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Yeah! Go, buddy, go!
That baby's going scared!
Give me one.
Get them.
Hey, boys!
How y'all doing?
What are you looking at? You want to get shot?!
Go, baby!
-You got it! -Pearl Harbor!
Here's another one!
Watch this!
100 points!
It’s a beautiful day, isn't it?
Bye, Tonya.
Clean up that mess, boy.
Hungry?
You're having nothing?
I’m having them.
Shit.
Bye, girls.
Let's go!
You're on the house.
Harry Rex!
All those weekends...
...fishing...
...lounging, opportunities lost...
...to renovate yourself.
Tragic, just tragic, Jake.
Makes Carla happy.
Spent 4 marriages trying to figure out what makes women happy.
You spent 4 marriages trying to figure out what makes you happy.
Maybe that's it.
Yeah, maybe.
Swiggy?
Lord, let my car be fixed today.
Oh, dear.
Who's that?
She's young.
Hold this.
What're you doing?
If they're old enough to crawl, they're in the right position.
What're you doing?
What're you going to do?
50 points!
You good, boy!
Shut up!
Daddy!
Go, bud.
Shut up!
I’ll kill you.
My turn.
There you are.
Shut up!
Daddy!
Mama!
What is this?
Groceries!
Y'all see her?
How many appointments do we have today?
Not a one.
But it is the first of the month again and guess what.
The checks are pouring in. We have enough money to pay our debts.
That'll be your last drink.
Just keep us no more than one month behind on any vendor.
You have been drinking.
2 months.
These are the most delinquent. The rent's in there.
I appreciate the practice, Captain.
But you could've left me a few clients.
Baby, here's Daddy coming.
I’m here, baby. Daddy's here.
Daddy...
...I’m sorry I dropped the groceries.
That's all right, baby. That's all right, baby.
That's all right.
Look at this.
Billy Ray.
Sorry, sir, but we don't allow no African-Americans here.
Billy Ray Cobb...
...you and Willard must come with me.
I ain't moving.
The girl you took for a ride...
What girl?
I got bad news for you. She didn't die.
So unless there's another redneck asshole with a yellow truck...
...with a Confederate flag--
Blue gums...
...get out of here and grab a branch.
Unless you got an explanation for why this was in your truck...
...you're going to jail.
Get up.
You go to hell, nigger.
Goddamn!
Come here.
Now, you earn the right to remain silent!
Here, just like you like them.
-Sugar, today I’m going to have-- -Go to hell.
I’ll just watch baby eat his.
I didn't handle her husband's divorce.
I’m shriveling away here.
I’m shriveling.
What's up?
Didn't you defend Billy Ray Cobb a few years back?
What for?
Caught him selling dope.
Spent time in Parchman. Got out last year.
I think some Memphis lawyer handled that.
Why do you ask?
Picked him up for rape. Him and Willard.
Who'd they rape?
You know Carl Lee Hailey?
I defended his brother Lester.
It was his little girl.
Little Tonya?
How old's she?
She's ten.
Mr. Willard...
...I’m Sheriff Walls.
My mama voted for you.
I seen you play for the Rams.
Way I figure, a nigger sheriff's okay, been on TV.
No offense.
What's your full name?
James Lewis Willard.
4, which is a difference of 110.60.
Who's there?
Carl Lee.
How is she?
She's holding on.
Doctor says she ain't out of the woods yet, though.
They worked her over something good.
You remember them 4 white boys raped that black girl last year?
They got off, didn't they?
I was in a jam, you'd help me out, wouldn't you?
Sure, Carl Lee.
What kind of jam you talking of?
You got a daughter, Jake.
What would you do?
You dream some good dreams.
Good night, Daddy.
Night, baby.
Is she asleep?
She's so sweet.
Yeah, she is...
...next to you.
When I look at her though, I cannot help but think about...
...Tonya.
Don't.
Don't do that to yourself.
Something wrong?
Tonya's father...
...Carl Lee Hailey...
...came to the office today.
Man's heart is torn wide open, baby.
I don't know, but...
...seemed like he was going to do something.
Like what?
Something like killing those boys.
Was he serious?
I don't know. I don't know.
It could be just hurt talking.
But when you think it's possible those two animals could...
...go free...
...and be walking the streets....
I don't know.
After what that man has been through, he's capable of anything.
Somebody should do something.
You should call Sheriff Walls.
...to release the owner from assessment.
I hope I’m having a heart attack...
...'cause then I get to sue you!
Don't stand on ceremony, come on in.
What? No clients?
Just waiting to pick yours up on appeal.
And you, are you on vacation?
Fortunately for me, my lovely...
...divorce doesn't go on vacation.
However...
...not even the richest, most ridiculous settlement I get...
...will be as satisfying as watching those two hyenas...
...get what's coming to them.
Oh, dear.
I’m a fool for those German-type convertibles.
Come on, let's get to court.
Lucien thinks the two hyenas just might get off.
You saw Lucien?
When? Where?
How is he?
Has he been eating better?
Just curious.
Refresh my recollection, how long were you and Lucien together?
We were never together. I was his secretary for 20 years.
Come on, old girl.
You can tell us.
He was your boyfriend.
I am an upstanding, God-fearing, respectable woman...
...with unimpeachable morals who has been happily married 27 years.
And I have never had or ever will have any boyfriend!
And if I did...
...it would not be that old pickled scoundrel Lucien Wilbanks!
-She did him, a lot. -Definitely.
Step back.
Come on out.
Boys, today's your big day.
We'll go to the courthouse, the judge will set your bail...
...then we'll come back, nice and peaceful.
If I get any trouble out of you, I’m going to integrate this jail.
Mama, Daddy's home!
Hannah, let's go inside for a minute.
Let's find a book.
Jake, are you hurt? Jake, what happened to you?!
Honey, are you okay? What happened to you?
What is this? What is going on with you?!
Jake, baby, are you okay?
What happened?
I'll see you.
Will the sheriff comment?
He might make a statement, or not.
-Is it first-degree murder? -I don't know.
Here comes the sheriff.
I got no comment. No comment.
Hey, Jake. Carl Lee said you'd be coming.
Are you an attorney?
I'll make a statement. Get these vans out of here.
Give us something for our newscasts.
Didn't think I'd do it, did you?
How you holding up?
I ain't had nothing against them till they messed with my baby.
And I feel sorry for their mamas and their daddys, but...
...I ain't sorry for what I done.
How's Looney?
You blew his knee off his leg.
Doctors are still with him.
What'll happen to me?
There's going to be a preliminary hearing. Probably tomorrow.
Then Buckley'll push for a fast trial.
Who's Buckley?
Rufus Buckley...
...district attorney.
He's mean, he's ambitious and he'll eat this up because of the publicity.
But you've beat him?
Yeah.
Not in a murder case.
Think I can win?
All depends on the jury, Carl Lee.
Pick the right jury, and you'll walk.
DA picks the jury and...
...you get the gas.
How much a case like this cost?
Probably 50 grand.
I can pay maybe ten.
There're not a...
...lot of white lawyers would've took my brother's case.
You did and got him off.
I figure there's people out there...
...tired of all the raping and killing and...
...they'd be sympathetic to a man who took the law into his own hands...
...even if he is black.
You said you'd help me out if I was in a jam.
Well, I’m in one now.
What do you say?
What can you tell us, sheriff?
Comment?
Are you with the police?
I’m a lawyer.
Are you Hailey's attorney?
Are you Mr. Hailey's attorney?
Yes, I am.
Your name?
Brigance. Jake Brigance. That's with one 'G.'
Hailey's hired an attorney.
Jake Brigance.
And today ain't even my birthday.
Brigance couldn't tie his own tie without Wilbanks.
He's never lost a murder case.
Well, he's never tried one against me. What time's the preliminary?
Tomorrow at 3. Judge Omar Noose presiding.
I was wrong. It is my birthday.
All right.
First, Brigance will file for a change of venue.
He'd be a fool not to.
Why's that?
Why?
Should we tell our young, uninformed law clerk...
...the reality of jurisprudence?
Evelyn, get me the state file on race statistics!
See, it's quite simple.
This county's 26-30º/o black, give or take.
Almost every other county is 40-45, in some cases 70º/o black.
Blacks are more sympathetic to blacks.
If he gets it moved, he has a greater chance of color in the jury box.
But if the trial stays here, it's an all white jury for sure.
This is for you...
...to integrate your brain with before tomorrow.
He means without blacks on the jury, Hailey hasn't got a chance.
Noose is up for re-elect?
Yeah, November.
Reach out to our legislature friends.
Have them call Noose. We'll help him decide to keep the trial here.
Also, send a case of whatever he drinks to Lucien Wilbanks.
Dewars.
Keep that old drunk on the sidelines.
Get me Sam.
And, gentlemen...
...no mistakes.
This is what we've waited for.
Justifiable homicide'll never hold up.
My only chance is to find a shrink...
...to say Carl Lee was insane at the time.
Now I might know a man who owes me a favor.
You file for a change of venue?
Of course.
If Judge Noose denies it...
...then you'll get an all white jury and you'll lose.
Thanks.
Bear in mind that Mr. Hailey is guilty as sin under our legal system.
It does not permit vigilante violence...
...and he took the law into his own hands.
He murdered two people.
Two people who raped his 10-year-old daughter.
You know...
...you can win this case...
...and justice will prevail.
But lose...
...and justice will also prevail. Now that's a strange case.
I could use your help.
The sons-of-bitches decertified me, Jake.
I swore I will never enter another courtroom. Ever!
You're the best lawyer I’ve ever seen.
I know how much it hurt when they took your license away.
But they can't take your mind unless you let them.
Good speech.
I had a good teacher.
Remember when I came to you?
In that ridiculous blue suit.
You sat me down and said to me...
...”I cannot promise you riches.
What I can offer you...
...is a chance to save the world...
...one case at a time.”
I’m saying the same words back to you right now.
How about it, Lucien?
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters.
Yea, though I walk...
...through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...
...for Thou art with me.
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me.”
Sure am sorry about your brother.
Old Willard, too.
Good boys both.
10 years ago...
...that nigger'd be hanging by the end of a rope.
Tell me what's wrong with this country.
Klan would know what to do.
My granddaddy, he was Klan.
Ain't no Klan here.
There's still some boys around.
Skinheads who want to blow up the government?
No, sir. Good God-fearing Klan.
I got a friend, used to be active. I could call him.
You do that.
You tell them boys we need some Klan here in Canton.
I mean, right quick.
Hurry up.
Coming, coming.
Look, there's Ozzie.
To our family's TV debut.
To the big time.
I can't believe he didn't take you seriously about Carl Lee.
Baby, some folks think those boys got what they deserved.
Here.
Carl Lee Hailey may spend life in jail. His family doesn't deserve that.
-You did call Ozzie? -Look here.
Daddy's on TV.
I'll show the men and women of the South will look past color and see the truth.
That in the South, justice is and will be colorblind.
Impressive. Honey, that was really good.
Isn't Daddy smart?
Brigance.
That was great.
No, we just saw it.
All right, Harry Rex.
I’m proud of you.
Good stuff, huh?
Hear this? Think it's a press agent?
Don't be gross.
F. Lee Bailey's office.
You nigger-loving son-of-a-bitch, you won't live if the nigger walks.
Do you have sympathy for the defense?
Of course I do. You're a mother, I’m a father.
We all have families. Who wouldn't?
Don't presume the DA is insensitive.
But the people of this state entrusted this office to uphold the law.
Our society cannot condone men who take the law into their own hands.
If you get a conviction, will you ask for the gas chamber?
Yes, I will seek the death penalty for Mr. Hailey.
What do you think of Brigance?
Isn't he still in law school?
Say hey to your husband for me. That's all.
Hey, Cora Mae, don't you worry. Wayne, how are you?
You plead him guilty, I’ll ask for life. Otherwise, he dies.
You drop your case now, I won't bury you before the county.
All rise!
Court is in session.
The Honorable Omar Noose presiding.
Good afternoon, citizens.
Be seated.
Counsel.
And you, sir...
...are you Carl Lee Hailey?
I am holding a copy of an indictment...
...returned by the grand jury...
...presenting that “Carl Lee Hailey...
...did murder Billy Ray Cobb, a human being...
...and James Willard, a human being...
...and did attempt to kill Dwayne Looney...
...a peace officer...
...against the peace and dignity of Mississippi.”
Do you understand the charges against you?
How do you wish to plead?
Not guilty.
The defense enters a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Your trial is set for July 22.
All pre-trial motions and matters should be filed by July 8. Anything further?
Yes.
The State requests the defendant be examined by its own doctors.
Granted.
Additionally, the State opposes any request for bail.
We have not yet asked for bail. Now Governor Buckley...
...cannot oppose a request until one is made.
Your Honor...
...even Mr. Brigance's meager legal experience should have taught him...
...I haven't been elected governor, yet...
...and he is required to request bail.
The State opposes any request.
In the future, why don't we wait till he makes the request.
Thank you.
We would like to request bail.
Denied.
I never allow bail...
...in a murder case and don't feel an exception is called for today.
Good enough. We will be filing for a change of venue.
I anticipated this.
Let me save you some time. Your motion is denied.
We have not yet filed.
We are simply indicating our intent to file in writing--
I said, “Request denied.”
Your Honor...
...how can you summarily deny this request?
It is quite clear that Carl Lee Hailey cannot receive a fair trial in Canton.
Sidebar.
We have a right--
I will not tolerate grandstanding in my courtroom.
Get to work.
Excellent technique, counselor.
Your Honor.
It would be remiss not to tell you that in State vs. Johnson...
...and State vs. Fisher...
...both in 1985...
...”Failure to consider a change of venue...
...has been a reversible decision on appeal.”
No trial judge...
...likes his rulings overturned.
I guess you get to submit that brief after all.
Have it on my desk Tuesday.
Mr. Hailey...
...you are hereby ordered...
...to remain in custody of the Madison County Sheriff until trial.
Dismissed.
Find me that state doctor, Rodeheaver. Get him down here to interview Hailey.
I want to find who Brigance is using for a shrink. I want him discredited.
Professional or personal dirt?
Just get me enough to shatter him in court.
We can do that.
This is $900, Carl Lee. We said a thousand down.
My kids got to eat.
Mine too.
When do I get the rest?
Them folks at the bank, they won't lend me money on my house.
Why? The house is almost paid for. You borrowed on it before Lester's trial.
Say I wasn't in jail then. Say to Gwen, how will I pay if I’m on death row?
And I lost my job at the mill.
They called Gwen.
Worked 20 years, I’m out 5 days and they fired me.
Carl Lee...
...I can't try a capital murder case for $900.
I need to live.
Me too, Jake.
I need to live too.
Nice night.
Finder of precedents, mystery woman of the courthouse....
Care for a beer?
I assume that's the infamous change of venue motion.
Ellen Roark. R-O-A-R-K.
That's Roark in Boston, but it seems to be Row-ark in Mississippi.
Boston.
I was born there. My father's the notorious Sheldon Roark.
Attorney to the stars, yes.
Duly impressed.
What brings you to Mississippi? Slumming?
No, law school at Old Miss.
It's a family tradition.
Mom was a sweet little sorority girl there till Dad married her.
I married a sweet little sorority girl from Ol' Miss myself.
They have an excellent selection.
They do.
No, really, what brings you to Canton? They have cars to sit on on campus.
Carl Lee Hailey.
I'd like to help you.
What makes you think I need help?
You're trying one of the largest murder cases these parts have seen...
...and you work alone.
You have no paralegals, clerks, researchers...
...nor can you afford any...
...so if Noose doesn't accept that motion...
...you go to trial in less than a month. Trust me, you need help.
How do you know this?
I’m an excellent researcher.
I've played gofer for 7 capital murder cases...
...I’ve witnessed 2 executions. I have written briefs for the A.C.L.U.
I’m top 5º/o of my class, editor of the law review, I’m published, I’m young.
And when I graduate...
...I intend to spend a glorious career stomping out the death penalty.
Let's see, what else?
Genius runs in my family.
You'll get me on the way up...
...and I really think now is a good time to grab me.
Anything else I should know?
Let's see, anything else?
My father's rich so I’ll work for free.
What do you think?
I think I’ll drop this brief off in Noose's night slot.
Go home, see my family.
Thanks, but I can handle the case.
You might look at these precedents.
State vs. Cooper...
...and State vs. Roundtree. Revenge killers, both acquitted.
You'll change your mind.
See you.
Get out.
Come on.
Come here. Come on.
Mr. Cobb...
...this is Stump Sisson, Grand Dragon of Mississippi.
You were looking for us?
You were right to call us, Mr. Cobb.
They say the Klan is dead.
Klan don't show up for a few years and...
...people say the Klan is dead.
Fact is, it just looks dead.
The Klan has always been right there...
...under the surface...
...just waiting for the opportunity to deliver God's justice.
I want help.
I want to kill that nigger.
Niggers got...
...plenty of protection nowadays.
They got the NAACP...
...and the A.C.L.U.
Even the federal government.
Hell...
...white folks ain't got a chance.
Except the Klan.
I’m going to tell you what.
You get 5 or 6 of your friends of similar thinking...
...and we'll initiate...
...the Madison County Klavern.
Even make you leader.
Now, you tell me...
...who's that nigger's lawyer?
Local boy.
His name's Brigance. He's got a pretty good reputation.
He got family?
Yes, sir. He has a wife and a daughter.
Good.
Why's he here?
Calm down, son.
Calm down. Come on, now.
He has no right after what he did.
Don't get your mom upset now.
Looney?
Dwayne?
I made Ozzie bring me.
Shit, Dwayne, we...
We knowed each other since childhood.
It's my fault.
No matter what's said in court...
...I knew what I was doing, and I sure didn't intend to hurt you, but...
...just them two boys.
I know it don't mean much now, but...
...I’m sorry.
Some folks think a black man can't receive a fair trial in the South.
I'll show the men and women of the South will look past color and see the truth.
It sure is a nigger's world.
Not for long.
Boys...
...I’m very proud to invite you to become soldiers...
...in the war to protect our Christian homes and families.
To resurrect our country...
...from the fires of racial degradation.
And to make whites...
...the sole masters of our nation's destiny.
What I’m saying, fellas...
...it's time for the nigger to pay.
Is your telephone broken?
We just had the number changed.
That's what the operator said.
To an unlisted number.
Sorry you had to come up here.
I should've called you, but this case--
This case has us all worried sick about you all.
This thing could get ugly.
And dangerous.
Jake, he shot them in cold blood.
They raped, almost killed his daughter.
What if that happened to Hannah?
May we ask a few questions?
Can we get a quote?
Excuse me, I’m going to go take a few questions.
This isn't the time.
It's really good for Carl Lee.
Thank you for coming.
Guess we'll have to read about it in the papers.
Praise Jesus!
Reverend?
I’m Isaiah Street.
It's an honor to meet you, Reverend.
I saw you march with Dr. King.
The struggle continues today...
...here in Canton.
Carl Lee Hailey's on trial because he's black. No other reason.
These people are with the NAACP.
How do you do?
How are you?
The black community's concerned that Mr. Hailey's attorney...
...isn't sensitive to the needs of the movement.
The NAACP...
...wishes to provide him with a new lawyer.
We need to raise funds to support Carl Lee Hailey.
I don't know, Reverend. Time's awfully tight here.
Obviously...
...we would expect you to take...
...a modest administration fee for your troubles.
Your loyalty...
...has been forged...
...in a baptism of fire.
Rise, knights...
...of the Ku Klux Klan...
...and let your brethren...
...never regret...
...they believed you worthy...
...of fellowship.
Welcome to the Klan.
I need to talk to Jake.
He's not in. Who's calling?
Mickey Mouse.
-Who? -Mickey Mouse.
Get out right now.
Who's this?
Get your daughter out of the house right now!
Hannah, what is it?
Oh, my God!
Max, come on!
Fire!
It's a good thing Hastings was nearby and got here fast.
The whole place could've burned.
I appreciate it.
Take care.
She asleep, baby?
The Ku Klux Klan is burning crosses on our lawn.
There's been no Klan around here for years.
This is just some dorks with too much time on their hands and too many beers.
I’m sorry.
About what?
That you weren't home when they almost burned our house down?
That you missed supper and didn't call?
That you've become more interested in getting on the news...
...than in your own family?
That Hannah comes home bawling because kids call her a nigger-lover?
What exactly are you sorry about, Jake?
Remember the other night?
I told you Carl Lee came by the office?
Remember what we talked about?
Calling Ozzie.
You never called him, did you?
You never called Sheriff Walls?
I didn't call him.
Lord have mercy, Jake, you had a responsibility.
Carl Lee chose you.
He told you what he was thinking.
He told me what he was thinking, but I didn't know--
Jake Tyler Brigance, we agreed you'd call the sheriff.
Now look at everything that's happened.
I am sorry to tell you this, but...
...those 2 boys are dead and you were in a position to prevent it!
Are you and Daddy fighting?
Come here.
Come here, come here.
Mommy's just upset because some silly man played a bad joke.
It's nothing.
Nothing at all, okay?
What did the Memphis doctor say?
She's doing good.
Her jaw is healing.
She can't run and jump yet, but...
...it won't be long.
How about the other?
There was too much damage.
She ain't gonna never have kids.
You know, I think about them two boys.
Dead, buried...
...probably starting to rot...
...and I remember them walking in court...
...one proud, the other scared.
I remember how they fell.
One on top of the other, screaming and squirming and not going nowhere.
God help me, Gwen, but...
...that's the only thought gives me comfort.
They took up a collection for us at church.
Some kind of defense fund.
Reverend Agee gave a good service.
We need some money 'round the house, Carl Lee...
...for groceries and bills.
How much you got?
Less than 50.
I'll think of something.
How you think you going to get money when you stuck in jail?
Trust me, Gwen.
I just get scared.
Look here...
...tell me exactly what Reverend Agee said...
...when he passed around the collection plate.
I don't care. We're dealing with life and death here.
-I must talk to my supervisor. -Go talk to him.
Get out!
How are things at the electric company?
That is the second time this week I’ve had to hold him off.
How much we owe?
$2,000.
-How much do we have? -$100.
Look, this week nothing has come in at all.
What about Buck Britt's retainer? There's 2 grand.
That check bounced.
What do you mean?
It bounced, Jake.
It sat on your desk all week.
Not that you'd notice.
Since you took this case, you stopped talking to your clients...
...you don't take your calls...
...you're obsessed! You are!
You're obsessed!
Your obsession is going to break us!
What's wrong? We've been through hard times.
No, not like this, Jake.
Not like this.
We've been getting calls.
At home.
Threats.
You know Bud has survived two strokes. I don't think he'd survive a third.
Why didn't you tell me?
Why, Jake?
Would you drop the case?
Jake Brigance's office.
Until they cut the phones off.
Oh, right.
That was Sheriff Walls. You better get down to the jail.
What's going on here?
I’m Isaiah Street.
Jake Brigance.
I believe you know Reverend Agee.
And this is...
Norman Reinfeld, I’ve seen your picture in the paper.
I assume these boys carry your things.
Just a small part of my legal defense team.
Pleasure, Mr. Brigance.
If it's a party, where's the beer?
Otherwise...
...your being here seems a bit like illegal client solicitation...
...with Carl Lee already having a lawyer.
Just a minute.
Carl Lee invited us here.
Mr. Brigance...
...let me be frank.
Mr. Hailey's case has far-reaching ramifications.
Carl Lee's acquittal for killing 2 white men...
...would do more for black people than...
...any event since we integrated the schools.
His conviction, on the other hand, will be a slap at us.
A symbol of deep-seated racism.
Perhaps enough to ignite a nation.
See how important this case is?
Enter Mr. Reinfeld's death squad, right?
It's an unfortunate nickname, but apropo.
My lawyers and I handle only capital murder cases.
Of all your cases...
...how many are supposed to be lost so you can martyr the victim?
How much a defense like that cost?
What, about $100,000?
We are prepared to accept $7,000 in litigation expenses.
Carl Lee doesn't have $7,000.
Do you?
The NAACP...
...has raised $5,000 for Carl Lee's legal defense fund.
And we raised an additional $2,000 from local churches.
Let me ask you something.
How much of that cash you offer my wife and kids?
That money...
...is to go to pay for lawyers' fees.
That ain't what you told the church.
You almost cried when you told them...
...how my family might starve if they didn't donate.
The money is for you and your family, but...
...we thought it'd be better spent on the legal defense.
Speaking of that defense fund...
...can I use that for any lawyer I want?
It's not that simple, Carl Lee.
Actually, it is that simple, Carl Lee.
Unless the NAACP...
...wants to go on record as soliciting funds under false pretenses.
Listen...
...we raised that money...
...for these men to get you out of here, not for this cracker to--
Now, hold on. Hold on right there, now.
Let me just get this straight here, Reverend.
If you don't give my wife...
...that cash...
...I’ll see to it everybody in this town knows you're a lying crook.
Your congregation will be interested to know...
...Gwen and the kids can't eat because you want in with the NAACP.
That's right.
When I’m through with you...
...you won't be able to collect 2 cents in the collection plate.
We'll expect the check for the Hailey family today.
I sure do appreciate your fine work...
...but I’ll take my chances with Jake.
Thanks for coming down.
We'll expect that check...
...for Jake's legal services around the same time today.
Good day, men.
You set that whole thing up.
Couldn't have done it alone.
Make one hell of a team.
You out there.
I’m in here.
We ain't no team.
There's trouble.
Look there.
No, here's trouble.
You are?
Meet Harry Rex Vonner...
...the most effective, morally- compromised lawyer in the country.
Ellen Roark, brilliant law student.
Do what you will.
Looking forward to it.
This might interest you.
In assessing murder trials, the insanity plea only makes up 1º/o overall.
And of the 1º/o that resulted in acquittal success rested almost wholly on the--
Defending psychiatrist regardless of the quality of the psychological testimony.
Shazam. She is brilliant.
“She.” That would be me?
Who else?
She would be me.
She is saying that if I take this plea to trial...
...the verdict will hinge on the shrink the jury finds more credible.
She will be correct.
She would.
Sure you don't need help?
I do.
I’m hiring. Right now. Me.
Roark, I am sure that I don't need any help. Thank you, though.
I guess that would just have to be your loss, then.
Nice to meet you, Morally-Compromised.
Pleasure's all mine...
...”She.”
You've got to love the Lord for making things like that.
Sure you don't want to look at her résumé? You could use help.
No, I don't want to look at her résumé, because I have you.
You do?
Yeah, buddy.
This is your chance to put aside your shady sources and greedy divorcees...
...and do some real law for once.
Mr. Vonner, in short...
...you have the opportunity to work on a case that matters.
Let me get this straight.
You want me to put aside my empty, soulless, shady...
...astonishingly lucrative, divorcee practice...
...come work with you on an unwinnable, lose-all-my-friends case...
...because it matters?
It's a novel idea, I know.
No way. Never. Presumptuous little shit.
Goodnight, y'all.
I need the sheriff.
He's asleep.
Well, get him up.
Who is this?
Someone's going to die tonight.
I got him!
Get his ass!
What's in the case?
It's ticking.
What is it?
I ain't saying.
Family out?
It’s locked.
Open it.
My God!
Oh, man....
Defuse it.
I’m going to take you and this...
...nigger-lover to hell with--
Ain't nothing more dangerous than a fool with a cause.
Lay that thing back down there real easy-like. Let's go.
Carla loves this house.
Come here.
Are you coming to Grandpa's too?
Daddy must stay here and work.
You and your mom have a good time.
You be good.
Go get your stuff.
You said you'd quit if it got dangerous.
I know.
I can't quit now, you know that.
Carl Lee is facing the gas chamber. The man is counting on me.
I understand that, Jake.
Remember that we're counting on you too.
What if something happens to you?
Nothing's going to happen. Come here.
Hug?
Everything will be okay. I’ll be fine, you'll be fine.
Okay, babe?
I promise.
Don't make promises you can't keep.
You ready?
Good afternoon. Come in.
Good afternoon.
You may come this way. The judge is upstairs.
Thank you, sir.
Judge Noose.
Thanks for coming.
Heard you had trouble last night.
Makes you wonder about the sensibleness of taking this case.
This is a beautiful place you have here.
I’ll get to the point.
I’ve thoroughly reviewed your brief request and...
...a change of venue.
And I agree with you. It's impossible to find an impartial jury in Canton.
I think it's impossible to find an impartial jury anywhere in Mississippi.
As such...
...a jury here would be...
...as fair as a jury anywhere else.
So I decided to deny your request for a change of venue.
I guess that...
...gives me something to appeal.
Actually, no.
I spoke to Judge Dent...
...and he believes that the Supreme Court would uphold my ruling.
You certainly covered your bases.
You're a good lawyer.
You're bright and ambitious. Talented.
You could be someone.
You sure you want to be known as the man that defended that murderer?
Could be very unpopular.
Talk to your client.
He pleads guilty...
...Buckley'll accept manslaughter. He'll be out in 20.
And how's his wife supposed to raise his family alone?
Better than being a widow.
Think about it.
Why toss away a promising career?
Good day.
Thanks for coming.
Where the hell is this guy?
Born alcoholic.
But the man cannot hold his liquor.
Allow me to present Dr. Willard Tyrrel Bass.
Expert witness for the defense.
This is Jake Brigance...
...my protégé.
Are you kidding me?
Relax.
When he's sober, he's terrific.
He has his license.
His credentials are impeccable.
Well, I need a drink.
3 in the afternoon?
My, oh, my, what would your wife say?
I am my own man. I drink when I want.
-When did she leave town? -This morning.
God!
That's enough!
Now you tell your boss...
...next time people are going to die.
Morning.
Nice parking job. Late night?
So, here.
Thank you.
Your wife lets you sleep here?
My wife left town.
That's too bad.
Listen, I heard that...
...Noose turned down your motion.
It’s time I take you to breakfast.
Lunch.
Quit playing with that food.
Y'all come back. You need to finish that before Christmas.
Thank you.
Now....
You are opposed to the death penalty.
Why?
You're not?
I’m in favor of it.
I'd like to go back to hangings if we could.
You're kidding.
No. The only problem with the death penalty is that we do not use it enough.
Have you told Carl Lee this?
The men who raped his daughter deserved the death penalty, not Carl Lee.
How do you decide who dies and who doesn't?
Simple. You take the crime and you take the criminal.
Now, say...
...a crack dealer guns down an undercover cop.
You strap him to a chair and turn it on.
For some reason, I thought you were a liberal.
I am a liberal.
What I am not is a card-carrying A.C.L.U. radical.
I don't believe in rehabilitation.
I believe in safety.
I believe in justice.
I see. Well, let me ask you something.
Ever seen an execution?
Not that I recall.
I suggest you go watch a man be executed.
You watch him die, watch him beg, watch him kick and spit the life out of him...
...until he shits and is gone.
Then come back and sing this crap about justice....
Spare me your Northern liberal cry-me-a-river...
...we-are-the-only-enlightened-ones bullshit.
I’m sorry, yes, you are the enlightened.
That's why you brought me to this diner in this black neighborhood.
So you can convince me you're this JFK-meets-Christ white boy.
Is that it?
Or is it because you're a repressed, hypocritical provincial...
...who didn't want to be seen around town with a woman like me.
Yes, siree, you sure are enlightened.
I’m terribly sorry, I’ve made a mistake. I thought you were one of the good guys.
Thank you for your time.
I’m a little worked up.
That's not the best way to apply for a job.
I don't want the jury to see pictures of the dead rapists. Can we keep them out?
It’s vital the jury know the details of the rape.
I’ll need briefs on both.
I don't like your politics, but you do have passion...
...and that's something Carl Lee needs, and maybe so do I.
You getting this?
I’m writing it down.
Here's what we got. It's official.
Hailey's trial will be held in Canton.
Today, presiding Judge Noose issued 150 summons for potential jurors...
...in a sealed envelope.
To prevent tampering...
...that list will be kept confidential until selection begins.
No one, not even Mr. Brigance or myself...
...will know the identities of the potential jurors.
Free Carl Lee!
Beautiful day, isn't it?
There he is.
Any word on Bud?
Ethel's still with him. Thank you for coming.
Well, well, well.
The Pillsbury Dough Boy.
Still practicing exploitative law?
Thought you were dead.
I’m trying. What do we have here?
I’d like to introduce--
Lucien Wilbanks, third white man in Mississippi to join the NAACP...
...permanently disbarred by Superior Court...
...for attacking police who busted a picket line in an oil strike.
It is a pleasure, Ms. Ark.
Everyone, jury selection begins today.
To win this case we need a sympathetic jury willing to acquit...
...and a jury that can use the insanity plea as an excuse to do so.
I need a drink.
No drinking.
What do you mean?
It’s my building, leased to you for a reasonable rent...
...and I want a drink.
Ms. Ark, I have all the respect in the world for you.
I believe in your right to equal pay, your right to bear a child...
...or to abort one. You should be treated like a man.
Since you are a law clerk...
...genderless in my eyes...
...I think you should be the one to go buy the beer.
ERA, “she” woman. That would be an excellent activity for you.
No drinking. Not today.
Noose selects this panel randomly.
Too many bad candidates and we're sunk.
Luck of the draw.
What you need...
...is young fathers who want to do what Carl Lee did.
Agreed. We need young men with families here.
I’d prefer no one over 50. Less bigotry with youth.
So we stay away from women, rednecks and old men.
Citizens, thank you.
Counsel, you each have 12 challenges. Let's begin.
The state challenges jurors #6...
...10...
...and 32.
Your Honor, the defense strikes jurors 1, 4...
...8 and 2.
26.
27, 28.
And 31.
Your Honor, the defense also strikes jurors 22 and 29.
That's it, then. You're out of challenges.
Jurors, you will be sequestered starting tonight.
Opening statements begin tomorrow.
That's a jury of my peers?
God bless America.
My name is Stump Sisson...
...and I’m proud to be a Grand Dragon...
...for the Invisible Empire...
...of the Ku Klux Klan!
What the hell?
I’m here to say...
...that the law-abiding whites of this state...
...are sick and tired of niggers stealing...
...raping, killing, and getting away with it!
We demand justice!
We demand this nigger...
...be convicted...
...and his black ass sent to the gas chamber!
Who's a nigger?!
You pointy-headed...
...white-faced, no-good son-of-a-whore!
Shut up, you wild animal.
I’ll drag your ass out of here!
You're the animal!
Open the gate!
Turn around.
Know what?
Just take off your pants.
Come on, do I look that easy?
Afraid I’ll see your underwear?
With Carla gone, the laundry's piling up. I’m not wearing any.
I haven't worn any in years.
I’m not going to watch, I promise. Now, strip, please.
Fine.
What I need from you...
Do tell.
Is a way to discredit the State's shrink, Dr. Rodeheaver.
Unless you discredit the shrink...
Carl Lee does not have a chance.
Sorry.
Sissy.
He's got a good chance.
There. You'll live.
Thanks.
Good butt.
What do you do to blow off steam...
...besides trying to kill each other?
You got a disco...
...strip bars...
...or malls...
...to go to?
Stump's dead.
He's dead.
Come on. Let's go home.
It’s all over.
It ain't near over.
I’ll be right back.
Here are your mud bugs.
Anything else?
A couple of...
...specials and some fried dill pickles.
-You got it. -Thanks, sugar.
That wasn't sexist. Really, I never order my own food.
I can't do another shot.
Fine, I’ll do another shot.
Just a splash.
To...
Carl Lee.
May a jury find that man loony as a fruitcake.
Hear, hear.
No more.
So...
...was he crazy when he did it?
No, he wasn't crazy.
He told me he'd do it.
I tried to tell myself he wasn't serious.
I think I really wanted him to do it.
I came home that night and looked at Hannah. She looked so tender.
All I could think about was all the monsters out there...
...and any one of them can come steal her innocence.
Take her life, if they want.
Yeah, I wanted those boys dead. You're goddamn right I did.
I guess I helped kill them.
So tomorrow, when we get in court...
...it's not just Carl Lee I’m trying to get off.
Burn in hell, Brigance!
Good job.
How is it that you'll drive 1-1 /2 hours to take me to dinner but...
...you have no problem walking into my motel room?
With everything that's going on...
...we can't be too careful.
Just want to make sure it's safe.
I’m not scared.
Yes, I am.
Of what?
Of what's going to happen tomorrow.
All the other cases I’ve worked on were only paper defendants.
I never knew the towns...
...and I never touched the lives or anything.
Tomorrow morning...
...Buckley will try to kill Carl Lee Hailey.
Now it's on us to stop him.
Go over the battle in your mind.
Argument, rebuttal, examination and cross. All of it.
Remember something:
You are one of the good guys.
And good guy has...
...the spicy on her lip. But still one of the good guys.
I’m going home.
Lock the door behind you. I’ll see you tomorrow.
It’s going to blow!
My dog's in there!
It’s too late.
Hey, buddy.
Seen my dog?
Looking for my dog.
Max, come here!
Come on, Max!
I booked you on the 9:15 to Gulf Port. Economy, of course.
Go see your wife and daughter.
What'd you do that for?
The trial's in less than 3 hours.
Come on.
Noose'd give you a continuance.
The NAACP boys be down here before lunch...
...drooling.
Max, let's go, boy! Come on!
Listen to me.
Your marriage is troubled, you're about to have an affair.
Your career's in ruins, if you're lucky. If not, you're dead.
Don't get me wrong.
What you've put into this case, you've even inspired me...
...and I’m uninspirable.
Do everyone a favor, though. Drop the case.
No, I can't.
I won't. I’m not going to quit.
I quit now, all this is for nothing. No.
Max, come on now. Max, where are you? Come on!
Max is dead, and you're next.
Walk away.
Max, come here.
Who's got the goods?
Pre-trial strategy at my office in less than 2 hours...
...and I expect to see your ass there!
Free Carl Lee!
Fry Carl Lee!
Mr. Buckley...
...you may begin.
Good morning.
You are Cora Mae Cobb, the mother of Billy Ray Cobb, are you not?
Yes, sir.
Where were you when he was murdered?
Outside that door right there.
Me and Freddie was waiting for his hearing.
He was walking up the stairs...
...in handcuffs.
Can you tell us how old your son was at the time of his death?
23.
Your son was 23 when he died?
In those 23 years, Mrs. Cobb...
...how many children did he kidnap?
Objection, Your Honor!
Sustained.
You are out of order.
Withdraw the question.
The jury will disregard the last question from Mr. Brigance.
In your son's 23 years...
...how many other children did he rape?
In my chambers.
Court will recess for lunch.
Why antagonize the judge? He should've known Noose'd pull him into chambers.
He knew.
But he got to draw first blood, and that's more important.
Come play on a winning team.
How's that impotence thing?
You're not being paid for your work, are you?
No, sir.
Well, I guess Jake's paying you in other ways.
Impotence.
Yes. Girls talk.
If you would, can you please identify this weapon?
The weapon found at the scene.
You were able to identify the fingerprints found on this gun?
Yes, the prints on the gun matched those of Carl Lee Hailey.
You're sure?
Yes.
I’d like to enter this into evidence as Exhibit S-18.
We have no further use of this witness.
Sheriff Walls...
...did you arrest Cobb and Willard?
Yes, I did.
I arrested them for the rape...
...and attempted murder of 10-year-old Tonya Hailey.
Is it true that Pete Willard...
...signed a confession...
...saying that he and Billy Ray Cobb did rape Tonya Hailey?
Objection! That's inadmissible, and Mr. Brigance knows it.
I’ve spoken to you before.
We are not trying the rape of Miss Hailey today...
...but the murder of two young men, and if you continue in this performance...
...I’ll hold you in contempt.
Is that understood?
Yes, sir.
I have no further questions.
Yes.
You say something?
Yes, he did sign a confession.
Objection!
Jurors...
...you will disregard the last remark of Sheriff Walls.
Court is adjourned till tomorrow morning, 9:00.
I’m taking Bud back to Oxford.
He always missed Oxford.
I don't know what to say.
There's nothing you can say.
I know you didn't want any of this to happen...
...but it happened all the same.
You wagered all our lives on this.
You just went ahead and did what you felt you had to do, no matter what.
Some folks think that's brave.
Not me, Jake.
Now, you may win...
...but I think we've all lost here.
Would you help an old lady to her car?
You don't need any help, Ethel...
...but it would be an honor to escort you to your automobile.
Didn't like that one?
Buckley presents his shrink tomorrow and I need a way to bring him down.
I keep asking myself, “What would Jake do? What would my father do?”
“Lucien?”
That's your problem right there.
You must ask yourself, “What would Harry Rex do?”
What would he do?
Cheat.
Cheat like crazy.
We gotta talk about it.
Wait. The judge said absolutely not to discuss this case.
The judge ain't stuck here away from his family.
The sooner we start talking about it, the sooner it's over.
I want to get out of here as much as anyone else.
Let's get on with it.
Undecided?
Four.
Guilty?
Seven.
Not guilty?
That nigger's dead.
Folks can't get enough of the trial.
That's why my editor said to come down and interview Rodeheaver.
Dr. Rodeheaver's in court today.
If you want to be a reporter...
...maybe you should do some better research?
You know what? I don't mind waiting.
My paper really wants this interview. Is he still in room 369?
-I’ll just go there. -Wrong again. He's in 128.
But he's gone all day. You can't see him today.
You want to come back in my office and schedule an appointment?
I’ll come back another time...
...when he's got time to talk, when things have died down.
-Thank you. -You can call me any time.
Your Honor, the State calls Deputy Dwayne Looney.
Good morning.
Would you please state your name for the record?
Deputy Dwayne Powell Looney.
Thank you, Deputy Looney.
Were you present at the murders of Billy Ray Cobb and James Lewis Willard?
Yes, sir.
If you can remember...
...describe how you were wounded for the members of the jury.
I think bullets bounced off the floor, caught me in the knee.
What happened to your leg?
Doc cut it off.
After the loss of your right leg, detective...
...are you able to serve as a policeman?
I’m able to perform a number of... services.
Did you see the gunman?
No, sir.
But Mr. Hailey did...
...personally apologize for his shooting me.
So Mr. Hailey admitted...
...shooting you.
Yes, sir.
I have no further questions.
No questions.
Wait a minute.
The State would like to call Dr.--
Can I have a moment?
Take your time.
Ask if he thinks I should go to jail.
They amputated his leg because you shot him.
He's the prosecution's witness.
You're my lawyer?
Ask him.
One question.
Make up your mind, Mr. Brigance.
Deputy Looney...
...do you think Carl Lee shot you intentionally?
No, sir...
...it was an accident.
Ask him.
Should he be punished for shooting you?
No, sir.
I hold no ill will toward the man.
I would have done it.
What do you mean by that?
I don't blame him for what he did.
Those boys raped his girl.
Objection! The witness's opinion on this matter is irrelevant.
Your Honor...
...I believe Deputy Looney has earned the right to speak here today.
Overruled.
Continue.
Go ahead, Dwayne.
I got a little girl.
Somebody rapes her, he's a dead dog.
I’ll blow him away like Carl Lee did.
Objection!
Should the jury convict Carl Lee Hailey?
Don't answer that question.
He's a hero. You turn him loose.
The jury will disregard--
Turn him loose!
Silence that witness!
Turn him loose!
People can say whatever they want in this courtroom!
Quiet!
Any more of that nonsense...
...and you're all out of here!
Mr. Buckley, you may begin.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Please state your name and occupation for the members of the jury.
My name is Dr. Wilbert Rodeheaver, Chair of Psychiatry...
...at Mississippi State...
...and Director of the Whitfield Facility for the Criminally Insane.
Your credentials speak for themselves.
Can you explain, as you do so eloquently in your book...
...the McNaughton Rule for the jury?
Certainly.
The McNaughton Rule states...
...a person must be unable to tell right from wrong...
...and/ or be unaware of the consequences of his actions...
...to be termed legally insane.
You examined Mr. Hailey?
Yes, Mr. Hailey and I spoke about his childhood, his family...
...his experiences during the war.
And the rape of his daughter?
Yes, we spoke at length about the brutal rape of his daughter Tonya.
What is your diagnosis of Mr. Hailey's mental condition...
...on the day that he shot Billy Ray Cobb and James Lewis Willard?
At the time of the murders, his mental condition was without any defects.
Mr. Hailey was sane.
Wait a minute. The defense contends--
Mr. Brigance has gone to great effort to prove to this jury...
...that Mr. Hailey is a nutball...
...is a slow coach...
...or...
...what is the clinical definition?
Insane.
-Do you disagree? -Yes!
Carl Lee Hailey knew what he was doing.
He slaughtered those men in cold blood.
Thank you.
I have no further questions.
Where is Roark?
I don't know.
The cross-examination, Mr. Brigance?
We would request a recess until--
I must see you.
We will not need a recess, but just a few moments.
When you and Lois Lane are ready....
Just a few questions.
Who do you work for?
The State of Mississippi.
In 11 years of service...
...how many trials did you testify in that used the insanity defense?
This is my 46th trial.
46th trial.
Of those 46 trials...
...how many times have you testified the defendant was legally insane?
Objection!
The doctor cannot be asked...
...to recall all of his testimony at those trials. It's absurd.
Overruled.
Thank you.
I can't remember.
Could the reason you can't remember be...
...that in 1 1 years and 46 trials...
...you never saw a defendant whom you found insane?
I can't recall at this time.
Can you recall testifying at Dan Baker's trial?
Objection! This has nothing to do with the proceedings here.
Overruled.
This better be good.
Thank you.
I’ll ask again.
Can you recall testifying at the trial of Dan Baker?
It’s a rather brutal double homicide where you found the defendant sane?
A dissenting psychiatrist disagreed with you.
And Mr. Baker was found insane and institutionalized.
Where is he currently?
At Whitfield.
Who is the chief psychiatrist there?
I am.
You are.
Dr. Rodeheaver is the chief psychiatrist.
Now help me make this clear to the jury.
In 1985, you testified that Dan Baker...
...was legally sane.
The jury disagreed with you.
And Mr. Baker was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Since then he has been a patient in your hospital as a paranoid schizophrenic.
Is that correct?
Do you normally admit patients...
...keep and treat them for 10 years if they are of sound mind?
No.
Then it would be fair to say...
...that you find insane people sane for the purposes of trial?
Objection! Argumentative!
Withdraw the question. Nothing further.
Genius, Roark.
How can you get a fair trial?
Get an ambulance!
Heard any news on the guard?
Ozzie says he's probably paralyzed.
Some stranger...
...somebody's husband...
...somebody's son...
...put himself in harm's way...
...for me.
When I saw the blood...
...I got so scared because I thought it was you.
Do you want me to stay?
Yeah.
I want you to stay.
So you better go.
Oh, shit.
Speed limit's 45, not 70, ma'am.
-Have you been drinking? -No, I just wasn't thinking.
Get out of the car for a minute.
-Is that really necessary? -Get out of the car.
Isn't it customary to ask for license and registration?
Be still, bitch!
Get in there!
You can't blame a nigger for being a nigger...
...no more than you can blame a dog for being a dog.
But a whore like you...
...co-mingling with mongrels, betraying your own...
...that makes you worse than a nigger.
I’ll tell you what I’ll do.
I’ll leave you tied up here naked.
First it'll just be the bugs eating at you.
One day, maybe two.
That sun's going to cook you.
And animals...
...they'll pick up your stink.
They'll come for something to eat.
Carl Lee Hailey should've shot you too.
Come on, boys. Let's go.
It’s okay.
Mr. Brigance, you may call your first witness.
Yes, Your Honor. The defense calls Dr. Willard Tyrrel Bass.
Have you seen Roark?
Not yet.
Would you explain to the jury...
...the effect his daughter's rape had on Mr. Hailey's condition?
Tonya's rape caused a relapse...
...a temporary break with reality.
But yesterday, a Dr. Rodeheaver...
...suggested that Mr. Hailey's act of calculation was...
...the definition of sanity.
That's ridiculous.
Many of the most famous schizophrenics are calculating.
John Hinckley, for example.
Calculating.
And legally insane.
So, Dr. Bass, how would you diagnose Mr. Hailey...
...at the time?
Mr. Hailey experienced a recurrence of a dissociative condition...
...as a result of the trauma caused by his daughter's rape.
Now, since Mr. Hailey was unaware of the reality of his actions...
...he couldn't tell right from wrong.
Nor could he understand the consequences of his actions.
He was, therefore, legally insane.
Couldn't tell right from wrong, or understand the consequences.
Therefore, legally...
...insane.
Thank you, Dr. Bass.
I have no further questions.
Your witness.
I’m sorry, excuse me.
Good morning.
Dr. Bass...
...could you please state for the record your full name?
Willard Tyrrel Bass.
Tyrrel Bass. That's a very unique name.
Now...
...Doctor...
...ever been convicted of a felony?
Of course not.
You're sure?
As certain of that as you are of the testimony you've just given?
Of course.
Let me understand this now...
...since you are under oath.
You're telling me, and this jury, that on October 17th, 1960...
...you weren't convicted of statutory rape?
Objection!
Dr. Bass is not on trial.
This goes to show the credibility of the witness.
Overruled.
Continue.
Thank you. Now, Doctor...
...were you convicted of statutory rape?
You got the wrong man.
Really?
I have some interesting photographs of you...
...with an underage female...
...in a motel by the Dallas police on September 11th, 1960.
Would you like to look at these images and see if they refresh your memory?
I didn't think so.
We would like to introduce into evidence these records...
...showing that on September 15th, 1960...
...this man, one Tyrrel Bass...
...pled guilty...
...to statutory rape.
Now, Doctor, I’m going to ask you one last time...
...were you or were you not convicted of statutory rape?
I can explain--
I’m not interested.
Answer the question, yes or no.
Yes, I was.
That's enough.
I have nothing further.
Redirect, Mr. Brigance?
None.
Court'll recess one hour for lunch.
You told me he was a credible witness.
I didn't know. The record was expunged.
Buckley really outdid himself.
Lucien, I was counting on you.
You wanted this case.
You got it.
It isn't easy saving the world, but you stick with it.
You might have a knack for it. Don't do what I did. Don't quit.
What are you talking about, “quit”? You're a hero.
Hero, my ass!
Did the world need me beating cops on that picket line?
I was needed here, in that courtroom.
I let them push me.
I gave them an excuse to kick me out...
...and now I can never plead a case again.
But you can.
You're an attorney.
Be proud.
Your job is to find justice, no matter how well she hides from you.
So you go in there...
...and do your job.
Hurry up.
They'll start without you.
Come with me.
I can't.
I love you...
...but I can't.
You know that.
I’ll never go in a courtroom again.
And I can't be you.
Don't be me.
Be better than me.
And how did you feel?
I felt...
I don't know...
It was like I was outside myself...
...watching myself.
All the while I kept hearing my baby say...
...”I called for you, Daddy.
When them men was hurting me...
...I called for you over and over but...
...you didn't never come.”
Thank you, Mr. Hailey.
I have no further questions.
You have an emergency call.
Mr. Hailey...
Before you stepped outside yourself to watch yourself shoot Willard and Cobb...
...were you aware that if convicted they might be freed in only 10 years?
Yes, I heard people say that.
Should men who kidnap a child be free in 10 years?
No, sir.
Should men who rape a child be free?
No, sir.
Should men who hang a child be free?
No, sir.
What do you think should happen to them?
Objection!
Do you think they deserve to die?!
Don't answer!
Yes, they deserved to die and I hope they burn in hell!
I have nothing further.
Summations begin tomorrow.
Court adjourned.
They found Roark.
So...
...I had to do this to get you to call me Ellen?
I’m so sorry.
This is all my fault.
Don't sweat it, really.
They didn't hurt anything that won't heal.
Nothing.
Besides...
...Doctor...
...what's-his-name said I’ll be out in a few days.
I’m fine.
How did we do?
Bass turned out to be a felon.
Carl Lee got trapped on the stand.
People been terrorized, Roark.
Beaten...
...killed.
It’s not worth it.
It’s only not worth it if Carl Lee goes to the gas chamber.
Listen, this case is not over until the summation.
Remember that.
And you've got one big fat chance...
...to reinvent yourself.
To make that jury see...
...this whole case through your eyes.
They're good eyes.
Now, get out of here, go to work.
I’ll keep in touch.
No, you won't.
Big liar.
Win or lose, Roark...
...we make one hell of a team.
We might have.
We really might have.
You really want to kiss me right now.
Yes, I do.
Undecided?
Guilty?
Hey, Max.
Where's Hannah?
I left her at my parents'.
How'd you get here?
Drove.
In the storm?
Got something needs to be said in person.
I’ve been blaming you for all that's happened.
But it's not your fault. You didn't kill those boys.
You were trying to make things right.
I know that now.
I thought you took this case because you wanted to prove...
...what a big time lawyer you were.
But I was wrong.
You took this case because...
...if those boys...
...had hurt Hannah...
...the way they hurt Tonya...
...you would've killed them too.
Baby. Come here.
Come here.
I love you Jake.
I thought I was going to lose you.
We're going to lose this case.
There are no points of law to argue here. I want to cop a plea.
Maybe Buckley'll cop us a...
...second-degree murder and we can get you life in prison.
I can't do no life in prison.
Get me out. If it was you on trial--
It’s not me.
We're not the same.
The jury has to identify with the defendant.
They see you, they see a yardworker. They see me...
...they see an attorney. You live on the hill.
With you white and I’m black.
See, Jake?
You think just like them.
That's why I picked you.
You're one of them, don't you see?
You think you ain't because you eat in Claude's...
...and you're on TV talking about black and white.
But the fact is...
...you're just like them.
When you look at me, you don't see a man.
You see a black man.
I am your friend.
We ain't no friends.
We're on different sides of the line.
I ain't never seen you in my part of town. You don't know where I live.
Our daughters...
...won't play together.
What do you mean?
America...
...is a war...
...and you're on the other side.
How a black man ever going to get a fair trial...
...with the enemy on the bench and the jury box?
My life in white hands.
You, Jake.
That's how.
You're my secret weapon, because you're one of the bad guys.
You don't mean to be, but you are.
It’s how you's raised.
“Nigger, Negro, black...
...African-American.”
No matter how you see me...
...you see me as different.
You see me like that jury sees me.
You are them.
Now, throw out your points of law, Jake.
If you...
...was on that jury...
...what would it take to convince you...
...to set me free?
That's how you'll save my ass.
That's how you save us both.
Is Carl Lee Hailey insane?
It’s a notion so outrageous...
...the only witness the defense could produce to support it...
...was a convicted felon.
He is not insane.
This is a man who is a confessed murderer.
This is a man who admitted...
...on this stand...
...to carrying out the sentence he believed the alleged rapists...
...of his daughter deserved!
He's taken justice out of your hands!
And put it in his own.
And with those hands...
...he took the lives of two young men!
We feel terrible over what happened to his daughter.
But feeling terrible...
...and knowing something is wrong does not give any of us...
...a right to kill.
Everyone, your duty is clear.
All in this courtroom know the truth.
All in this state know the truth.
Now you need only find the courage...
...to speak the words:
“Carl Lee Hailey...
...is guilty!”
Guilty!
State rests, Your Honor.
Now, I had a great summation all worked out...
...full of some sharp lawyering...
...but I’m not doing it.
I’m here to apologize.
I am young, and I am inexperienced.
But you cannot...
...hold Carl Lee Hailey responsible...
...for my shortcomings.
In all this legal maneuvering...
...something got lost.
That something is the truth.
It is incumbent upon us lawyers...
...not to just talk about the truth...
...but to actually seek it...
...to find it, to live it.
My teacher taught me that.
Let's take Dr. Bass, for example.
I would never knowingly put a convicted felon on the stand.
I hope you believe that.
But what is the truth?
That he's a disgraced liar?
What if I told you...
...the woman he was accused of raping was 17, he was 23...
...that she became his wife...
...bore his child...
...and is still married to him?
Does that make his testimony more or less true?
What in us seeks truth?
Our minds...
...or is it our hearts?
I tried to prove blacks could get a fair trial in the South...
...that we are all equal in the eyes of the law.
That's not the truth.
The eyes of the law are human eyes...
...yours and mine, and until we can see each other as equals...
...justice is never going to be evenhanded.
It will only be a reflection of our own prejudices.
So until that day...
...we have a duty under God to seek the truth...
...not with our minds...
...where fear and hate turn commonality into prejudice...
...but with our hearts...
...but we don't know better.
I want to tell you a story.
Please close your eyes...
...while I tell it.
I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves.
Go ahead.
Close your eyes, please.
This is a story about a little girl...
...walking home from the grocery store one sunny afternoon.
I want you to picture this girl.
Suddenly a truck races up.
Two men grab her.
They drag her into a nearby field...
...and they tie her up...
...then rip off her clothes.
They climb on.
First one, then the other...
...raping her...
...shattering everything innocent and pure...
...with a vicious thrust...
...in a fog of drunken breath and sweat.
And when they're done...
...after they've...
...killed her tiny womb...
...murdered any chance for her to bear children...
...to have life...
...beyond her own...
...they use her for target practice.
So they start throwing full beer cans at her.
They throw them so hard...
...that it tears the flesh all the way to her bones.
Then they urinate on her.
Now comes the hanging.
They have a rope.
They tie a noose.
Imagine the noose coiling tight around her neck...
...and a sudden blinding jerk.
She's pulled into the air and her feet go kicking....
They don't find the ground.
The hanging branch...
...isn't strong enough.
It snaps and she falls...
...back to earth.
So they pick her up...
...throw her in the back...
...drive to Foggy Creek Bridge...
...pitch her over.
And she drops some 30 feet...
...down to the creek bottom.
Can you see her?
Her raped...
...beaten...
...broken body...
...soaked in their urine...
...soaked in their semen...
...soaked in her blood...
...left to die.
Can you see her?
I want you to picture...
...that little girl....
Now, imagine she's white.
The defense rests.
Innocent!
Innocent! He's innocent!
Innocent?!
We won! We won!
Ellen, we won! Aren't you happy?!
My God, Ellen, you have to be happy!
He's coming home.
That was...
I’m one of the bad guys, remember?
Freddie Lee Cobb!
We got something to talk about.
Hastings, you belong over there with them.
Get over.
Congratulations, counselor.
Thank you.
Look.
Hello.
This is Ms. Hailey. This is Hannah.
She's so pretty.
Brought you some peach cobbler.
Come on in. Come in.
This is my daughter, Tonya.
Nice to meet you.
Just thought our kids could play together.
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