

423
00:27:51,982 --> 00:27:53,485
who's charged
with a different murder

424
00:27:53,552 --> 00:27:55,119
says that he can tell them
who did it

425
00:27:55,187 --> 00:27:57,189
if he gets a lower sentence.

426
00:27:57,255 --> 00:27:58,623
And the guy that
he says did it,

427
00:27:58,690 --> 00:28:00,926
happens to be a black man
from a poor community

428
00:28:00,991 --> 00:28:02,960
that no one would think
twice about.

429
00:28:06,932 --> 00:28:09,033
There's gotta be
more evidence than this.

430
00:28:10,235 --> 00:28:12,771
I want to set a meeting
with the DA.

431
00:28:12,838 --> 00:28:16,208
Tommy Chapman just took over
for Pearson a few months ago.

432
00:28:16,274 --> 00:28:18,343
He used to be
a public defender.

433
00:28:18,410 --> 00:28:20,612
Maybe he's not in line
with the rest of 'em.

434
00:28:36,595 --> 00:28:39,531
You visit
the Mockingbird Museum yet?

435
00:28:39,598 --> 00:28:40,932
Oh. No, ma'am.

436
00:28:40,998 --> 00:28:42,132
It's the old courthouse

437
00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,269
Harper Lee's daddy
used to work in.

438
00:28:44,336 --> 00:28:47,539
You can stand right where
Atticus Finch once stood.

439
00:28:51,075 --> 00:28:52,377
Mr. Stevenson?

440
00:28:52,444 --> 00:28:53,979
- I'm Tommy Chapman.
- Hey.

441
00:28:54,044 --> 00:28:55,079
- You find us okay?
- I did.

442
00:28:55,145 --> 00:28:56,882
- Good. Follow me.
- Yeah.

443
00:28:56,948 --> 00:28:58,550
Thank you, Tracy.

444
00:28:58,617 --> 00:29:01,051
A lot of people are very keen
to meet you, Mr. Stevenson.

445
00:29:01,118 --> 00:29:02,152
Oh, really?

446
00:29:02,220 --> 00:29:03,221
Well, you're a Harvard lawyer,

447
00:29:03,288 --> 00:29:04,823
who's moved to Alabama.

448
00:29:04,890 --> 00:29:07,192
You know, you start taking on
all these capital cases,

449
00:29:07,259 --> 00:29:08,393
people just wanna know

450
00:29:08,460 --> 00:29:11,128
what your intentions are,
I guess.

451
00:29:11,196 --> 00:29:12,864
We're just trying
to give legal assistance

452
00:29:12,931 --> 00:29:14,199
to people
who can't afford it.

453
00:29:14,266 --> 00:29:15,834
Well, legal assistance
is one thing,

454
00:29:15,901 --> 00:29:18,135
but trying to put convicted
murderers back on the street

455
00:29:18,203 --> 00:29:21,038
is something else entirely.

456
00:29:21,105 --> 00:29:22,440
Anyway,
you didn't come

457
00:29:22,507 --> 00:29:23,975
all the way down here
to talk about that.

458
00:29:24,041 --> 00:29:25,744
What can I do
for you today, Bryan?

459
00:29:25,810 --> 00:29:28,513
I wanted to speak to you
about Johnny D. McMillian.

460
00:29:28,580 --> 00:29:30,782
You know I wasn't part
of his prosecution, right?

461
00:29:30,849 --> 00:29:32,217
That was way before my time.

462
00:29:32,284 --> 00:29:34,386
And that's exactly
why I wanted to meet you.

463
00:29:34,452 --> 00:29:36,388
You see, I've read through the
record quite a few times now

464
00:29:36,454 --> 00:29:37,689
and I have some serious doubts

465
00:29:37,756 --> 00:29:40,124
about the reliability
of his conviction.

466
00:29:41,860 --> 00:29:43,127
If you could take a look

467
00:29:43,194 --> 00:29:44,629
at the sections
I've highlighted here,

468
00:29:44,696 --> 00:29:48,700
you'll see some problems
with Ralph Myers' testimony.

469
00:29:48,767 --> 00:29:52,771
Man, this is one of
the most outrageous crimes

470
00:29:52,837 --> 00:29:55,407
in Monroe County history.

471
00:29:55,473 --> 00:29:58,176
Your client made
a lot of people very angry.

472
00:29:58,843 --> 00:30:00,245
I understand that,

473
00:30:00,312 --> 00:30:01,913
but there are some serious
problems with this case.

474
00:30:01,980 --> 00:30:03,782
And I was hoping
that I can get your support

475
00:30:03,848 --> 00:30:06,818
to figure out
what really happened.

476
00:30:06,885 --> 00:30:08,653
I already know what happened.

477
00:30:11,790 --> 00:30:14,359
Johnny D. McMillian
was convicted by a jury

478
00:30:14,426 --> 00:30:16,561
of brutally murdering
a teenage girl

479
00:30:16,628 --> 00:30:17,629
in my community.

480
00:30:17,696 --> 00:30:18,863
And it is my job

481
00:30:18,930 --> 00:30:21,900
to defend the integrity
of that conviction.

482
00:30:21,967 --> 00:30:25,737
Even if that conviction
is based on false testimony?

483
00:30:25,804 --> 00:30:27,906
You're the only one I know
who thinks that.

484
00:30:27,973 --> 00:30:30,075
Then I must be the only one
who read that record

485
00:30:30,140 --> 00:30:32,611
because it's pretty obvious.

486
00:30:36,748 --> 00:30:39,584
That man caused
a lot of pain.

487
00:30:39,651 --> 00:30:43,153
A lot of pain
for folks around here.

488
00:30:43,221 --> 00:30:45,991
And if you go digging
in those wounds,

489
00:30:46,057 --> 00:30:50,462
you're gonna be making
a lot of people very unhappy.

490
00:30:50,528 --> 00:30:52,631
Well, it isn't my job
to make people happy.

491
00:30:52,697 --> 00:30:55,600
It's to achieve justice
for my client.

492
00:30:59,638 --> 00:31:00,805
Well...

493
00:31:02,574 --> 00:31:04,342
Ralph Myers' two confessions

494
00:31:04,409 --> 00:31:07,412
and a statement
from Bill Hooks.

495
00:31:09,047 --> 00:31:10,315
I asked for copies

496
00:31:10,382 --> 00:31:11,883
of all the police
and witness statements.

497
00:31:11,950 --> 00:31:13,284
That's what you're holding.

498
00:31:13,351 --> 00:31:14,819
This is a joke.
Where's the rest of it?

499
00:31:14,886 --> 00:31:17,188
That's what's relevant
to the McMillian case.

500
00:31:17,255 --> 00:31:18,590
If you want more,
you'll have to file

501
00:31:18,657 --> 00:31:20,225
a discovery motion
with the court,

502
00:31:20,291 --> 00:31:22,661
just like anybody else.

503
00:31:22,727 --> 00:31:25,597
Thanks for coming by today,
Mr. Stevenson.

504
00:31:27,032 --> 00:31:28,233
Expect that motion soon.

505
00:31:28,299 --> 00:31:31,236
I'll look forward to it,
Counselor.

506
00:31:31,302 --> 00:31:33,838
You oughta check out
the Mockingbird Museum

507
00:31:33,905 --> 00:31:35,473
on your way out of town.

508
00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:37,709
It's one of the great
civil rights landmarks

509
00:31:37,776 --> 00:31:38,777
of the South.

510
00:31:40,645 --> 00:31:41,846
Hmm.

511
00:31:53,925 --> 00:31:55,326
Keep in line.

512
00:32:01,099 --> 00:32:02,267
Helping a black man

513
00:32:02,333 --> 00:32:03,568
convicted of killing
a white girl

514
00:32:03,635 --> 00:32:05,236
is political suicide
in that county.

515
00:32:05,303 --> 00:32:06,571
I'm sure he's being
reminded of that

516
00:32:06,638 --> 00:32:08,206
by whoever got him his job.

517
00:32:08,273 --> 00:32:09,474
The way he was talking,

518
00:32:09,541 --> 00:32:10,942
I don't even think
he read the record.

519
00:32:11,009 --> 00:32:12,444
That doesn't surprise me.

520
00:32:12,510 --> 00:32:16,281
Hey, Kris, Bobby,
come on in and get your snack.

521
00:32:16,347 --> 00:32:17,549
Okay.

522
00:32:17,615 --> 00:32:18,650
I'm gonna stop
by Jackson Cleaners

523
00:32:18,717 --> 00:32:20,385
on my way to meet his family.

524
00:32:20,452 --> 00:32:22,220
<i>Okay. If I don't hear
from you by morning,</i>

525
00:32:22,287 --> 00:32:23,421
I'll send a rescue party.

526
00:32:23,488 --> 00:32:26,958
- <i>I hope that's a joke.</i>
- Me, too.

527
00:32:27,025 --> 00:32:28,827
But just be careful, okay?

528
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:49,974
That's him.

529
00:33:51,109 --> 00:33:53,245
- You the lawyer?
- Yes, ma'am.

530
00:33:53,311 --> 00:33:54,746
My name is Bryan Stevenson.

531
00:33:54,813 --> 00:33:57,148
I'm Johnny D.'s wife, Minnie.

532
00:33:57,216 --> 00:33:58,583
Pleasure to meet you.

533
00:34:01,419 --> 00:34:03,087
Hmm.

534
00:34:03,154 --> 00:34:05,890
Thank you so much for driving
all the way out here.

535
00:34:05,957 --> 00:34:09,928
Most lawyers
barely make time to call.

536
00:34:09,994 --> 00:34:14,699
This is our younger son, John.
Our baby girl, Jackie.

537
00:34:14,766 --> 00:34:17,368
I hope you don't mind,
a few of our neighbors

538
00:34:17,435 --> 00:34:19,205
stopped by to hear
what you got to say.

539
00:34:19,271 --> 00:34:22,208
Oh. Just a few?

540
00:34:22,274 --> 00:34:23,408
Come on. You'll be all right.

541
00:34:23,474 --> 00:34:24,342
Okay.

542
00:34:30,148 --> 00:34:33,952
Hey, now,
we ain't gonna get nowhere

543
00:34:34,018 --> 00:34:37,289
with everybody quacking
at the same time.

544
00:34:37,355 --> 00:34:39,591
Now, let Mr. Stevenson talk.

545
00:34:41,526 --> 00:34:42,760
Um...

546
00:34:42,827 --> 00:34:45,964
It's a pleasure
to meet all of you.

547
00:34:47,498 --> 00:34:48,833
Thank you.

548
00:34:50,001 --> 00:34:52,170
Now, I know you all
have a lot of questions,

549
00:34:52,238 --> 00:34:54,572
but I really would love
to hear from you guys first,

550
00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:56,441
just to get
a better understanding

551
00:34:56,507 --> 00:34:58,310
of your perspective on things.

552
00:34:58,376 --> 00:35:00,378
Our perspective is
ain't no way

553
00:35:00,445 --> 00:35:02,380
Johnny D. did this crime.

554
00:35:03,715 --> 00:35:05,750
The morning
that girl was killed,

555
00:35:05,817 --> 00:35:07,752
we was all having
a fish fry here

556
00:35:07,819 --> 00:35:10,121
to raise money
for the church.

557
00:35:10,189 --> 00:35:11,589
Johnny D. was here.

558
00:35:11,656 --> 00:35:12,991
Morning till night.

559
00:35:13,057 --> 00:35:15,026
Working on his truck
with John.

560
00:35:16,594 --> 00:35:18,596
You were with your dad
that day?

561
00:35:18,663 --> 00:35:20,266
Yeah, we was up
at 6:00 in the morning

562
00:35:20,332 --> 00:35:21,666
to put the truck on the rack.

563
00:35:21,733 --> 00:35:23,101
Jimmy was there, too.

564
00:35:23,167 --> 00:35:28,374
Yep. We had that tranny
cleaned out by 9:30.

565
00:35:28,439 --> 00:35:30,775
Now,
how he supposed to kidnap

566
00:35:30,842 --> 00:35:34,346
some crazy white man
all the way in Evergreen,

567
00:35:34,412 --> 00:35:36,547
then drive back
to Jackson Cleaners

568
00:35:36,614 --> 00:35:38,716
to kill that girl at 10:15

569
00:35:38,783 --> 00:35:40,718
if his truck ain't got
no transmission?

570
00:35:40,785 --> 00:35:41,786
Hello.

571
00:35:44,356 --> 00:35:47,425
How many of you all were
with Walter that morning?

572
00:35:55,667 --> 00:35:58,469
My husband could have never
done this, no kind of way.

573
00:35:58,536 --> 00:36:00,004
Whether we was
with him or not,

574
00:36:00,071 --> 00:36:01,873
he is just not like that.

575
00:36:01,940 --> 00:36:03,309
Well, everybody know
they went after him

576
00:36:03,375 --> 00:36:04,442
'cause of that woman.

577
00:36:08,380 --> 00:36:09,580
Sorry, Minnie.

578
00:36:10,915 --> 00:36:12,184
It's okay.

579
00:36:13,419 --> 00:36:15,119
It ain't no secret.

580
00:36:17,021 --> 00:36:18,290
A few months
before the murder,

581
00:36:18,357 --> 00:36:19,691
Johnny D. got caught

582
00:36:19,757 --> 00:36:21,859
messing around with
a white woman in town.

583
00:36:21,926 --> 00:36:23,494
When her husband
find out about it,

584
00:36:23,561 --> 00:36:25,331
he made sure everybody knew.

585
00:36:25,397 --> 00:36:29,335
People started talking,
and the stories kept growing.

586
00:36:29,401 --> 00:36:31,035
He went from being a cheat,

587
00:36:31,102 --> 00:36:32,338
to a drug dealer,

588
00:36:32,404 --> 00:36:34,239
to head of the Dixie Mafia.

589
00:36:34,306 --> 00:36:36,442
So, by the time somebody
call him a murderer,

590
00:36:36,507 --> 00:36:38,177
ain't nobody thought twice
about it.

591
00:36:38,243 --> 00:36:40,011
They can call it
what they want,

592
00:36:40,078 --> 00:36:42,580
this is just another way
to lynch a black man.

593
00:36:42,647 --> 00:36:43,848
Amen.

594
00:36:44,416 --> 00:36:46,318
Amen.

595
00:36:46,385 --> 00:36:49,455
There ain't no excuse for what my
husband did to me and this family.

596
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:51,656
Damn fool hurt me bad.

597
00:36:54,792 --> 00:36:57,862
But he still
the daddy of my kids.

598
00:36:57,929 --> 00:36:59,864
And I really don't know
what I'm supposed to tell them

599
00:36:59,931 --> 00:37:01,499
about staying out of trouble

600
00:37:01,566 --> 00:37:03,134
when you can be
in your own house,

601
00:37:03,202 --> 00:37:04,403
minding your own business,

602
00:37:04,470 --> 00:37:06,037
surrounded by
your entire family,

603
00:37:06,104 --> 00:37:08,773
and they still going to put
some murder on you.

604
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,243
That's right.

605
00:37:11,310 --> 00:37:12,844
It's not just Dad.

606
00:37:14,346 --> 00:37:17,682
We feel like they put us all
on death row, too.

607
00:37:17,749 --> 00:37:20,084
Baby...

608
00:37:20,151 --> 00:37:23,621
I can only imagine the pain
that you're going through.

609
00:37:23,688 --> 00:37:25,123
But I'm gonna
do everything I can.

610
00:37:25,190 --> 00:37:27,426
The last lawyer was talking
just as big as you.

611
00:37:27,493 --> 00:37:28,693
John...

612
00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,397
Then they took
all our money and split.

613
00:37:31,463 --> 00:37:32,964
Why you different?

614
00:37:34,366 --> 00:37:38,370
Well, our organization
will cover all legal fees,

615
00:37:38,437 --> 00:37:42,040
so none of you will ever
have to pay a penny.

616
00:37:44,876 --> 00:37:46,345
Now, it's clear to me
that this trial

617
00:37:46,412 --> 00:37:48,679
was constructed with lies,

618
00:37:48,746 --> 00:37:51,250
and based off everything
that I've seen,

619
00:37:51,316 --> 00:37:52,518
I think we could build a case

620
00:37:52,583 --> 00:37:55,354
strong enough
to bring Johnny D. home.

621
00:37:55,421 --> 00:37:58,956
And I'm not gonna stop
until I've done that.

622
00:38:02,894 --> 00:38:06,931
Well, you seem like
good people to me.

623
00:38:06,998 --> 00:38:09,700
But Johnny D.'s the one
you gonna have to convince.

624
00:38:13,505 --> 00:38:14,939
I don't know
about the rest of y'all,

625
00:38:15,006 --> 00:38:18,444
but I was sold on,
"Y'all won't pay a penny."

626
00:38:19,844 --> 00:38:21,180
Amen.

627
00:38:27,553 --> 00:38:29,254
Mr. Stevenson?

628
00:38:29,321 --> 00:38:30,855
Call me Bryan.

629
00:38:31,457 --> 00:38:32,757
Okay.

630
00:38:34,393 --> 00:38:36,894
This is my friend, Darnell.

631
00:38:36,961 --> 00:38:39,130
He has something he wants
to talk to you about.

632
00:38:41,599 --> 00:38:42,967
Go on.

633
00:38:45,237 --> 00:38:47,772
I think I can prove
he's innocent.

634
00:38:49,674 --> 00:38:51,376
You heard of Bill Hooks,
right?

635
00:38:52,177 --> 00:38:53,178
Yeah.

636
00:38:53,245 --> 00:38:54,846
He testified that he saw
Johnny D.'s truck

637
00:38:54,912 --> 00:38:56,681
at the cleaners that morning.

638
00:38:56,747 --> 00:38:58,983
Bill didn't see shit.

639
00:38:59,050 --> 00:39:01,052
He made the whole thing up.

640
00:39:02,321 --> 00:39:03,688
How do you know that?

641
00:39:03,754 --> 00:39:04,989
'Cause I was with him.

642
00:39:05,056 --> 00:39:07,259
We was working
at the shop together.

643
00:39:08,327 --> 00:39:10,329
- The morning of the murder?
- Yes, sir.

644
00:39:10,395 --> 00:39:12,663
We was fixing the head gasket
on the Camaro

645
00:39:12,730 --> 00:39:14,065
from 8:00 in the morning

646
00:39:14,132 --> 00:39:16,868
till right after
we closed for lunch.

647
00:39:16,934 --> 00:39:20,004
He was right next to me when
them sirens was going off.

648
00:39:21,306 --> 00:39:22,807
Why would he lie?

649
00:39:22,874 --> 00:39:25,710
'Cause the snitch
cut a deal with the cops.

650
00:39:25,776 --> 00:39:27,346
They had him locked up
for burglary.

651
00:39:27,412 --> 00:39:29,414
And the day he give his
statement, he walk out free.

652
00:39:29,481 --> 00:39:31,115
All charges dropped.

653
00:39:31,183 --> 00:39:32,650
We told
one of the other lawyers,

654
00:39:32,717 --> 00:39:34,586
and they ain't do nothing
about it.

655
00:39:34,652 --> 00:39:36,455
Hmm.

656
00:39:36,522 --> 00:39:39,224
Would you be willing to sign a
statement we could use in court?

657
00:39:43,928 --> 00:39:46,164
Police will see my name?

658
00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:50,768
It'd be on the record.

659
00:39:52,471 --> 00:39:57,808
Darnell, exposing yourself
like this is not easy.

660
00:39:57,875 --> 00:39:59,311
But with your testimony,

661
00:39:59,378 --> 00:40:02,314
we can file a motion
to reopen Johnny D.'s case.

662
00:40:04,216 --> 00:40:05,417
Darnell,

663
00:40:06,784 --> 00:40:08,420
we need you.

664
00:40:12,624 --> 00:40:14,692
Okay, yeah.

665
00:40:16,495 --> 00:40:17,929
Yeah, that'll do it.

666
00:40:18,729 --> 00:40:20,031
All right.

667
00:40:37,282 --> 00:40:38,749
Good morning.

668
00:40:38,816 --> 00:40:40,751
Good morning.

669
00:40:40,818 --> 00:40:43,020
- Thanks for seeing me again.
- Mmm-hmm.

670
00:40:45,490 --> 00:40:47,226
I know the last time we met,

671
00:40:47,292 --> 00:40:48,793
things didn't go
quite the way I was...

672
00:40:48,859 --> 00:40:51,729
I can't believe
you met my family.

673
00:40:53,030 --> 00:40:54,633
Drove down that dirt road,

674
00:40:54,700 --> 00:40:56,301
crammed up
in that little house,

675
00:40:56,368 --> 00:40:57,636
talked to all my people,

676
00:40:57,703 --> 00:41:00,171
say you gonna try
to fight for me.

677
00:41:04,676 --> 00:41:06,311
That mean a lot.

678
00:41:08,580 --> 00:41:10,781
It meant a lot to me, too.

679
00:41:12,417 --> 00:41:13,485
Oh, uh...

680
00:41:14,885 --> 00:41:17,788
Minnie wanted me
to give this to you.

681
00:41:20,791 --> 00:41:22,059
And if you don't mind,

682
00:41:22,126 --> 00:41:24,429
I have something
I wanna show you.

683
00:41:26,831 --> 00:41:29,066
It's a statement
from Darnell Houston,

684
00:41:29,133 --> 00:41:30,935
saying that
he was with Bill Hooks

685
00:41:31,002 --> 00:41:33,238
three miles away
at the time of the murder.

686
00:41:33,305 --> 00:41:35,940
So, there's no way he could
have seen your truck there.

687
00:41:36,007 --> 00:41:37,609
That's good, right?

688
00:41:37,676 --> 00:41:39,411
That's very good.

689
00:41:39,478 --> 00:41:42,780
I'm gonna submit this with
a motion for a new trial.

690
00:41:50,188 --> 00:41:52,156
I know you talked to,
uh, Minnie.

691
00:41:52,224 --> 00:41:55,260
She told you
what I did to her.

692
00:41:55,327 --> 00:41:57,262
I ain't got no excuse
for cheating on a woman

693
00:41:57,329 --> 00:42:00,097
good as that one,
good as she been to me.

694
00:42:01,266 --> 00:42:03,934
I don't know why
she's standing by me.

695
00:42:04,001 --> 00:42:05,237
She's standing by you

696
00:42:05,304 --> 00:42:07,406
because she knows
you shouldn't be in here.

697
00:42:08,340 --> 00:42:10,041
And so do I.

698
00:42:11,543 --> 00:42:14,045
I know you didn't kill
Ronda Morrison.

699
00:42:14,111 --> 00:42:17,582
And I can help you prove that
in court if you'll let me.

700
00:42:24,822 --> 00:42:26,924
You know, you done met
my whole family.

701
00:42:26,991 --> 00:42:29,528
You know everything about 'em.

702
00:42:29,594 --> 00:42:32,129
I don't know nothing
about you, though.

703
00:42:32,197 --> 00:42:34,098
- What would you like to know?
- I wanna know it all.

704
00:42:34,165 --> 00:42:38,035
Like why you...
Why you doing this?

705
00:42:38,102 --> 00:42:39,471
- Why am I a lawyer?
- No, no, no.

706
00:42:39,538 --> 00:42:41,273
Why is you a lawyer
down here in Alabama,

707
00:42:41,340 --> 00:42:44,909
taking these cases that ain't
nobody gonna pay you for?

708
00:42:52,484 --> 00:42:55,320
I grew up down a road
just like yours.

709
00:42:56,521 --> 00:42:59,558
I played soccer
in a dirt field

710
00:42:59,624 --> 00:43:01,226
with the pigs and chickens.

711
00:43:02,594 --> 00:43:05,230
Used to pump sewage
from my yard.

712
00:43:09,133 --> 00:43:12,002
When I was a teenager,
my grandfather was murdered

713
00:43:12,069 --> 00:43:14,138
over a black-and-white TV.

714
00:43:16,274 --> 00:43:19,211
We kept waiting for someone
to show up to help.

715
00:43:21,413 --> 00:43:23,013
They never did.

716
00:43:24,949 --> 00:43:27,285
And that's when
I realized that,

717
00:43:27,352 --> 00:43:30,054
outside my community,
nobody cared.

718
00:43:31,390 --> 00:43:33,592
'Cause to them,
he's just another black man

719
00:43:33,658 --> 00:43:35,293
killed in the projects.

720
00:43:39,431 --> 00:43:41,366
I know what it's like
to be in the shadows.

721
00:43:44,302 --> 00:43:46,405
That's why I'm doing this.

722
00:43:49,940 --> 00:43:51,942
That's a pretty good reason.

723
00:44:01,386 --> 00:44:02,554
Okay.

724
00:44:04,989 --> 00:44:06,425
Okay...

725
00:44:08,860 --> 00:44:10,462
Let's get to work.

726
00:44:13,598 --> 00:44:14,999
Okay.

727
00:44:31,416 --> 00:44:34,118
- Hey, yo, Johnny D.?
- Mmm-hmm?

728
00:44:34,186 --> 00:44:36,288
You signing up
with that lawyer?

729
00:44:36,354 --> 00:44:37,988
I'm gonna give him a try.

730
00:44:38,055 --> 00:44:41,493
Seem like everybody on the
row working with him now.

731
00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:43,595
I'm starting
to feel left out.

732
00:44:44,696 --> 00:44:46,598
Is he really that good?

733
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:50,034
I hope so.

734
00:44:50,100 --> 00:44:51,536
What you think, Herbert?

735
00:44:51,603 --> 00:44:54,372
Should I just dump my guy
and make the switch over?

736
00:44:57,776 --> 00:44:59,311
Herb, you hear me?

737
00:45:00,044 --> 00:45:01,446
You there?

738
00:45:03,215 --> 00:45:04,583
I'm here.

739
00:45:06,218 --> 00:45:07,719
Herb, you okay?

740
00:45:12,958 --> 00:45:16,060
They set my date.

741
00:45:23,602 --> 00:45:25,169
Look here, Herb,
don't you worry about nothing now.

742
00:45:25,237 --> 00:45:28,038
Everything gonna be a'ight.
Okay?

743
00:45:28,105 --> 00:45:29,608
Ain't nothing over yet.

744
00:45:29,674 --> 00:45:31,943
You got Bryan
working for you now.

745
00:45:33,678 --> 00:45:36,080
I ain't...
I ain't like you guys.

746
00:45:36,146 --> 00:45:38,148
I deserve what's coming.

747
00:45:38,216 --> 00:45:41,118
All right, now, see, Herb...

748
00:45:41,186 --> 00:45:44,422
there you go
talking out your ass.

749
00:45:44,489 --> 00:45:47,392
Now, you fought
for this country.

750
00:45:47,459 --> 00:45:50,060
And they threw you in the bag
like the trash.

751
00:45:51,363 --> 00:45:54,533
That war made you sick
in your head, man.

752
00:45:54,599 --> 00:45:57,502
You supposed to be
in the hospital.

753
00:45:57,569 --> 00:45:58,770
Not here.

754
00:46:02,641 --> 00:46:06,143
When I told the cops that
stopped me I was innocent,

755
00:46:06,211 --> 00:46:08,213
do you know what they said?

756
00:46:10,147 --> 00:46:12,116
"One of you niggers did it

757
00:46:12,984 --> 00:46:15,119
and if it wasn't you,

758
00:46:15,186 --> 00:46:17,322
then you taking one
for your homie."

759
00:46:19,558 --> 00:46:23,261
Johnny D. prosecutor say
he know he killed the girl,

760
00:46:23,328 --> 00:46:27,465
because of the way
he looked in his mug shot.

761
00:46:27,532 --> 00:46:30,669
You don't deserve this shit
more than any of us, Herb.

762
00:46:33,972 --> 00:46:37,208
A girl is dead
because of me.

763
00:46:40,779 --> 00:46:43,748
That don't give nobody
the right to kill you back.

764
00:46:47,052 --> 00:46:49,955
<i>Herbert was 18
when he went to Vietnam.</i>

765
00:46:50,021 --> 00:46:51,289
He was the only survivor

766
00:46:51,356 --> 00:46:53,992
in an ambush that killed
his whole platoon.

767
00:46:54,059 --> 00:46:55,961
After that, he had
a mental breakdown,

768
00:46:56,027 --> 00:46:57,329
attempted suicide,

769
00:46:57,395 --> 00:46:59,564
and was sent home
on an honorable discharge.

770
00:46:59,631 --> 00:47:02,701
Back at home, he continued
to suffer from nightmares,

771
00:47:02,767 --> 00:47:04,168
crying fits,

772
00:47:04,235 --> 00:47:05,437
running out of his house,

773
00:47:05,503 --> 00:47:08,206
screaming "incoming"
to his neighbors.

774
00:47:08,273 --> 00:47:10,174
His lawyer didn't even mention
military service,

775
00:47:10,241 --> 00:47:11,876
or mental trauma to the jury.

776
00:47:11,943 --> 00:47:13,078
A few months
after the trial,

777
00:47:13,143 --> 00:47:15,112
he was disbarred
for misconduct.

778
00:47:15,180 --> 00:47:16,581
'Course he was.

779
00:47:19,050 --> 00:47:21,920
Okay, what can we do?

780
00:47:21,987 --> 00:47:24,422
Well, since he's already been
through the appeals process,

781
00:47:24,489 --> 00:47:25,857
the statute of limitations

782
00:47:25,924 --> 00:47:28,560
is gonna make it hard
for a judge to listen.

783
00:47:30,362 --> 00:47:32,063
We're gonna have to try
and make him.

784
00:47:33,398 --> 00:47:35,165
I'll get started
on the motion tonight.

785
00:47:35,233 --> 00:47:36,768
- Hello?
- Okay.

786
00:47:38,069 --> 00:47:39,437
It's for you, Mom.

787
00:47:39,504 --> 00:47:42,607
Oh, thank you, sweetie.
Hello?

788
00:47:42,674 --> 00:47:44,075
<i>You the bitch</i>

789
00:47:44,141 --> 00:47:46,077
<i>working for that
nigger lawyer?</i>

790
00:47:46,143 --> 00:47:47,612
Who the hell is this?

791
00:47:47,679 --> 00:47:49,314
<i>The guy who put the bomb
under your house,</i>

792
00:47:49,381 --> 00:47:51,016
<i>gonna blow your family
all to hell,</i>

793
00:47:51,082 --> 00:47:53,418
<i>if you don't stop working
for that nigger Johnny D.</i>

794
00:47:55,086 --> 00:47:56,354
Everybody, out of the house.

795
00:47:56,421 --> 00:47:58,623
- What's going on?
- I'll tell you outside.

796
00:48:16,574 --> 00:48:18,643
They didn't find anything.

797
00:48:19,277 --> 00:48:21,146
And they're sure?

798
00:48:21,212 --> 00:48:22,881
They said they're sure.

799
00:48:22,947 --> 00:48:24,649
They checked the
basement, too, like you said?

800
00:48:24,716 --> 00:48:25,950
Said they checked
the basement.

801
00:48:26,017 --> 00:48:27,218
Okay.

802
00:48:28,586 --> 00:48:30,689
All right,
we're gonna move on now.

803
00:48:33,925 --> 00:48:37,028
Okay, baby,
let's get you to bed.

804
00:48:37,095 --> 00:48:38,430
Yo, come on.

805
00:48:46,971 --> 00:48:49,908
When you asked me
to do this thing with you...

806
00:48:51,743 --> 00:48:55,480
I knew that
I'd lose some friends.

807
00:48:56,848 --> 00:48:59,918
Have people talk shit
behind my back,

808
00:48:59,984 --> 00:49:01,820
or to my face.

809
00:49:03,688 --> 00:49:04,989
I don't need people
to like me,

810
00:49:05,056 --> 00:49:07,459
as long as I'm doing
what I'm supposed to do.

811
00:49:11,396 --> 00:49:13,865
But threatening my family...

812
00:49:17,769 --> 00:49:21,339
Eva, you know I'd...
I'd never blame you

813
00:49:21,406 --> 00:49:23,575
if you needed to stop.

814
00:49:26,344 --> 00:49:27,779
I don't want my son
growing up

815
00:49:27,846 --> 00:49:30,615
knowing that his mom
stopped doing what was right

816
00:49:30,682 --> 00:49:34,018
just because she was scared
of some crazy bigot.

817
00:49:39,891 --> 00:49:41,593
Okay?

818
00:49:41,659 --> 00:49:44,295
What are we gonna do
about McMillian?

819
00:49:48,366 --> 00:49:51,770
We start the investigation
from scratch.

820
00:49:51,836 --> 00:49:54,906
Find anyone in town
who's willing to talk.

821
00:49:56,641 --> 00:49:58,643
Maybe people will stop
trying to kill us

822
00:49:58,710 --> 00:50:01,679
once they realize
how charming we are.

823
00:50:10,054 --> 00:50:12,390
I just wanted to
ask you a couple questions

824
00:50:12,457 --> 00:50:15,160
about the Ronda Morrison
murder.

825
00:50:15,227 --> 00:50:16,828
It's just, uh...

826
00:50:16,895 --> 00:50:18,429
You were
on the witness list

827
00:50:18,496 --> 00:50:19,597
for the Ronda Morrison trial
a few years back.

828
00:50:19,664 --> 00:50:23,501
Sorry.
Can't help you with that.

829
00:50:23,568 --> 00:50:25,436
Is there anything,
anything at all that you feel

830
00:50:25,503 --> 00:50:26,971
- comfortable talking about...
- You know, look...

831
00:50:27,038 --> 00:50:29,474
if you are not working
for that poor girl's family,

832
00:50:29,541 --> 00:50:31,142
then I ain't got nothing
to say to you.

833
00:50:31,210 --> 00:50:32,744
Sorry, sweetie.

834
00:50:34,379 --> 00:50:35,980
Officer Ikner?

835
00:50:37,081 --> 00:50:39,584
I ain't no officer no more.

836
00:50:39,651 --> 00:50:42,320
I'm a lawyer representing
Johnny D. McMillian.

837
00:50:42,387 --> 00:50:45,657
I understand you were the
first officer on the scene.

838
00:50:51,129 --> 00:50:52,497
<i>I was right.</i>

839
00:50:52,564 --> 00:50:54,699
The fish fry was on Saturday,
November 1st.

840
00:50:54,766 --> 00:50:56,302
The same day as the murder.

841
00:50:56,367 --> 00:50:57,602
They put these up
all over town.

842
00:50:59,704 --> 00:51:02,407
I could kiss you, Deb.

843
00:51:07,445 --> 00:51:09,013
<i>We're planning
to grow this into something</i>

844
00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:11,049
<i>the whole country
will be talking about.</i>

845
00:51:11,115 --> 00:51:15,153
And you can say that it all
started in your building.

846
00:51:15,221 --> 00:51:18,423
What exactly kind of work
do you do?

847
00:51:19,457 --> 00:51:21,359
We're just helping people.

848
00:51:27,065 --> 00:51:28,733
- It looks good.
- It's perfect.

849
00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:30,034
My client, Herbert Richardson,

850
00:51:30,101 --> 00:51:31,469
was recommended
for a Medal of Valor

851
00:51:31,536 --> 00:51:32,971
for disarming a bomb
in Vietnam.

852
00:51:33,037 --> 00:51:35,039
We got a tip that
a few of your employees

853
00:51:35,106 --> 00:51:36,275
could back his alibi.

854
00:51:36,342 --> 00:51:37,775
Vivian Clark was
one of the teenagers

855
00:51:37,842 --> 00:51:39,911
who were sexually abused
at your facility.

856
00:51:39,978 --> 00:51:41,247
No, I'm not an attorney.

857
00:51:41,313 --> 00:51:43,915
But I promise you, your son
is in very good hands.

858
00:51:46,417 --> 00:51:48,553
We'll let you know.

859
00:51:48,620 --> 00:51:50,521
Good talking to you.

860
00:51:52,123 --> 00:51:55,026
Equal Justice Initiative.
This is Brenda.

861
00:51:55,093 --> 00:51:59,130
Yeah. Okay. Yes. Uh-huh.
Just one moment.

862
00:51:59,198 --> 00:52:00,899
Darnell Houston.

863
00:52:03,335 --> 00:52:05,069
Hello, Darnell?

864
00:52:06,372 --> 00:52:09,874
Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Slow down,
slow down, slow down.

865
00:52:10,608 --> 00:52:12,477
Where are you?

866
00:52:14,479 --> 00:52:18,583
- Are you okay?
- No, sir, I'm not.

867
00:52:18,650 --> 00:52:22,453
Okay, Darnell, let's go talk
in the car. Okay?

868
00:52:25,990 --> 00:52:28,559
How in the hell they locking
me up for perjury,

869
00:52:28,626 --> 00:52:31,696
if alls I did was
say the truth, hmm?

870
00:52:31,763 --> 00:52:34,233
I knew I shouldn't have
signed that paper, man.

871
00:52:34,300 --> 00:52:35,667
Shouldn't have
listened to you.

872
00:52:35,733 --> 00:52:37,735
No. What they did to you
was completely illegal.

873
00:52:37,802 --> 00:52:38,937
Okay? Now, I'm gonna
talk to the DA

874
00:52:39,003 --> 00:52:40,538
and get all these charges
dismissed.

875
00:52:40,605 --> 00:52:41,906
This will never happen again.

876
00:52:41,973 --> 00:52:44,410
Well, how the hell
do you know, hmm?

877
00:52:44,475 --> 00:52:46,778
You can't control these guys.

878
00:52:46,844 --> 00:52:49,580
They arrested me
in the middle of my shift,

879
00:52:49,647 --> 00:52:51,115
in front of my boss.

880
00:52:51,183 --> 00:52:54,186
I don't even know
if I got a job tomorrow.

881
00:52:59,157 --> 00:53:02,627
I feel bad, what they doing
to Johnny D...

882
00:53:04,696 --> 00:53:07,098
but I'm just trying
to survive.

883
00:53:08,700 --> 00:53:11,236
I can't fight these guys, man.

884
00:53:12,470 --> 00:53:14,138
Go on and find somebody else.

885
00:53:14,206 --> 00:53:18,042
Listen, Darnell.
Think about Johnny D., okay?

886
00:53:18,109 --> 00:53:20,578
Think about his family.
They need you.

887
00:53:20,645 --> 00:53:22,814
Give me some time
to work on this.

888
00:53:30,389 --> 00:53:32,191
That's my ride.

889
00:53:33,491 --> 00:53:35,827
Tell Johnny D. I'm sorry.

890
00:54:09,794 --> 00:54:11,662
I need to speak with you.

891
00:54:12,830 --> 00:54:15,066
Oh, hey, Bryan.

892
00:54:16,268 --> 00:54:18,102
Have you met Sheriff Tate?

893
00:54:20,738 --> 00:54:23,308
Who ordered the arrest
of my witness?

894
00:54:23,375 --> 00:54:25,344
When people make
false statements

895
00:54:25,411 --> 00:54:26,611
concerning this case,

896
00:54:26,677 --> 00:54:27,845
they're gonna
be held accountable.

897
00:54:27,912 --> 00:54:29,481
You can't arrest someone
for perjury

898
00:54:29,547 --> 00:54:31,450
without evidence that a false
statement has been made.

899
00:54:31,517 --> 00:54:34,453
Hang on. Are you representing
Mr. Houston now, too?

900
00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:36,020
Yes, I am.

901
00:54:36,087 --> 00:54:38,089
His statement contradicts
Bill Hooks' entire testimony.

902
00:54:38,156 --> 00:54:40,691
Hooks ain't the State's main witness.
Ralph Myers is.

903
00:54:40,758 --> 00:54:43,027
Alabama Code 12-21-222

904
00:54:43,094 --> 00:54:45,730
requires corroboration
of accomplice testimony.

905
00:54:45,797 --> 00:54:46,964
So, without Hooks,

906
00:54:47,031 --> 00:54:48,900
the conviction
wouldn't be valid.

907
00:54:51,403 --> 00:54:52,637
You know, I went down to see

908
00:54:52,703 --> 00:54:55,139
Ronda Morrison's momma
yesterday.

909
00:54:55,873 --> 00:54:57,209
And she's in tears.

910
00:54:57,276 --> 00:55:00,546
She kept asking me why
some lawyer from up north

911
00:55:00,611 --> 00:55:01,913
would come down here

912
00:55:01,979 --> 00:55:05,049
and make them relive
all this hell again.

913
00:55:05,116 --> 00:55:06,552
Well, you can tell her
it's because

914
00:55:06,617 --> 00:55:08,086
Johnny D. didn't kill
her daughter.

915
00:55:08,152 --> 00:55:09,188
And whoever did

916
00:55:09,254 --> 00:55:11,622
- is still out there somewhere.
- Mmm-hmm.

917
00:55:12,757 --> 00:55:16,295
I know how desperate
you must be

918
00:55:16,361 --> 00:55:20,598
to fulfill your fantasy
of who we are down here.

919
00:55:20,665 --> 00:55:22,934
Just a bunch of corrupt
Southern racists

920
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:25,069
framing niggers for murder.

921
00:55:25,136 --> 00:55:27,972
And you here to save the day.

922
00:55:28,039 --> 00:55:30,975
Well, hell, you can believe
that if you want to,

923
00:55:31,042 --> 00:55:33,378
but I know that
Johnny D. killed that girl,

924
00:55:33,445 --> 00:55:35,046
and he's gonna answer for it.

925
00:55:35,113 --> 00:55:38,850
And how do you know that?
You have no hard evidence.

926
00:55:38,916 --> 00:55:40,118
You based your entire case

927
00:55:40,185 --> 00:55:41,353
on the word
of an indicted felon,

928
00:55:41,420 --> 00:55:42,588
who had every incentive

929
00:55:42,653 --> 00:55:43,888
to tell you
what you wanted to hear.

930
00:55:43,955 --> 00:55:45,690
Ralph Myers testified
on his own accord.

931
00:55:45,756 --> 00:55:47,392
And it made no sense.

932
00:55:47,459 --> 00:55:51,230
He couldn't finish a sentence
without contradicting himself.

933
00:55:51,296 --> 00:55:53,731
Now, the charges against
Darnell Houston are baseless.

934
00:55:53,798 --> 00:55:55,933
They'll never stand up
in court.

935
00:55:56,000 --> 00:55:58,370
They should be
dropped immediately.

936
00:56:02,574 --> 00:56:04,209
Okay.

937
00:56:05,877 --> 00:56:07,979
Is that okay with you, Tommy?

938
00:56:08,045 --> 00:56:09,714
Sure.

939
00:56:09,780 --> 00:56:11,350
Well, it doesn't
really matter,

940
00:56:11,416 --> 00:56:14,386
now the court denied your
motion to reopen the case.

941
00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:17,088
Wait, what was that?

942
00:56:17,155 --> 00:56:19,991
Oh, you didn't get the order?

943
00:56:20,057 --> 00:56:21,792
Well, the judge is down
in Mobile now,

944
00:56:21,859 --> 00:56:25,029
so, you know, sometimes
they have mail issues.

945
00:56:25,096 --> 00:56:26,831
Listen, you can tell
Mr. Houston

946
00:56:26,898 --> 00:56:28,132
the charges against him
are being dropped.

947
00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:29,901
I can do that much for y'all,

948
00:56:29,967 --> 00:56:32,437
but anything else will have
to be raised on appeal.

949
00:56:39,010 --> 00:56:41,313
Thanks
for stopping by, Counselor.

950
00:57:23,020 --> 00:57:24,590
Something wrong, Officer?

951
00:57:24,656 --> 00:57:26,824
Step out of the vehicle.

952
00:57:26,891 --> 00:57:29,894
I don't understand.
I wasn't speeding.

953
00:57:29,961 --> 00:57:31,896
I said
step out of the vehicle.

954
00:57:32,631 --> 00:57:33,965
I'll get out of the car,

955
00:57:34,031 --> 00:57:37,236
but first can you tell me
why you stopped me?

956
00:57:37,302 --> 00:57:38,769
- Get out of the goddamn car!
- Whoa!

957
00:57:38,836 --> 00:57:40,905
Whoa, whoa.
Okay, okay. Hold on.

958
00:57:40,972 --> 00:57:42,173
- Come on!
- Okay.

959
00:57:42,241 --> 00:57:43,841
Okay. I'm taking off
my seat belt.

960
00:57:43,908 --> 00:57:44,909
Get it! Come on!

961
00:57:44,976 --> 00:57:46,143
Okay. I'm opening up the door.

962
00:57:46,211 --> 00:57:47,379
- I'm stepping out.
- Faster! Come on!

963
00:57:47,446 --> 00:57:48,580
Okay. I have nothing
in my hands.

964
00:57:48,647 --> 00:57:49,814
Turn around!

965
00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:52,083
- Yes. Okay. Okay.
- Hands on the car!

966
00:57:58,523 --> 00:58:00,791
You don't have to have
the gun pointed at me.

967
00:58:00,858 --> 00:58:01,859
I'm not a threat.

968
00:58:01,926 --> 00:58:04,795
Shut your damn mouth, boy.

969
00:58:04,862 --> 00:58:06,964
Hey, brother...

970
00:58:07,031 --> 00:58:08,799
you ought to be careful
with your words

971
00:58:08,866 --> 00:58:10,835
when you got a gun
at your head.

972
00:58:14,573 --> 00:58:15,741
Let's go, John.

973
00:58:24,949 --> 00:58:26,451
Why did you stop me?

974
00:58:26,518 --> 00:58:28,320
We're letting you go.

975
00:58:29,488 --> 00:58:31,256
You should be happy.

976
00:58:58,350 --> 00:59:00,885
Even if they drop
them charges,

977
00:59:00,951 --> 00:59:02,754
Darnell ain't gonna testify

978
00:59:02,820 --> 00:59:04,189
after what they done
done to him.

979
00:59:06,057 --> 00:59:08,660
I know we took a big hit.
We did. But we just need

980
00:59:08,727 --> 00:59:10,362
to gather more evidence
for another motion.

981
00:59:10,429 --> 00:59:12,397
No, no. They gonna block it.
They gonna block it.

982
00:59:12,464 --> 00:59:15,767
If they can put me on the row
for a year without no trial,

983
00:59:15,833 --> 00:59:18,303
they can do
whatever they wanna do.

984
00:59:18,370 --> 00:59:20,505
They put you on death row
before your trial?

985
00:59:20,572 --> 00:59:22,106
Yeah.

986
00:59:22,173 --> 00:59:23,874
Sheriff drove me himself.

987
00:59:23,941 --> 00:59:25,943
Said, "I'm gonna give you a
little taste of what it's like

988
00:59:26,010 --> 00:59:29,080
unless you confess."

989
00:59:29,146 --> 00:59:30,649
Why are you
just now telling me this?

990
00:59:30,716 --> 00:59:33,452
This is how it is down here.

991
00:59:33,518 --> 00:59:36,588
Been like this
long as I can remember.

992
00:59:44,229 --> 00:59:46,631
They messing with you,
ain't they?

993
00:59:50,402 --> 00:59:53,938
Yeah, they are. They're not
making it easy on me.

994
00:59:56,241 --> 00:59:58,410
I got a plan for you, though.

995
00:59:59,143 --> 01:00:00,412
I'm all ears.

996
01:00:01,879 --> 01:00:03,147
Here's what I think
we should do.

997
01:00:03,215 --> 01:00:06,150
I think you should
train up another lawyer,

998
01:00:06,218 --> 01:00:07,352
'cause I'm gonna need somebody

999
01:00:07,419 --> 01:00:10,622
just in case
they take you out.

1000
01:00:10,689 --> 01:00:13,558
Oh, it's like that?

1001
01:00:13,625 --> 01:00:16,127
Like that. It's like that.

1002
01:00:16,194 --> 01:00:17,829
Thought I had a friend.

1003
01:00:17,895 --> 01:00:19,598
Ain't no friends in here.

1004
01:00:19,664 --> 01:00:20,532
Cold world.

1005
01:00:20,599 --> 01:00:21,566
Yeah.

1006
01:00:24,636 --> 01:00:26,904
So, we ain't got Darnell.

1007
01:00:28,540 --> 01:00:29,907
What's the next move?

1008
01:00:33,678 --> 01:00:36,046
I think we should talk
to Ralph Myers.

1009
01:00:40,017 --> 01:00:41,253
- Walter...
- No.

1010
01:00:41,319 --> 01:00:43,455
Just listen to me
for a second.

1011
01:00:44,222 --> 01:00:46,157
I know it's risky,

1012
01:00:46,224 --> 01:00:48,226
but the only way to find out
what he really knows

1013
01:00:48,293 --> 01:00:50,195
is for me to get him talking.

1014
01:00:51,061 --> 01:00:53,030
I know what he know.

1015
01:00:55,065 --> 01:00:57,436
You know
what that man did to me?

1016
01:00:59,036 --> 01:01:01,105
Took my life away from me...

1017
01:01:02,207 --> 01:01:05,177
to save his own ass.

1018
01:01:05,243 --> 01:01:07,712
All he gonna
give you is lies.

1019
01:01:09,079 --> 01:01:11,516
I promise
I'm gonna be careful.

1020
01:01:19,990 --> 01:01:21,259
Get in line.

1021
01:01:39,878 --> 01:01:41,480
Mr. Myers.

1022
01:01:42,614 --> 01:01:44,182
You Bobby?

1023
01:01:44,950 --> 01:01:46,618
I'm Bryan.

1024
01:01:47,652 --> 01:01:49,888
Maybe later.

1025
01:01:49,955 --> 01:01:53,391
Okay. Do you wanna sit down?

1026
01:01:53,458 --> 01:01:55,660
You gonna buy me
a Coke first?

1027
01:01:55,727 --> 01:01:56,895
Or you gonna make me stare

1028
01:01:56,962 --> 01:01:58,996
at them vending machines
all day?

1029
01:02:00,198 --> 01:02:02,701
Sure. What do you want?

1030
01:02:02,767 --> 01:02:04,603
Sunkist orange.

1031
01:02:04,669 --> 01:02:05,904
Okay.

1032
01:02:05,971 --> 01:02:08,507
And some Jujyfruits,
if they got 'em.

1033
01:02:11,710 --> 01:02:14,646
I just want to say thanks
for meeting me, Mr. Myers.

1034
01:02:24,890 --> 01:02:26,123
Can we start by talking about

1035
01:02:26,191 --> 01:02:28,326
your testimony
against Johnny D.?

1036
01:02:28,894 --> 01:02:30,228
No.

1037
01:02:31,263 --> 01:02:33,965
I ain't talking about him.

1038
01:02:34,031 --> 01:02:35,901
That's the only reason
why I'm here.

1039
01:02:35,967 --> 01:02:38,236
You don't like it, leave.

1040
01:02:40,137 --> 01:02:41,306
Oh, don't look so sad.

1041
01:02:41,373 --> 01:02:42,641
We can talk
about other things.

1042
01:02:42,707 --> 01:02:44,376
I love to talk.

1043
01:02:44,442 --> 01:02:46,778
My wife says if I got paid
for every word I said,

1044
01:02:46,845 --> 01:02:49,781
we'd be a couple
of billionaires by now.

1045
01:02:52,116 --> 01:02:53,952
Oh, yeah?

1046
01:02:54,019 --> 01:02:55,420
How long you been married?

1047
01:02:55,487 --> 01:02:57,455
Long enough to pop out
a couple of kids,

1048
01:02:57,522 --> 01:02:59,858
and watch her
turn 'em all against me.

1049
01:02:59,925 --> 01:03:01,426
You got kids?

1050
01:03:01,493 --> 01:03:02,661
Me? No.

1051
01:03:03,662 --> 01:03:05,530
But Johnny D. does.

1052
01:03:07,097 --> 01:03:07,999
Yeah.

1053
01:03:08,065 --> 01:03:09,301
The thing about kids is

1054
01:03:09,367 --> 01:03:11,336
they ain't nothing
like having a dog.

1055
01:03:11,403 --> 01:03:12,904
It's a totally
different deal.

1056
01:03:12,971 --> 01:03:16,241
I wish somebody had told me
that in the first place.

1057
01:03:16,308 --> 01:03:19,578
And my kids, they think
they got it so bad.

1058
01:03:19,644 --> 01:03:22,180
They ain't seen nothing
like I seen.

1059
01:03:22,247 --> 01:03:24,749
Try making it as a foster kid
your whole life.

1060
01:03:24,816 --> 01:03:26,918
As soon as you figure out
one shitty parent,

1061
01:03:26,985 --> 01:03:29,254
they moving you to a new one.

1062
01:03:32,156 --> 01:03:33,458
Uh...

1063
01:03:33,525 --> 01:03:35,260
I'm sorry.

1064
01:03:35,327 --> 01:03:37,462
I'm sure that wasn't easy.

1065
01:03:42,801 --> 01:03:44,703
How many kids he got?

1066
01:03:46,071 --> 01:03:48,138
Johnny D. has three.

1067
01:03:51,676 --> 01:03:54,346
Mr. Myers, I know you made
a deal with the State.

1068
01:03:54,412 --> 01:03:55,680
But I don't think
they told you

1069
01:03:55,747 --> 01:03:57,582
Johnny D. was gonna die
because of it.

1070
01:03:58,883 --> 01:04:02,187
That must not be
an easy thing to carry.

1071
01:04:02,253 --> 01:04:03,421
And I'm hoping
there's a part of you

1072
01:04:03,488 --> 01:04:05,724
that wants to
make things right.

1073
01:04:09,761 --> 01:04:12,597
Can we please talk
about your testimony?

1074
01:04:17,569 --> 01:04:19,437
Hey. Hey!

1075
01:04:28,380 --> 01:04:31,282
From the day they moved
my ass into Escambia,

1076
01:04:31,349 --> 01:04:32,584
for something I'm telling you

1077
01:04:32,651 --> 01:04:34,953
I ain't had
nothing to do with,

1078
01:04:35,020 --> 01:04:38,189
all them police wanted to talk
about was Ronda Morrison.

1079
01:04:38,256 --> 01:04:40,091
It was Morrison this,
Morrison that.

1080
01:04:40,157 --> 01:04:44,396
Sometimes four or five of 'em
in the room at the same time.

1081
01:04:44,462 --> 01:04:46,163
They were questioning you
about her

1082
01:04:46,231 --> 01:04:47,766
the day you were arrested?

1083
01:04:50,268 --> 01:04:52,404
Alls I'm saying is,

1084
01:04:52,470 --> 01:04:54,606
ain't nobody cared
about a damn thing

1085
01:04:54,673 --> 01:04:56,341
besides who killed that girl.

1086
01:04:56,408 --> 01:04:58,243
And when people care
about a thing that much,

1087
01:04:58,309 --> 01:05:00,712
they'll do anything
to get what they want.

1088
01:05:02,547 --> 01:05:03,782
You know they'll kill you

1089
01:05:03,848 --> 01:05:05,450
if you get to the bottom
of this, right?

1090
01:05:06,551 --> 01:05:08,153
Wait. Where are you going?

1091
01:05:08,219 --> 01:05:10,155
We done here, Bobby.

1092
01:05:10,221 --> 01:05:12,223
Thanks for the Jujys.

1093
01:05:13,091 --> 01:05:15,694
Ready, boss.

1094
01:05:17,862 --> 01:05:19,097
<i>Myers said
he was questioned</i>

1095
01:05:19,164 --> 01:05:20,331
<i>about Ronda Morrison</i>

1096
01:05:20,398 --> 01:05:21,933
the day he was arrested,
on June 3rd.

1097
01:05:22,000 --> 01:05:23,768
But the only statement
they presented in court

1098
01:05:23,835 --> 01:05:26,071
<i>was recorded
almost two months later.</i>

1099
01:05:26,137 --> 01:05:29,741
Do you think they're hiding
his first statement somewhere?

1100
01:05:29,808 --> 01:05:31,776
If they are, it might be
at the Escambia courthouse

1101
01:05:31,843 --> 01:05:33,645
with the files
from his other case.

1102
01:05:33,712 --> 01:05:35,947
<i>You know anyone over there?</i>

1103
01:05:36,014 --> 01:05:37,582
I do.

1104
01:05:41,386 --> 01:05:43,455
That's everything
we got on Myers.

1105
01:05:43,521 --> 01:05:45,056
You can make copies
over there.

1106
01:05:45,123 --> 01:05:47,525
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Sure, baby.

1107
01:05:49,360 --> 01:05:51,396
He's cute. Married?

1108
01:05:51,463 --> 01:05:53,832
- Married to his work.
- Ugh.

1109
01:05:53,898 --> 01:05:54,966
How's Uncle Mickey doing?

1110
01:06:03,775 --> 01:06:04,776
Miss Miller.

1111
01:06:05,643 --> 01:06:07,912
Can I take a copy of these?

1112
01:06:07,979 --> 01:06:10,715
They ain't paying me enough
to stop you.

1113
01:06:23,361 --> 01:06:27,398
Did you find the transcript
from Myers' first statement?

1114
01:06:27,465 --> 01:06:30,301
- Yeah.
- Ah, thank you.

1115
01:06:36,641 --> 01:06:37,642
What?

1116
01:06:45,917 --> 01:06:47,253
<i>I understand that, Sheriff.</i>

1117
01:06:47,318 --> 01:06:48,620
That's Myers.

1118
01:06:48,686 --> 01:06:50,054
<i>And that's what
I'm trying to tell you.</i>

1119
01:06:50,121 --> 01:06:52,724
<i>Because, I'm gonna
be honest with ya,</i>

1120
01:06:52,791 --> 01:06:55,160
<i>I don't know a damn thing.</i>

1121
01:06:55,227 --> 01:06:56,294
<i>Is that right?</i>

1122
01:06:56,361 --> 01:06:57,529
And that's Tate.

1123
01:06:57,595 --> 01:06:58,997
<i>Yes, sir.</i>

1124
01:06:59,063 --> 01:07:01,032
<i>It's righter than anything
I've ever said.</i>

1125
01:07:01,099 --> 01:07:03,301
<i>And you would
take a polygraph test</i>

1126
01:07:03,368 --> 01:07:05,103
<i>to the fact that
you do not know</i>

1127
01:07:05,170 --> 01:07:06,437
<i>who killed Ronda Morrison?</i>

1128
01:07:06,504 --> 01:07:08,840
<i>That's right, sir.
I will.</i>

1129
01:07:08,907 --> 01:07:11,342
<i>Would you face the person
who came in here and testified that you...</i>

1130
01:07:11,409 --> 01:07:14,646
<i>I will face any damn
body in this world on that,</i>

1131
01:07:14,712 --> 01:07:16,447
<i>because it's a stone lie.</i>

1132
01:07:16,514 --> 01:07:20,018
<i>And if you asking me to frame
an innocent man for murder,</i>

1133
01:07:20,084 --> 01:07:23,521
<i>well, that just ain't something
I'm willing to do.</i>

1134
01:07:26,391 --> 01:07:27,892
Holy shit.

1135
01:07:57,689 --> 01:07:59,991
Herb, you all right
over there?

1136
01:08:02,393 --> 01:08:03,695
No.

1137
01:08:05,496 --> 01:08:06,898
Now, listen here,

1138
01:08:06,965 --> 01:08:08,600
you gonna have to get
your mind off tomorrow.

1139
01:08:08,666 --> 01:08:11,603
Bryan is working on that
as we speak.

1140
01:08:12,971 --> 01:08:14,672
Now, you know
how these courts here is.

1141
01:08:14,739 --> 01:08:16,474
They wait
till the last minute,

1142
01:08:16,541 --> 01:08:17,976
but you gonna get that stay.

1143
01:08:18,042 --> 01:08:21,746
Why did I make that bomb?

1144
01:08:21,813 --> 01:08:23,781
Herb,
don't go there now.

1145
01:08:23,848 --> 01:08:25,317
Why'd I do that?

1146
01:08:25,383 --> 01:08:28,220
I wasn't trying
to hurt nobody.

1147
01:08:28,287 --> 01:08:30,121
Herb, I know.

1148
01:08:30,189 --> 01:08:34,326
Why am I so stupid?

1149
01:08:34,392 --> 01:08:36,328
No, no, you ain't stupid.

1150
01:08:36,394 --> 01:08:38,029
That war got you sick,

1151
01:08:38,096 --> 01:08:39,497
and you still sick.

1152
01:08:39,564 --> 01:08:41,799
Girl wasn't supposed
to come by and pick it up.

1153
01:08:41,866 --> 01:08:45,069
Listen, Herb. I want you to...

1154
01:08:45,136 --> 01:08:47,239
She wasn't supposed to come by
and pick it up.

1155
01:08:47,306 --> 01:08:50,242
This what we gonna do, Herb.
We gonna slow your mind down.

1156
01:08:50,309 --> 01:08:52,244
Remember what
we practiced now.

1157
01:08:52,311 --> 01:08:54,812
What we do?

1158
01:08:54,879 --> 01:08:57,283
- Deep breaths.
- Yeah.

1159
01:08:57,349 --> 01:08:59,184
Come on, do that with me now.

1160
01:08:59,251 --> 01:09:01,552
Deep breaths.

1161
01:09:04,256 --> 01:09:05,523
In and out.

1162
01:09:10,229 --> 01:09:11,496
Now in.

1163
01:09:13,498 --> 01:09:15,166
Now close your eyes.

1164
01:09:16,601 --> 01:09:18,736
Get away from all this.

1165
01:09:20,239 --> 01:09:22,408
No more walls.

1166
01:09:22,473 --> 01:09:24,176
No more guards.

1167
01:09:25,677 --> 01:09:27,812
No more wars to fight.

1168
01:09:29,914 --> 01:09:31,816
Just you, out in the open.

1169
01:09:33,117 --> 01:09:34,852
Fresh air on your face.

1170
01:09:41,592 --> 01:09:43,828
<i>Look at them pine trees.</i>

1171
01:09:45,830 --> 01:09:48,733
<i>They've been growing
since 'fore we was born.</i>

1172
01:09:51,002 --> 01:09:54,138
<i>And they gonna keep growing
even after we gone.</i>

1173
01:09:57,075 --> 01:09:59,110
<i>And they done been through
the same shit</i>

1174
01:09:59,178 --> 01:10:00,545
<i>we done been through.</i>

1175
01:10:03,848 --> 01:10:06,551
<i>But they still dancing
in the breeze.</i>

1176
01:10:16,127 --> 01:10:17,662
Can you see 'em?

1177
01:10:20,031 --> 01:10:21,200
Yeah.

1178
01:10:22,066 --> 01:10:23,167
Good.

1179
01:10:24,936 --> 01:10:27,538
Now I want you to think
about nothing else.

1180
01:10:27,605 --> 01:10:30,342
Just keep your mind on that.

1181
01:10:30,409 --> 01:10:32,610
And everything
gonna be a'ight.

1182
01:10:49,894 --> 01:10:51,596
I need
<i>Strickland v. Washington,</i>

1183
01:10:51,662 --> 01:10:53,865
and the affidavit
from Herbert's sergeant.

1184
01:11:09,448 --> 01:11:11,250
Let's send it.

1185
01:11:18,122 --> 01:11:19,624
Now what?

1186
01:11:22,327 --> 01:11:23,895
We wait.

1187
01:11:44,383 --> 01:11:46,017
EJI.
This is Bryan Stevenson.

1188
01:11:46,084 --> 01:11:47,652
<i>Mr. Stevenson,</i>

1189
01:11:47,718 --> 01:11:49,388
<i>the court has
just entered an order</i>

1190
01:11:49,455 --> 01:11:52,123
<i>in case number 895395.</i>

1191
01:11:52,191 --> 01:11:54,025
<i>The motion
for a stay of execution</i>

1192
01:11:54,092 --> 01:11:55,793
<i>and petition
for writ of certiorari</i>

1193
01:11:55,860 --> 01:11:57,595
<i>have been denied.</i>

1194
01:11:57,662 --> 01:12:00,365
<i>We'll fax copies of the order
over to your office shortly.</i>

1195
01:12:02,568 --> 01:12:04,570
- Thank you.
- <i>Thank you.</i>

1196
01:12:20,319 --> 01:12:22,287
He asked me to be there.

1197
01:12:25,022 --> 01:12:26,157
Okay.

1198
01:12:27,024 --> 01:12:28,327
I'll drive you, then.

1199
01:12:41,172 --> 01:12:44,409
Come on, Herbert.
We gotta go.

1200
01:13:06,130 --> 01:13:09,234
Can... Can I say bye
to my friends?

1201
01:13:25,750 --> 01:13:28,152
When it get too much for you,

1202
01:13:29,621 --> 01:13:31,822
you take them deep breaths.

1203
01:13:32,823 --> 01:13:34,926
Let your mind go.

1204
01:13:37,995 --> 01:13:41,799
Wish I didn't have
to do this alone.

1205
01:13:43,734 --> 01:13:45,736
You ain't by yourself,
Herbert.

1206
01:13:47,439 --> 01:13:49,106
We all with you.

1207
01:13:51,108 --> 01:13:53,077
Ain't that right, Ray?

1208
01:13:54,479 --> 01:13:58,115
That's right, Herb.
You ain't rid of us yet.

1209
01:14:03,655 --> 01:14:06,123
You've been a good friend.

1210
01:14:49,967 --> 01:14:51,802
First time
in the chamber, huh?

1211
01:14:53,372 --> 01:14:54,539
Yeah.

1212
01:14:54,606 --> 01:14:57,842
Don't think too much.
You'll lose your shit.

1213
01:15:09,288 --> 01:15:11,956
Need anything,
Mr. Richardson?

1214
01:15:13,558 --> 01:15:15,960
You still gonna play my song?

1215
01:15:16,027 --> 01:15:17,962
Got it cued up and ready.

1216
01:15:19,897 --> 01:15:21,366
Thank you.

1217
01:15:34,179 --> 01:15:36,581
It's been a strange day.

1218
01:15:39,083 --> 01:15:42,387
More people asked
how they can help me today

1219
01:15:42,454 --> 01:15:45,190
than ever asked
in my whole life.

1220
01:15:52,029 --> 01:15:54,165
Do I look funny?

1221
01:15:56,067 --> 01:16:00,905
I ain't know they were gonna
shave off everything.

1222
01:16:03,074 --> 01:16:04,975
You look fine.

1223
01:16:16,788 --> 01:16:21,158
Well, most people don't get
to sit and think all day

1224
01:16:21,226 --> 01:16:24,929
about it being
their last day alive.

1225
01:16:27,199 --> 01:16:29,468
It's different than Nam.

1226
01:16:30,702 --> 01:16:32,970
Least I had a chance there.

1227
01:16:39,778 --> 01:16:41,313
I'm sorry.

1228
01:16:46,050 --> 01:16:50,322
You the only one
cared enough to fight for me.

1229
01:16:55,227 --> 01:16:57,596
Since I don't have family,

1230
01:16:57,662 --> 01:17:00,799
I told the army
to send my flag to you,

1231
01:17:00,866 --> 01:17:02,234
if that's okay.

1232
01:17:07,506 --> 01:17:09,140
I'd be honored.

1233
01:17:18,048 --> 01:17:20,951
Can you pray with me?

1234
01:17:24,021 --> 01:17:25,524
Of course.

1235
01:17:35,966 --> 01:17:37,269
They're ready.

1236
01:17:44,276 --> 01:17:49,881
<i>♪ On a hill far away ♪</i>

1237
01:17:49,947 --> 01:17:55,353
<i>♪ Stood an old rugged cross ♪</i>

1238
01:17:55,420 --> 01:17:59,925
<i>♪ The emblem of suffering
And shame ♪</i>

1239
01:18:01,426 --> 01:18:05,263
<i>♪ And I love that old cross ♪</i>

1240
01:18:05,330 --> 01:18:09,434
<i>♪ Where the dearest and best ♪</i>

1241
01:18:09,501 --> 01:18:16,341
<i>♪ For a world of lost sinners
Was slain ♪</i>

1242
01:18:17,809 --> 01:18:21,078
<i>♪ And I'll cherish ♪</i>

1243
01:18:21,145 --> 01:18:26,818
<i>♪ The old rugged cross ♪</i>

1244
01:18:26,885 --> 01:18:29,086
<i>♪ Till my trophies
At last I lay down... ♪</i>

1245
01:18:29,153 --> 01:18:31,423
You, Herbert Lee Richardson,

1246
01:18:31,490 --> 01:18:33,625
shall be put to death
by electrocution

1247
01:18:33,692 --> 01:18:35,092
in the state of Alabama

1248
01:18:35,159 --> 01:18:38,062
as ordered and decreed
by Judge Jerry M. White,

1249
01:18:38,128 --> 01:18:39,898
for the murder
of Rena Mae Collins

1250
01:18:39,965 --> 01:18:42,667
on August the 16th, 1977.

1251
01:18:43,869 --> 01:18:45,937
So ordered.

1252
01:18:46,003 --> 01:18:47,739
Mr. Richardson,

1253
01:18:47,806 --> 01:18:50,609
do you have any final words
you'd like to say?

1254
01:18:55,180 --> 01:18:59,016
<i>♪ Oh, that old rugged cross ♪</i>

1255
01:18:59,083 --> 01:19:01,920
<i>♪ So despised by the world ♪</i>

1256
01:19:01,987 --> 01:19:06,090
I have no ill feeling.

1257
01:19:07,192 --> 01:19:10,795
And I hold nothing
against anyone.

1258
01:19:10,862 --> 01:19:16,501
<i>♪ So I'll cherish
The old rugged cross ♪</i>

1259
01:19:16,568 --> 01:19:19,337
<i>♪ The old rugged cross ♪</i>

1260
01:19:19,404 --> 01:19:24,576
<i>♪ Till my trophies
At last I lay down ♪</i>

1261
01:19:24,643 --> 01:19:27,479
<i>♪ I lay down ♪</i>

1262
01:19:27,546 --> 01:19:33,518
<i>♪ I will cling
To the old rugged cross ♪</i>

1263
01:19:35,687 --> 01:19:42,727
<i>♪ And exchange it someday
For a crown ♪</i>

1264
01:19:45,162 --> 01:19:49,267
<i>♪ To the old rugged cross ♪</i>

1265
01:19:49,334 --> 01:19:53,371
<i>♪ I will ever be true ♪</i>

1266
01:19:53,438 --> 01:19:59,344
<i>♪ Its shame and reproach
Gladly bear ♪</i>

1267
01:20:00,345 --> 01:20:05,884
<i>♪ Then he'll call me someday ♪</i>

1268
01:20:05,951 --> 01:20:10,522
<i>♪ To my home far away ♪</i>

1269
01:20:10,589 --> 01:20:13,858
<i>♪ Where his glory ♪</i>

1270
01:20:13,925 --> 01:20:20,130
<i>♪ Forever I'll share ♪</i>

1271
01:20:22,400 --> 01:20:23,668
<i>♪ So I'll cherish... ♪</i>

1272
01:20:23,735 --> 01:20:26,838
We with you, Herbert!
We all with you!

1273
01:20:26,905 --> 01:20:28,406
We love you, Herb!

1274
01:20:28,473 --> 01:20:29,608
We all with you, Herb.

1275
01:20:29,674 --> 01:20:31,242
I'm walking with you,
Big Herb!

1276
01:20:31,309 --> 01:20:32,911
Believe in your heart, Herb.

1277
01:20:32,978 --> 01:20:34,546
We're with you, buddy!

1278
01:20:34,613 --> 01:20:35,647
Be strong, Herb!

1279
01:20:39,517 --> 01:20:44,723
<i>♪ I will cling
To the old rugged cross ♪</i>

1280
01:20:47,292 --> 01:20:51,963
<i>♪ And exchange it someday ♪</i>

1281
01:20:52,030 --> 01:20:54,164
<i>♪ For a crown ♪</i>

1282
01:20:54,232 --> 01:20:56,133
We love you, Herb!

1283
01:21:50,255 --> 01:21:51,456
Hey.

1284
01:23:11,469 --> 01:23:13,338
Well, I hope
this important news of yours

1285
01:23:13,404 --> 01:23:14,405
comes with some food.

1286
01:23:14,472 --> 01:23:16,341
'Cause I'm starving.

1287
01:23:17,108 --> 01:23:19,444
Sit down, Mr. Myers.

1288
01:23:21,813 --> 01:23:24,382
You was a lot nicer
the last time.

1289
01:23:28,820 --> 01:23:30,555
I heard the recording
of the first statement

1290
01:23:30,622 --> 01:23:32,423
you gave on June 3rd.

1291
01:23:33,458 --> 01:23:35,627
The one they didn't
present in court.

1292
01:23:37,662 --> 01:23:39,998
You told the sheriff
you didn't know anything

1293
01:23:40,064 --> 01:23:42,901
about Johnny D. or the murder.

1294
01:23:42,967 --> 01:23:45,470
You told him you didn't want
to frame an innocent man.

1295
01:23:45,537 --> 01:23:47,539
Do you remember saying that?

1296
01:23:49,140 --> 01:23:50,408
Now, what I'm wondering is,

1297
01:23:50,475 --> 01:23:51,609
how do you go
from knowing nothing

1298
01:23:51,676 --> 01:23:53,611
about a murder on June 3rd,

1299
01:23:53,678 --> 01:23:55,346
to becoming
the State's key witness

1300
01:23:55,413 --> 01:23:57,081
three months later?

1301
01:23:57,148 --> 01:23:58,817
What changed your mind?

1302
01:24:11,796 --> 01:24:13,598
What's that?

1303
01:24:13,665 --> 01:24:16,100
Intake log
from Holman prison.

1304
01:24:18,036 --> 01:24:19,804
On August 1st, 1987,

1305
01:24:19,871 --> 01:24:22,740
Sheriff Tate
transferred two inmates

1306
01:24:22,807 --> 01:24:26,044
from county jail
to death row.

1307
01:24:27,246 --> 01:24:29,347
Johnny D...

1308
01:24:32,417 --> 01:24:33,952
and you.

1309
01:24:40,859 --> 01:24:42,360
Did they move you
to death row

1310
01:24:42,427 --> 01:24:44,562
because you wouldn't testify
against him?

1311
01:24:49,801 --> 01:24:51,337
They executed Wayne Ritter

1312
01:24:51,402 --> 01:24:52,537
a few weeks
after you got there,

1313
01:24:52,604 --> 01:24:53,872
isn't that right?

1314
01:24:56,908 --> 01:24:58,843
I was in the witness room
when they killed

1315
01:24:58,910 --> 01:25:01,012
Herbert Richardson
Thursday night.

1316
01:25:02,447 --> 01:25:05,550
And it was the most
horrific thing

1317
01:25:05,617 --> 01:25:07,619
I've ever experienced.

1318
01:25:10,989 --> 01:25:14,926
I'm sure Ritter's execution
wasn't easy for you either.

1319
01:25:32,010 --> 01:25:35,647
They put me in the cell
closest to the kill room.

1320
01:25:38,650 --> 01:25:41,353
Middle of the night,
everybody started screaming,

1321
01:25:41,419 --> 01:25:43,087
banging on the bars.

1322
01:25:44,656 --> 01:25:45,990
And then...

1323
01:25:50,229 --> 01:25:53,665
then came the smell
of his skin burning.

1324
01:26:00,171 --> 01:26:01,873
I know that smell.

1325
01:26:05,877 --> 01:26:08,213
May I ask you what happened?

1326
01:26:12,450 --> 01:26:15,053
Seven years old.

1327
01:26:15,119 --> 01:26:18,723
I was sleeping
in my foster mom's basement

1328
01:26:18,790 --> 01:26:20,758
when her heater blowed up.

1329
01:26:20,825 --> 01:26:22,961
Catched my PJ's on fire.

1330
01:26:24,196 --> 01:26:26,198
I was screaming
for two minutes straight

1331
01:26:26,265 --> 01:26:27,465
before they found me.

1332
01:26:31,502 --> 01:26:36,908
Everybody knowed that I got
a fear of being burned.

1333
01:26:36,975 --> 01:26:39,911
They knowed
what it would do to my head

1334
01:26:39,978 --> 01:26:42,513
to be in a place like that.

1335
01:26:44,082 --> 01:26:47,618
I couldn't stop shaking
all night.

1336
01:26:48,720 --> 01:26:51,990
Curled up on the floor
like a baby.

1337
01:26:52,056 --> 01:26:55,059
Trying to breathe,
but every breath you take just...

1338
01:26:56,694 --> 01:26:59,731
You get another taste
of the man they killed.

1339
01:27:03,034 --> 01:27:06,170
You can't go through
something like that

1340
01:27:06,238 --> 01:27:07,939
and come out the same.

1341
01:27:13,212 --> 01:27:14,512
I know.

1342
01:27:19,884 --> 01:27:21,387
I called that sheriff
the next morning.

1343
01:27:21,453 --> 01:27:23,188
I told him...

1344
01:27:23,255 --> 01:27:27,125
I would say whatever he wanted
to get me out.

1345
01:27:28,427 --> 01:27:30,762
And he took my statement,

1346
01:27:30,828 --> 01:27:32,997
moved me to county
the next day.

1347
01:27:37,869 --> 01:27:39,971
Mr. Myers, we're going
to court very soon

1348
01:27:40,038 --> 01:27:43,509
to try to get Johnny D.
the retrial he deserves.

1349
01:27:43,574 --> 01:27:45,910
And I'd like you
to take the stand.

1350
01:27:48,579 --> 01:27:49,881
No.

1351
01:27:50,782 --> 01:27:52,717
No, sir. No, sir.

1352
01:27:52,784 --> 01:27:55,053
They are using you.

1353
01:27:55,119 --> 01:27:56,854
They're using you
to condemn a man

1354
01:27:56,921 --> 01:27:59,624
that you have much more
in common with than you think.

1355
01:28:00,558 --> 01:28:01,659
And if there's any part of you

1356
01:28:01,726 --> 01:28:02,994
that wants
to make things right,

1357
01:28:03,061 --> 01:28:05,230
this is the last chance
you're gonna get.

1358
01:28:14,540 --> 01:28:16,241
The tension is high
this morning

1359
01:28:16,308 --> 01:28:18,609
here at the Baldwin
County Courthouse

1360
01:28:18,676 --> 01:28:20,078
<i>where a hearing
is being held</i>

1361
01:28:20,144 --> 01:28:21,879
<i>to see if the man convicted</i>

1362
01:28:21,946 --> 01:28:24,949
<i>of killing Ronda Morrison
deserves a new trial.</i>

1363
01:28:25,016 --> 01:28:27,419
<i>Miss Morrison
was only 18 years old</i>

1364
01:28:27,486 --> 01:28:29,954
<i>when she was murdered
at Jackson Cleaners</i>

1365
01:28:30,021 --> 01:28:31,756
<i>in Monroeville, Alabama.</i>

1366
01:28:31,823 --> 01:28:34,326
<i>Many have taken
the two-hour drive here</i>

1367
01:28:34,393 --> 01:28:36,961
<i>from Monroeville
to show their support.</i>

1368
01:28:37,028 --> 01:28:39,298
<i>Extra security precautions
were implemented</i>

1369
01:28:39,364 --> 01:28:42,633
<i>due to the highly emotional
nature of this case.</i>

1370
01:28:46,104 --> 01:28:48,773
<i>Ronda Morrison's parents said
they have no doubt</i>

1371
01:28:48,840 --> 01:28:50,975
<i>Mr. McMillian
is the man responsible</i>

1372
01:28:51,042 --> 01:28:52,877
<i>for the murder
of their daughter.</i>

1373
01:28:52,944 --> 01:28:54,712
<i>But members
of McMillian's family</i>

1374
01:28:54,779 --> 01:28:56,781
<i>claim they have the wrong man.</i>

1375
01:28:56,848 --> 01:28:58,283
<i>Much of today's hearing</i>

1376
01:28:58,350 --> 01:29:00,718
<i>is hinging on the testimony
of Ralph Myers,</i>

1377
01:29:00,785 --> 01:29:03,121
<i>a convicted felon,
who was the key witness</i>

1378
01:29:03,188 --> 01:29:05,923
<i>against McMillian
in the original trial.</i>

1379
01:29:34,752 --> 01:29:37,623
What we'll be talking
about today is obviously

1380
01:29:37,688 --> 01:29:39,358
an emotional issue.

1381
01:29:39,424 --> 01:29:42,194
And if any of y'all
don't think you can maintain

1382
01:29:42,261 --> 01:29:44,996
a reasonable degree
of decorum,

1383
01:29:45,062 --> 01:29:47,965
then I would ask you
to leave now.

1384
01:29:51,969 --> 01:29:55,773
All right, if we're ready,
then, we will proceed.

1385
01:29:57,509 --> 01:29:59,578
Mr. Stevenson.

1386
01:29:59,645 --> 01:30:01,180
Thank you, Your Honor.

1387
01:30:12,156 --> 01:30:14,091
The State's case
against Walter McMillian

1388
01:30:14,158 --> 01:30:16,994
turned entirely on the
testimony of Ralph Myers.

1389
01:30:17,061 --> 01:30:18,263
There was no other evidence

1390
01:30:18,330 --> 01:30:19,997
to establish
Mr. McMillian's guilt.

1391
01:30:20,064 --> 01:30:22,833
No physical evidence
linking him to the crime.

1392
01:30:22,900 --> 01:30:24,636
No motive. No witnesses.

1393
01:30:24,702 --> 01:30:26,971
Only the word of one man.

1394
01:30:28,873 --> 01:30:31,709
We call Ralph Myers
to the stand.

1395
01:30:56,100 --> 01:30:57,336
Sir, please stand

1396
01:30:57,402 --> 01:30:58,403
and place your right hand
on the Bible.

1397
01:31:02,006 --> 01:31:03,475
You swear to tell truth,
the whole truth,

1398
01:31:03,542 --> 01:31:05,943
and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

1399
01:31:07,812 --> 01:31:09,080
Mr. Myers?

1400
01:31:09,747 --> 01:31:12,317
Oh, yes. Sorry.

1401
01:31:12,384 --> 01:31:14,586
The guards got me up
about 2:00 in the morning

1402
01:31:14,653 --> 01:31:16,053
to get me out here.

1403
01:31:28,367 --> 01:31:30,801
Mr. Myers, did you testify
against Walter McMillian

1404
01:31:30,868 --> 01:31:32,537
in August of 1988?

1405
01:31:33,605 --> 01:31:35,307
Is that when it was?

1406
01:31:36,642 --> 01:31:38,776
According to the record, yes.

1407
01:31:39,711 --> 01:31:42,481
Okay, then, sure.
If you say so.

1408
01:31:45,584 --> 01:31:48,553
And what did you say to
the jury when you testified?

1409
01:31:52,923 --> 01:31:56,728
I don't think
I can fully remember, sir,

1410
01:31:56,794 --> 01:31:59,498
to be honest with you. Sorry.

1411
01:32:00,865 --> 01:32:02,334
No, that's quite all right.

1412
01:32:02,401 --> 01:32:04,835
I have a transcript
of your testimony right here.

1413
01:32:17,215 --> 01:32:19,251
At the trial,
do you remember testifying

1414
01:32:19,318 --> 01:32:20,985
that you were
unwillingly made part of

1415
01:32:21,052 --> 01:32:24,222
a capital murder and robbery
on November 1st, 1986,

1416
01:32:24,289 --> 01:32:26,525
when Walter McMillian
saw you at a car wash

1417
01:32:26,591 --> 01:32:29,227
and asked you to drive his
truck because his arm hurt?

1418
01:32:30,895 --> 01:32:32,764
Yes, sir, I guess so.

1419
01:32:32,830 --> 01:32:35,467
Do you remember saying
that you drove Mr. McMillian

1420
01:32:35,534 --> 01:32:37,134
to Jackson Cleaners,

1421
01:32:37,202 --> 01:32:39,036
subsequently went
into the building,

1422
01:32:39,103 --> 01:32:41,138
and saw Mr. McMillian
with a gun,

1423
01:32:41,206 --> 01:32:43,608
standing over the body
of Ronda Morrison?

1424
01:32:45,876 --> 01:32:48,547
Yes, sir.

1425
01:32:48,613 --> 01:32:51,048
Mr. Myers, was the testimony
that you gave

1426
01:32:51,115 --> 01:32:53,552
at Walter McMillian's
trial true?

1427
01:33:03,729 --> 01:33:04,796
I don't know.

1428
01:33:08,533 --> 01:33:09,634
You don't know?

1429
01:33:13,003 --> 01:33:15,106
I don't think I remember.

1430
01:33:37,161 --> 01:33:42,200
Mr. Myers, do you know
who Walter McMillian is?

1431
01:33:43,869 --> 01:33:45,203
Yes, sir.

1432
01:33:46,605 --> 01:33:48,240
Is he in this room?

1433
01:33:49,474 --> 01:33:51,376
Yes, sir.

1434
01:33:54,912 --> 01:33:57,215
Could you point him out
for us?

1435
01:34:20,372 --> 01:34:23,941
I'd like to ask you
that question one more time.

1436
01:34:24,008 --> 01:34:25,444
Was the testimony
that you gave

1437
01:34:25,510 --> 01:34:29,079
at Walter McMillian's
trial true?

1438
01:34:37,923 --> 01:34:39,858
No, sir. Not at all.

1439
01:34:39,925 --> 01:34:42,427
Order, please.

1440
01:34:43,662 --> 01:34:44,930
Did you see
Mr. McMillian on the day

1441
01:34:44,995 --> 01:34:46,832
Ronda Morrison was murdered?

1442
01:34:46,898 --> 01:34:48,266
No, sir.

1443
01:34:48,333 --> 01:34:50,702
Did you drive his truck
to Monroeville that day?

1444
01:34:50,769 --> 01:34:52,304
No. Never did.

1445
01:34:52,370 --> 01:34:53,971
Did you go
into Jackson Cleaners

1446
01:34:54,038 --> 01:34:55,340
and see Mr. McMillian

1447
01:34:55,407 --> 01:34:57,542
standing over the body
of Ronda Morrison?

1448
01:34:58,243 --> 01:34:59,945
Absolutely not.

1449
01:35:04,549 --> 01:35:05,684
Thank you.

1450
01:35:07,051 --> 01:35:08,753
No further questions,
Your Honor.

1451
01:35:14,359 --> 01:35:16,495
<i>Mr. Myers...</i>

1452
01:35:16,561 --> 01:35:20,298
how do we know you ain't upset
with the deal you got,

1453
01:35:20,365 --> 01:35:23,167
and you feel like somehow by

1454
01:35:23,235 --> 01:35:27,405
changing your story,
might help to get you out?

1455
01:35:29,006 --> 01:35:32,577
Because that just
don't make no sense, sir.

1456
01:35:32,644 --> 01:35:36,481
Who do you think is deciding
what happens to me?

1457
01:35:36,548 --> 01:35:38,450
If I live or die?

1458
01:35:38,517 --> 01:35:41,186
It ain't me.
It ain't Johnny D.

1459
01:35:41,253 --> 01:35:43,889
It's all y'all
that's deciding that, so,

1460
01:35:43,955 --> 01:35:45,891
how's my saying
what I'm saying

1461
01:35:45,957 --> 01:35:47,359
gonna help to get me out?

1462
01:35:47,425 --> 01:35:50,395
If anything, it's gonna
help get me to death row.

1463
01:35:51,863 --> 01:35:56,735
But I don't care. Y'all can do
what you want with me.

1464
01:35:56,801 --> 01:35:58,803
'Cause me...

1465
01:35:58,870 --> 01:36:00,639
I can look in your face

1466
01:36:00,705 --> 01:36:04,009
or anybody else's face,
dead eye to eyeball,

1467
01:36:04,074 --> 01:36:07,746
and say that anything
I told about Mr. McMillian...

1468
01:36:09,681 --> 01:36:11,416
was a lie.

1469
01:36:12,450 --> 01:36:14,419
He's here 'cause of me.

1470
01:36:17,589 --> 01:36:19,958
And I sure would appreciate
you sending him home

1471
01:36:20,025 --> 01:36:22,360
to his kids where he belongs.

1472
01:36:27,832 --> 01:36:29,568
We submit a copy
of the official log

1473
01:36:29,634 --> 01:36:31,436
from the police officer
that stopped by the fish fry,

1474
01:36:31,503 --> 01:36:34,606
confirming Walter McMillian
was there with his family.

1475
01:36:34,673 --> 01:36:37,141
Mr. Myers said that
the body was faceup

1476
01:36:37,208 --> 01:36:38,843
near the front counter.

1477
01:36:38,910 --> 01:36:43,481
But I found her facedown
in the back, by the bathroom.

1478
01:36:43,548 --> 01:36:46,184
Submitting exculpatory records
from Ralph Myers' stay

1479
01:36:46,251 --> 01:36:48,219
at the Taylor Hardin
psychiatric hospital.

1480
01:36:48,286 --> 01:36:50,154
Which the State
did not disclose

1481
01:36:50,221 --> 01:36:52,457
to defense counsel.

1482
01:36:52,524 --> 01:36:54,593
<i>Mr. Myers was
my patient at the time</i>

1483
01:36:54,659 --> 01:36:57,295
and he claimed
on numerous occasions

1484
01:36:57,362 --> 01:36:59,898
that he was being threatened
with the electric chair,

1485
01:36:59,965 --> 01:37:01,199
if he didn't say

1486
01:37:01,266 --> 01:37:02,901
what the authorities
wanted to hear.

1487
01:37:02,968 --> 01:37:05,537
The prosecutor
asked me to testify

1488
01:37:05,604 --> 01:37:08,673
that she had been drugged
from the front to the back.

1489
01:37:08,740 --> 01:37:12,410
And I told him,
"I ain't gonna lie in court."

1490
01:37:12,477 --> 01:37:14,446
And then, well,
a few weeks later,

1491
01:37:14,512 --> 01:37:16,881
I got fired
from the department.

1492
01:37:18,883 --> 01:37:20,752
All of the evidence
presented today

1493
01:37:20,819 --> 01:37:23,688
would have been critical
to the outcome of this case.

1494
01:37:23,755 --> 01:37:25,824
And its exclusion
is a clear violation

1495
01:37:25,890 --> 01:37:27,225
of <i>Brady v. Maryland</i>

1496
01:37:27,292 --> 01:37:30,195
and Mr. McMillian's
constitutional rights.

1497
01:37:30,261 --> 01:37:32,731
The truth has not been told
in this case.

1498
01:37:32,797 --> 01:37:36,301
And I understand
a lot of time has gone by,

1499
01:37:36,368 --> 01:37:37,535
but I personally believe

1500
01:37:37,602 --> 01:37:40,305
that it's never too late
for justice.

1501
01:37:40,372 --> 01:37:42,107
We ask the court
to grant our motion

1502
01:37:42,172 --> 01:37:44,676
and order a new trial
for Mr. McMillian.

1503
01:37:46,311 --> 01:37:47,912
Thank you, Your Honor.

1504
01:37:50,281 --> 01:37:52,350
Thank you, Counselors.

1505
01:37:52,417 --> 01:37:53,752
We'll reconvene
at a later date,

1506
01:37:53,818 --> 01:37:56,221
once I've had time
to look through everything.

1507
01:37:57,322 --> 01:37:58,790
All rise.

1508
01:38:04,429 --> 01:38:05,597
Tell you the truth,
I didn't think

1509
01:38:05,664 --> 01:38:07,365
he was gonna
go through with it.

1510
01:38:07,432 --> 01:38:10,268
Honestly, for a second there,
I didn't think so either.

1511
01:38:15,373 --> 01:38:18,243
I can't even tell you
how I feel right now.

1512
01:38:20,979 --> 01:38:22,247
Thank you.

1513
01:38:32,290 --> 01:38:34,659
We got a few minutes
if y'all wanna say hi.

1514
01:38:43,535 --> 01:38:45,470
We leave in five minutes.

1515
01:38:45,537 --> 01:38:47,505
What's up, old man?

1516
01:38:47,572 --> 01:38:49,541
- You did great.
- Thank you.

1517
01:38:49,607 --> 01:38:51,876
Mmm-hmm. Chapman ought to
call you tonight

1518
01:38:51,943 --> 01:38:53,611
and tell you that he's
dropping all them charges.

1519
01:38:53,678 --> 01:38:55,547
Yeah, I wouldn't
hold my breath.

1520
01:39:05,056 --> 01:39:07,459
<i>Upon the reading
of my decision,</i>

1521
01:39:07,525 --> 01:39:10,361
<i>I expect the rules
of decorum in this courtroom</i>

1522
01:39:10,428 --> 01:39:11,563
<i>to be upheld.</i>

1523
01:39:15,734 --> 01:39:18,470
Ralph Myers took the stand
before this court,

1524
01:39:18,536 --> 01:39:20,371
swore to tell the truth,

1525
01:39:20,438 --> 01:39:23,108
and proceeded to recant most,
if not all,

1526
01:39:23,174 --> 01:39:27,412
of the relevant portions
of his testimony at trial.

1527
01:39:27,479 --> 01:39:30,482
Clearly, he has either
perjured himself at trial,

1528
01:39:30,548 --> 01:39:32,550
or in front of this court.

1529
01:39:33,885 --> 01:39:35,420
After careful review,

1530
01:39:35,487 --> 01:39:36,821
it is this court's opinion

1531
01:39:36,888 --> 01:39:40,058
that conclusive evidence
has not been provided

1532
01:39:40,125 --> 01:39:43,895
that Ralph Myers perjured
himself at the original trial,

1533
01:39:43,962 --> 01:39:47,766
and that pressure put on him
since his trial testimony

1534
01:39:47,832 --> 01:39:51,703
could tend to discredit
his recantation.

1535
01:39:51,770 --> 01:39:55,340
Therefore, it is ordered,
adjudged and decreed

1536
01:39:55,406 --> 01:39:57,709
that the trial testimony
of Ralph Myers

1537
01:39:57,776 --> 01:40:01,213
is not found to have been
perjured testimony

1538
01:40:01,279 --> 01:40:02,614
and no new trial
shall be granted...

1539
01:40:02,680 --> 01:40:05,150
- It's not over.
- ...at this time.

1540
01:40:05,217 --> 01:40:06,684
Walter McMillian
shall be returned

1541
01:40:06,751 --> 01:40:08,520
to Holman
Correctional Facility

1542
01:40:08,586 --> 01:40:11,523
where he is to face death
by electrocution.

1543
01:40:26,604 --> 01:40:28,940
You can't do this
to us again, Judge.

1544
01:40:29,007 --> 01:40:30,308
Sit down, young man.

1545
01:40:30,375 --> 01:40:31,409
- John...
- This is my dad, sir.

1546
01:40:31,476 --> 01:40:33,245
John. I want you
to sit down now.

1547
01:40:33,311 --> 01:40:34,746
He ain't do nothing wrong.

1548
01:40:34,813 --> 01:40:36,614
Listen to your father.
Not here.

1549
01:40:36,681 --> 01:40:37,849
He ain't do nothing wrong.

1550
01:40:37,916 --> 01:40:39,484
Sit down right now

1551
01:40:39,551 --> 01:40:41,119
or you'll be arrested
for contempt of court.

1552
01:40:41,187 --> 01:40:42,587
Judge, just give me
one second. Please, Judge.

1553
01:40:42,654 --> 01:40:44,689
- Hold on one second.
- Sit down, John.

1554
01:40:44,756 --> 01:40:46,624
I won't
say it again. Sit down!

1555
01:40:46,691 --> 01:40:49,027
Not if you gonna kill my dad
for no reason.

1556
01:40:49,093 --> 01:40:52,198
Not if you gonna kill my dad
for no reason!

1557
01:40:52,264 --> 01:40:53,464
He ain't do nothing wrong!

1558
01:40:53,531 --> 01:40:54,566
Not in here.
Not like this.

1559
01:40:54,632 --> 01:40:57,269
You killing my family, sir.

1560
01:40:57,335 --> 01:41:00,038
You killing my family, sir.
You!

1561
01:41:05,510 --> 01:41:07,378
John!

1562
01:41:07,445 --> 01:41:08,947
Judge! Judge!
He's not resisting.

1563
01:41:09,013 --> 01:41:10,682
- John!
- He ain't do nothing.

1564
01:41:10,748 --> 01:41:12,050
Stop resisting.

1565
01:41:31,970 --> 01:41:34,505
You hear me?
Don't you let them get you.

1566
01:41:38,210 --> 01:41:40,246
It's gonna be all right.

1567
01:41:40,312 --> 01:41:41,846
Come on.
Let's get you home.

1568
01:42:01,966 --> 01:42:04,602
Come on, man,
don't make this hard.

1569
01:42:10,842 --> 01:42:12,043
Come on.

1570
01:42:12,110 --> 01:42:14,946
No. Don't do this, McMillian.
Come on. Go in.

1571
01:42:16,315 --> 01:42:18,583
Johnny D., no! No!

1572
01:42:21,719 --> 01:42:24,122
Johnny D., no!

1573
01:42:24,189 --> 01:42:26,658
Johnny...

1574
01:42:29,894 --> 01:42:32,231
Relax. Relax. Relax.

1575
01:42:33,598 --> 01:42:34,933
Give me your arm.
Give me...

1576
01:42:34,999 --> 01:42:36,668
Get him cuffed!
Get him cuffed.

1577
01:42:37,435 --> 01:42:38,436
Relax.

1578
01:42:47,612 --> 01:42:48,780
Good job.

1579
01:44:53,905 --> 01:44:55,307
Nobody wants to remember

1580
01:44:55,374 --> 01:44:58,109
that this is where
thousands of enslaved people

1581
01:44:58,177 --> 01:45:02,247
were shipped in and paraded
up the street to be sold.

1582
01:45:05,284 --> 01:45:06,818
Just ten miles from here,

1583
01:45:06,884 --> 01:45:08,886
black people were pulled
from their homes and lynched.

1584
01:45:10,222 --> 01:45:11,856
Nobody talks about it.

1585
01:45:15,993 --> 01:45:17,795
And now this black boy
from Delaware

1586
01:45:17,862 --> 01:45:19,465
walks into their courtrooms

1587
01:45:19,531 --> 01:45:20,932
and expects them to admit

1588
01:45:20,998 --> 01:45:24,336
they convicted
an innocent black man.

1589
01:45:27,004 --> 01:45:28,507
I promised
that whole community

1590
01:45:28,574 --> 01:45:30,375
I was gonna bring him home.

1591
01:45:34,712 --> 01:45:36,981
Then I just
made things worse.

1592
01:45:45,823 --> 01:45:47,792
I've heard
a lot of lawyers say

1593
01:45:47,859 --> 01:45:50,761
it's not a good idea
to get close to your clients.

1594
01:45:51,762 --> 01:45:53,965
Distance is healthy.

1595
01:45:57,168 --> 01:46:00,638
But working with you showed me
that that's bullshit.

1596
01:46:02,441 --> 01:46:06,345
You choose to get close
to every one of them.

1597
01:46:06,411 --> 01:46:10,815
And you love them
like they are your family.

1598
01:46:10,882 --> 01:46:13,918
And when your family
is hurting, you're hurting.

1599
01:46:19,525 --> 01:46:22,026
There is no way
that I could fully understand

1600
01:46:22,093 --> 01:46:24,196
what it is
that you're going through.

1601
01:46:28,032 --> 01:46:29,734
But I am pretty sure that

1602
01:46:29,800 --> 01:46:32,703
you mean a lot more to this
community than you think.

1603
01:47:38,537 --> 01:47:40,472
Walter, I'm so sorry.

1604
01:47:47,346 --> 01:47:50,482
Day I got arrested,
I thought I was gonna be okay.

1605
01:47:52,417 --> 01:47:54,386
'Cause I got the truth.

1606
01:47:58,457 --> 01:48:00,626
Soon as they talk to
everybody that was with me,

1607
01:48:00,692 --> 01:48:02,860
they gonna have
to let me go.

1608
01:48:07,898 --> 01:48:11,002
Then the police
keep calling you a killer.

1609
01:48:13,238 --> 01:48:17,509
Some white dude say
he saw you do it.

1610
01:48:20,945 --> 01:48:23,415
News people saying
you did it.

1611
01:48:25,016 --> 01:48:28,553
Judge and jury
saying you did it.

1612
01:48:31,889 --> 01:48:33,824
Now you on the row...

1613
01:48:37,663 --> 01:48:40,164
two, three, four years.

1614
01:48:40,232 --> 01:48:41,700
Your friends and your kids

1615
01:48:41,767 --> 01:48:44,001
ain't calling you
like they used to.

1616
01:48:46,204 --> 01:48:48,674
After a while,
you start wondering

1617
01:48:48,740 --> 01:48:50,575
what they think about you.

1618
01:48:52,043 --> 01:48:55,247
You start wondering
what you think about you.

1619
01:49:00,985 --> 01:49:03,588
The truth
ain't so clear no more.

1620
01:49:08,627 --> 01:49:11,128
But these last few days,

1621
01:49:11,196 --> 01:49:14,333
I can't stop thinking
about Myers up there.

1622
01:49:14,399 --> 01:49:17,235
Telling everybody
how it went down.

1623
01:49:21,239 --> 01:49:23,107
That's the first time
I feel like myself

1624
01:49:23,174 --> 01:49:25,177
since I've been locked up.

1625
01:49:27,579 --> 01:49:30,315
The first time
I remember who I is.

1626
01:49:39,291 --> 01:49:42,093
These fools gonna do
what they gonna do.

1627
01:49:45,263 --> 01:49:48,200
But if they take me
to that chair tonight...

1628
01:49:51,269 --> 01:49:53,438
I'm going out smiling.

1629
01:49:56,241 --> 01:49:58,610
'Cause I got my truth back.

1630
01:50:03,147 --> 01:50:05,149
You gave that to me.

1631
01:50:07,952 --> 01:50:10,087
To me and my family.

1632
01:50:12,591 --> 01:50:15,394
And ain't nobody
gonna take that from us.

1633
01:50:25,035 --> 01:50:27,071
You ain't quitting, is you?

1634
01:50:31,243 --> 01:50:32,511
No, sir.

1635
01:50:39,384 --> 01:50:42,487
Then there ain't no reason
for you to say you're sorry.

1636
01:50:49,594 --> 01:50:51,530
<i>I know
how disappointing</i>

1637
01:50:51,596 --> 01:50:53,265
the last hearing was,

1638
01:50:53,331 --> 01:50:57,001
but that's not where
this is gonna end.

1639
01:50:57,067 --> 01:50:58,670
We're preparing a motion
to submit our evidence

1640
01:50:58,737 --> 01:51:01,506
to the State Supreme Court
in Montgomery.

1641
01:51:01,573 --> 01:51:03,608
They have the power
to reverse the last decision

1642
01:51:03,675 --> 01:51:06,611
and force the circuit court
to give us a new trial.

1643
01:51:07,679 --> 01:51:09,314
You think they'll do that?

1644
01:51:09,381 --> 01:51:11,483
Nothing's guaranteed.

1645
01:51:11,550 --> 01:51:13,351
But I can't see
how an outside court

1646
01:51:13,418 --> 01:51:15,687
can ignore the evidence
that we have.

1647
01:51:17,121 --> 01:51:18,623
And then what?

1648
01:51:19,691 --> 01:51:20,991
Even if he do get out,

1649
01:51:21,058 --> 01:51:23,961
everybody but us
still gonna think he guilty.

1650
01:51:24,028 --> 01:51:25,029
If they can't kill him
in there,

1651
01:51:25,095 --> 01:51:27,031
they can still do it out here.

1652
01:51:28,032 --> 01:51:30,235
We've been worried
about that, too.

1653
01:51:30,302 --> 01:51:33,205
And we're working on something
to help get the truth out.

1654
01:51:39,845 --> 01:51:41,045
We're rolling.

1655
01:51:41,111 --> 01:51:42,614
Whenever you're ready,
Mr. Bradley.

1656
01:51:42,681 --> 01:51:45,317
Okay, Bryan,
you ready?

1657
01:51:45,784 --> 01:51:47,352
I am.

1658
01:51:51,189 --> 01:51:53,191
<i>His name is Walter McMillian,</i>

1659
01:51:53,258 --> 01:51:55,059
<i>known to his friends
as Johnny D.,</i>

1660
01:51:55,125 --> 01:51:57,929
<i>and he's been on death row
in Alabama's Holman prison</i>

1661
01:51:57,995 --> 01:52:00,164
<i>for almost six years.</i>

1662
01:52:00,232 --> 01:52:02,734
<i>A jury was convinced
they got the right man.</i>

1663
01:52:02,801 --> 01:52:06,404
<i>But you may not be
after you watch this story.</i>

1664
01:52:06,471 --> 01:52:07,772
<i>The clerk who was murdered...</i>

1665
01:52:07,839 --> 01:52:10,040
Hey, hey, turn that up!
I can't hear it.

1666
01:52:10,107 --> 01:52:14,044
<i>Johnny D. says they
want to execute the wrong man.</i>

1667
01:52:14,111 --> 01:52:16,013
<i>You didn't kill
Ronda Morrison?</i>

1668
01:52:16,080 --> 01:52:17,916
<i>No, sir. I never seen Ronda
Morrison a day in my life.</i>

1669
01:52:17,983 --> 01:52:19,951
<i>God knows I ain't.</i>

1670
01:52:20,017 --> 01:52:22,187
<i>Did you ever go into
Monroeville on the day of the murder?</i>

1671
01:52:22,254 --> 01:52:23,788
<i>No, sir.</i>

1672
01:52:23,855 --> 01:52:25,257
<i>You never went in...</i>

1673
01:52:25,323 --> 01:52:26,791
<i>Never went
to Monroeville, period.</i>

1674
01:52:26,858 --> 01:52:28,827
<i>I told them
I had seen a young girl</i>

1675
01:52:28,894 --> 01:52:31,161
<i>laying on the floor
with her mouth open.</i>

1676
01:52:31,229 --> 01:52:33,198
<i>Johnny D. standing over her.</i>

1677
01:52:33,265 --> 01:52:34,833
<i>Was it true?</i>

1678
01:52:34,900 --> 01:52:38,537
<i>No, sir. Not at all.
Nowhere near true.</i>

1679
01:52:38,603 --> 01:52:41,239
<i>If an execution date
is set for McMillian,</i>

1680
01:52:41,306 --> 01:52:42,908
<i>and that day comes,</i>

1681
01:52:42,974 --> 01:52:46,076
<i>and it's time for him to go
to the electric chair,</i>

1682
01:52:46,143 --> 01:52:47,579
<i>will you be comfortable?</i>

1683
01:52:47,646 --> 01:52:49,548
<i>Yes.</i>

1684
01:52:49,614 --> 01:52:51,616
<i>I'd be comfortable with it.</i>

1685
01:52:51,683 --> 01:52:54,452
<i>Do you think
it's fair, just? He had his...</i>

1686
01:52:54,519 --> 01:52:56,187
<i>He had his day in court.</i>

1687
01:52:56,254 --> 01:52:58,390
<i>He, uh, was tried by a jury.</i>

1688
01:52:58,456 --> 01:53:01,125
<i>They heard his testimony
and they believed it.</i>

1689
01:53:01,192 --> 01:53:02,794
<i>Chapman says he's going</i>

1690
01:53:02,861 --> 01:53:04,596
<i>to indict Myers for perjury.</i>

1691
01:53:04,663 --> 01:53:06,932
<i>Not for what he said
at the trial,</i>

1692
01:53:06,998 --> 01:53:09,000
<i>but for what he's saying now.</i>

1693
01:53:09,066 --> 01:53:10,869
<i>Next, we'll be
presenting our evidence</i>

1694
01:53:10,936 --> 01:53:12,537
<i>to the Alabama Supreme Court,</i>

1695
01:53:12,604 --> 01:53:15,373
<i>hoping they'll see
what we think is very clear...</i>

1696
01:53:15,440 --> 01:53:17,509
<i>that Walter McMillian
is innocent.</i>

1697
01:53:17,576 --> 01:53:20,011
<i>McMillian's fate
is now in the hands</i>

1698
01:53:20,077 --> 01:53:21,580
<i>of the Alabama Supreme Court,</i>

1699
01:53:21,646 --> 01:53:24,114
<i>which is expected
to decide soon</i>

1700
01:53:24,182 --> 01:53:26,384
<i>if he's entitled
to a new trial.</i>

1701
01:53:31,890 --> 01:53:33,792
EJI, this is Brenda.

1702
01:53:37,329 --> 01:53:39,497
Okay. I'll let him know.
Thank you.

1703
01:53:42,634 --> 01:53:44,869
The supreme court ruling
in the McMillian case

1704
01:53:44,936 --> 01:53:46,471
is ready to be picked up.

1705
01:53:51,743 --> 01:53:53,110
I'll be back.

1706
01:54:14,332 --> 01:54:15,600
<i>A wave of shock</i>

1707
01:54:15,667 --> 01:54:17,035
<i>rolled through
Monroe County today,</i>

1708
01:54:17,102 --> 01:54:18,703
when the Alabama
Supreme Court overturned

1709
01:54:18,770 --> 01:54:20,372
the circuit court's
previous decision,

1710
01:54:20,438 --> 01:54:22,540
and granted a new trial
to convicted killer

1711
01:54:22,607 --> 01:54:24,843
Walter "Johnny D." McMillian.

1712
01:54:24,909 --> 01:54:27,045
This was the first time
a court outside the county

1713
01:54:27,112 --> 01:54:28,647
was shown
the overwhelming evidence

1714
01:54:28,713 --> 01:54:30,515
proving Mr. McMillian's
innocence.

1715
01:54:30,582 --> 01:54:32,417
Though the court
granted him a new trial,

1716
01:54:32,484 --> 01:54:34,319
we believe he deserves
to be released immediately.

1717
01:54:34,386 --> 01:54:36,955
And that's exactly what we'll
be arguing at the next hearing.

1718
01:54:37,022 --> 01:54:38,590
Mr. Chapman, how do you feel
about today's decision?

1719
01:54:38,657 --> 01:54:41,292
I have no comment
at this time. Thank you.

1720
01:54:48,633 --> 01:54:50,969
I'm looking
for Attorney Bryan Stevenson.

1721
01:54:52,604 --> 01:54:54,606
- Mr. Stevenson?
- How can I help you?

1722
01:54:54,673 --> 01:54:57,509
Yes, sir, I've been ordered
to serve you this pleading.

1723
01:54:58,309 --> 01:54:59,744
Thank you.

1724
01:55:15,026 --> 01:55:17,529
Tommy Chapman is asking the
court to stay the proceedings,

1725
01:55:17,595 --> 01:55:20,699
so he can open up
a new investigation.

1726
01:55:20,765 --> 01:55:23,702
He's trying to buy time
to rebuild his case.

1727
01:55:23,768 --> 01:55:26,738
That son of a bitch.

1728
01:55:33,344 --> 01:55:34,779
- Bryan?
- You're asking the court

1729
01:55:34,846 --> 01:55:37,582
to keep a man on death row
you know is innocent.

1730
01:55:39,284 --> 01:55:40,552
Excuse me, Counselor?

1731
01:55:40,618 --> 01:55:42,188
I don't know
what you mean.

1732
01:55:42,253 --> 01:55:44,255
The supreme court supports
all the evidence we presented.

1733
01:55:44,322 --> 01:55:46,257
Every one of
your witnesses recanted.

1734
01:55:46,324 --> 01:55:47,859
You got nothing left.

1735
01:55:47,926 --> 01:55:49,561
Well, hang on,
my investigation's still in process.

1736
01:55:49,627 --> 01:55:51,763
And we both know you're not
gonna find anything.

1737
01:55:54,733 --> 01:55:57,302
You have any idea the bullshit

1738
01:55:57,368 --> 01:55:58,603
that I've had to put up with

1739
01:55:58,670 --> 01:56:01,139
since your <i>60 Minutes</i>
story aired?

1740
01:56:01,207 --> 01:56:02,540
I got the governor on my ass,

1741
01:56:02,607 --> 01:56:05,477
got the NAACP
calling me a racist.

1742
01:56:05,543 --> 01:56:07,779
I got Ronda's family
checking in every five minutes.

1743
01:56:07,846 --> 01:56:09,514
You can't keep
an innocent man in prison

1744
01:56:09,581 --> 01:56:10,982
while you try to salvage
your reputation.

1745
01:56:11,049 --> 01:56:13,818
This ain't got nothing to do
with my reputation.

1746
01:56:14,853 --> 01:56:16,654
This is about the people
of this county

1747
01:56:16,721 --> 01:56:19,858
who have hired me
to keep 'em safe.

1748
01:56:19,924 --> 01:56:22,694
And what people are you
talking about right now?

1749
01:56:22,761 --> 01:56:24,462
The ones
from this neighborhood?

1750
01:56:24,529 --> 01:56:26,030
Or the ones
from the black community

1751
01:56:26,097 --> 01:56:27,532
you took Johnny D. from?

1752
01:56:27,599 --> 01:56:30,034
You think they feel safe?

1753
01:56:32,871 --> 01:56:35,473
Your job isn't to defend
a conviction, Tommy.

1754
01:56:35,540 --> 01:56:37,909
It's to achieve justice.

1755
01:56:37,976 --> 01:56:39,844
And as long
as you keep fighting this,

1756
01:56:39,911 --> 01:56:40,912
someone from your county

1757
01:56:40,979 --> 01:56:44,549
has literally gotten away
with murder.

1758
01:56:44,616 --> 01:56:46,484
You wanna come all the way
to my house at dinner time

1759
01:56:46,551 --> 01:56:48,254
just to tell me
how to do my job?

1760
01:56:48,319 --> 01:56:49,487
No.

1761
01:56:49,554 --> 01:56:50,755
No, I'm here
because I think you know

1762
01:56:50,822 --> 01:56:53,491
the difference
between right and wrong.

1763
01:56:53,558 --> 01:56:56,327
And you know Johnny D.
didn't kill that girl.

1764
01:56:57,796 --> 01:57:00,431
I'm filing a motion
to dismiss all charges.

1765
01:57:00,498 --> 01:57:02,834
And I think that
you should join it.

1766
01:57:14,012 --> 01:57:16,681
Next time you wanna
stop by my house,

1767
01:57:18,616 --> 01:57:20,552
appreciate you
calling me first.

1768
01:57:20,618 --> 01:57:23,054
Now, you get the hell
off my property, Bryan.

1769
01:57:43,408 --> 01:57:45,109
There's Bryan.

1770
01:57:45,177 --> 01:57:47,078
- What's going on?
- They won't let us in.

1771
01:57:47,145 --> 01:57:51,049
That boy is making us wait
out here for over an hour.

1772
01:57:51,115 --> 01:57:52,383
Excuse me.

1773
01:57:52,450 --> 01:57:53,685
What are you doing?

1774
01:57:53,751 --> 01:57:55,520
Just following orders.

1775
01:57:55,587 --> 01:57:56,888
This is a public hearing.

1776
01:57:56,955 --> 01:57:58,923
These people need
to be let in now.

1777
01:58:01,459 --> 01:58:02,660
Um...

1778
01:58:05,663 --> 01:58:07,498
Y'all can go in now.

1779
01:58:07,565 --> 01:58:09,133
Now that
there's no seats left.

1780
01:58:09,201 --> 01:58:11,069
It's okay.

1781
01:58:11,135 --> 01:58:12,570
We'll find room.

1782
01:58:12,637 --> 01:58:13,738
- Go on in.
- Y'all come on.

1783
01:58:13,805 --> 01:58:15,341
- Excuse us.
- Yeah.

1784
01:58:15,406 --> 01:58:17,375
Come on, y'all.

1785
01:58:17,442 --> 01:58:19,811
Right this way. Come on.

1786
01:58:19,878 --> 01:58:21,079
Okay.

1787
01:58:24,415 --> 01:58:25,483
Good to see you, sugar.

1788
01:58:25,550 --> 01:58:27,719
Okay. Thank you.
Yes, ma'am.

1789
01:58:29,387 --> 01:58:30,922
All rise.

1790
01:58:33,391 --> 01:58:35,593
The 28th Judicial
Circuit Court of Alabama

1791
01:58:35,660 --> 01:58:36,995
is now is session.

1792
01:58:37,061 --> 01:58:40,131
The Honorable Judge
Pamela Baschab presiding.

1793
01:58:40,199 --> 01:58:41,532
Please be seated.

1794
01:58:44,602 --> 01:58:46,238
We've got a full house,

1795
01:58:46,305 --> 01:58:49,308
so let's try to move through
this in a timely manner.

1796
01:58:49,375 --> 01:58:51,643
We're here
because Mr. Stevenson

1797
01:58:51,709 --> 01:58:54,612
has filed a motion
to dismiss all charges

1798
01:58:54,679 --> 01:58:57,115
against Mr. McMillian
in this case.

1799
01:58:57,182 --> 01:58:58,983
Now, Mr. Stevenson,
since it's your motion,

1800
01:58:59,050 --> 01:59:00,852
I'd like for you
to speak to it first

1801
01:59:00,919 --> 01:59:02,954
and then we'll hear
from the State.

1802
01:59:15,600 --> 01:59:16,901
It's easy to see this case

1803
01:59:16,968 --> 01:59:20,406
as one man trying to prove
his innocence.

1804
01:59:20,471 --> 01:59:23,074
But when you take a black man
and you put him on death row

1805
01:59:23,141 --> 01:59:25,677
a year before his trial...

1806
01:59:25,743 --> 01:59:29,914
and exclude black people
from serving on his jury...

1807
01:59:29,981 --> 01:59:31,383
When you base
your conviction

1808
01:59:31,449 --> 01:59:33,952
on a coerced testimony
of a white felon,

1809
01:59:34,018 --> 01:59:36,322
and ignore the testimony
of two dozen

1810
01:59:36,388 --> 01:59:39,757
law-abiding
black witnesses...

1811
01:59:39,824 --> 01:59:41,960
When any evidence proving
his innocence is suppressed

1812
01:59:42,026 --> 01:59:46,130
and anyone who tries to tell
the truth is threatened,

1813
01:59:46,198 --> 01:59:48,132
this case becomes
more than the trial

1814
01:59:48,200 --> 01:59:49,934
of just a single defendant.

1815
01:59:50,535 --> 01:59:52,136
It becomes a test

1816
01:59:52,204 --> 01:59:56,074
of whether we're going to be
governed by fear and by anger,

1817
01:59:56,140 --> 01:59:58,076
or by the rule of law.

1818
02:00:04,316 --> 02:00:06,251
If the people standing
at the back of this courtroom

1819
02:00:06,318 --> 02:00:09,554
are all presumed guilty
when accused...

1820
02:00:11,256 --> 02:00:13,591
If they have to leave here
and live in fear

1821
02:00:13,658 --> 02:00:16,594
of when this very thing
will happen to them...

1822
02:00:18,230 --> 02:00:19,897
If we're just gonna accept
the system

1823
02:00:19,964 --> 02:00:22,867
that treats you better
if you're rich and guilty

1824
02:00:22,934 --> 02:00:24,370
than if you're poor
and innocent,

1825
02:00:24,436 --> 02:00:28,240
then we can't claim
to be just.

1826
02:00:28,307 --> 02:00:31,642
If we say we're committed
to equal justice under law

1827
02:00:31,709 --> 02:00:33,778
to protecting the rights
of every citizen,

1828
02:00:33,845 --> 02:00:37,615
regardless of wealth,
race, or status,

1829
02:00:37,682 --> 02:00:38,950
then we have to
end this nightmare

1830
02:00:39,017 --> 02:00:41,886
for Walter McMillian
and his family.

1831
02:00:41,953 --> 02:00:43,554
The charges against him
have been proven

1832
02:00:43,621 --> 02:00:45,056
to be a false construction

1833
02:00:45,123 --> 02:00:48,960
of desperate people
fueled by bigotry and bias,

1834
02:00:49,027 --> 02:00:51,829
who ignored the truth in
exchange for easy solutions,

1835
02:00:51,896 --> 02:00:54,098
and that's not the law.

1836
02:00:55,533 --> 02:00:57,568
That's not justice.

1837
02:01:00,406 --> 02:01:02,173
That's not right.

1838
02:01:04,776 --> 02:01:05,977
I ask that this case

1839
02:01:06,044 --> 02:01:08,679
be dismissed immediately,
Your Honor.

1840
02:01:11,417 --> 02:01:13,117
Thank you.

1841
02:01:25,397 --> 02:01:27,698
Mr. Chapman,
what is the State's position

1842
02:01:27,765 --> 02:01:29,234
on this motion?

1843
02:01:35,873 --> 02:01:39,110
Your Honor,
may I approach the bench?

1844
02:01:39,178 --> 02:01:40,611
Yes.

1845
02:01:44,816 --> 02:01:46,684
Your Honor, um...

1846
02:01:46,751 --> 02:01:48,753
I'm troubled.

1847
02:01:49,654 --> 02:01:51,722
- You're troubled?
- Troubled.

1848
02:01:56,127 --> 02:01:58,397
'Cause I know that the
people in this community

1849
02:01:58,464 --> 02:02:00,031
want to go
to sleep at night

1850
02:02:00,098 --> 02:02:02,733
knowing that if someone has
committed a terrible crime,

1851
02:02:02,800 --> 02:02:05,703
then that someone
is gonna be punished.

1852
02:02:10,275 --> 02:02:12,143
But, um,

1853
02:02:12,211 --> 02:02:13,978
in this case...

1854
02:02:15,913 --> 02:02:17,549
Your Honor, I have, um,

1855
02:02:17,615 --> 02:02:20,319
taken another look
at the evidence...

1856
02:02:20,385 --> 02:02:21,819
and, uh...

1857
02:02:26,191 --> 02:02:27,892
Mr. Chapman, please?

1858
02:02:27,959 --> 02:02:30,862
And the State does not object
to the motion, Your Honor.

1859
02:02:32,531 --> 02:02:33,865
What?

1860
02:02:36,268 --> 02:02:38,337
To be clear,
Mr. Chapman,

1861
02:02:38,403 --> 02:02:42,773
are you joining the motion
to dismiss all charges today?

1862
02:02:44,041 --> 02:02:45,511
Yes, Your Honor, I am.

1863
02:02:47,011 --> 02:02:48,146
Order.

1864
02:02:48,213 --> 02:02:51,216
Please. Order.

1865
02:02:54,386 --> 02:02:55,587
Well...

1866
02:02:55,653 --> 02:02:58,290
y'all have made
my job easy today.

1867
02:02:58,357 --> 02:03:02,026
In the case of
<i>The People v. McMillian,</i>

1868
02:03:02,093 --> 02:03:06,198
the court hereby grants
the defendant's motion.

1869
02:03:06,265 --> 02:03:09,434
All charges against you
are dismissed, Mr. McMillian.

1870
02:03:09,501 --> 02:03:11,936
What does that mean?

1871
02:03:12,003 --> 02:03:13,671
That means you're free.

1872
02:03:13,738 --> 02:03:15,440
- I'm free?
- That means you're free and you get to go home.

1873
02:03:30,589 --> 02:03:31,822
Hey.

1874
02:03:35,561 --> 02:03:36,894
Your family's coming.

1875
02:03:59,884 --> 02:04:02,321
I have my family back.

1876
02:04:50,167 --> 02:04:52,471
We're all with you, brother.

1877
02:05:13,592 --> 02:05:15,394
Yo, Johnny D.!

1878
02:05:44,323 --> 02:05:45,657
<i>I came out
of law school</i>

1879
02:05:45,724 --> 02:05:47,192
<i>with grand ideas in my mind</i>

1880
02:05:47,259 --> 02:05:49,827
<i>about how to change the world.</i>

1881
02:05:52,497 --> 02:05:54,065
<i>But Mr. McMillian
made me realize</i>

1882
02:05:54,131 --> 02:05:55,334
<i>we can't change the world</i>

1883
02:05:55,400 --> 02:05:58,503
<i>with only ideas
in our minds.</i>

1884
02:05:58,570 --> 02:06:01,172
<i>We need conviction
in our hearts.</i>

1885
02:06:02,441 --> 02:06:05,142
<i>This man taught me
how to stay hopeful.</i>

1886
02:06:05,210 --> 02:06:07,512
<i>Because I now know
that hopelessness</i>

1887
02:06:07,579 --> 02:06:09,748
<i>is the enemy of justice.</i>

1888
02:06:11,616 --> 02:06:13,318
<i>Hope allows us
to push forward,</i>

1889
02:06:13,385 --> 02:06:14,985
<i>even when the truth
is distorted</i>

1890
02:06:15,052 --> 02:06:16,588
<i>by the people in power.</i>

1891
02:06:19,324 --> 02:06:21,526
<i>It allows us to stand up</i>

1892
02:06:21,593 --> 02:06:23,428
<i>when they tell us
to sit down.</i>

1893
02:06:23,495 --> 02:06:26,997
<i>And to speak
when they say, "Be quiet."</i>

1894
02:06:31,336 --> 02:06:33,538
Through this work,
I've learned that each of us

1895
02:06:33,605 --> 02:06:36,006
is more than the worst
thing that we've ever done.

1896
02:06:37,676 --> 02:06:41,313
That the opposite of poverty
isn't wealth.

1897
02:06:41,380 --> 02:06:44,649
The opposite of poverty
is justice.

1898
02:06:46,184 --> 02:06:48,487
That the character
of our nation isn't reflected

1899
02:06:48,553 --> 02:06:52,190
in how we treat the rich
and the privileged,

1900
02:06:52,257 --> 02:06:57,362
but how we treat the poor,
the disfavored and condemned.

1901
02:07:01,333 --> 02:07:04,969
Our system has taken more
away from this innocent man

1902
02:07:05,035 --> 02:07:07,439
than it has the power
to give back.

1903
02:07:10,141 --> 02:07:13,911
But I believe if each of us
can follow his lead,

1904
02:07:13,978 --> 02:07:16,981
we can change this world
for the better.

1905
02:07:20,385 --> 02:07:23,355
If we can look
at ourselves closely,

1906
02:07:23,422 --> 02:07:25,156
and honestly,

1907
02:07:25,223 --> 02:07:29,093
I believe we will see
that we all need justice.

1908
02:07:30,127 --> 02:07:32,864
We all need mercy.

1909
02:07:32,930 --> 02:07:34,433
And perhaps,

1910
02:07:34,499 --> 02:07:38,537
we all need some measure
of unmerited grace.

1911
02:07:41,071 --> 02:07:42,973
Thank you.

1912
02:07:45,677 --> 02:07:48,180
I taught you all that?

1913
02:07:50,615 --> 02:07:53,618
Yeah, you taught me
some of that.

1914
02:07:53,685 --> 02:07:55,019
I'm pretty good, ain't I?

1915
02:07:57,823 --> 02:07:59,391
Great job.

1916
02:09:50,067 --> 02:09:51,903
Hi!

1917
02:09:51,970 --> 02:09:55,640
Oh, Lord, thank you, Jesus.

1918
02:09:55,707 --> 02:09:58,710
Thank you, Lord.

1919
02:09:58,777 --> 02:10:02,547
Oh, thank you, Jesus.