12 Angry Men Page #9

NO. 8:
Then he couldn't have made the kind of wound, which killed his father: Then he couldn't have made the kind of wound, which killed his father.

NO. 5:
No, he couldn't have. Not if he'd ever had any experience with switch knives.

NO. 3:
1 don't believe it.

NO. 10:
Neither do 1. You're giving us a lot of mumbo jumbo.

NO.8:
(to NO. 12). What do you think?

NO. 12:
(hesitantly). Well . . . I don't know.

NO. 8:
(to NO.7). What about you?

NO. 7:
Listen, I'll tell you something. I'm a little sick of this whole thing already. We're getting nowhere fast.

Let's break it up and go home. I'm changing my vote to not guilty.

NO. 3:
You're what?

NO. 7:
You heard me. I've had enough.

NO. 3:
What do you mean; you've had enough? That's no answer.

NO. 11:
(angry). I think perhaps you're right. This is not an answer. (To NO.7) What kind of a man are you?

You have sat here and voted guilty with everyone else because there are some theater tickets burning a hole in

your pocket. Now you have changed your vote for the same reason. I do not think you have the right to play like

this with a man's life. This is an ugly and terrible thing to do.

NO.7:
Now wait a minute… you can't talk like that to me.

NO. 11:
(strong). I can talk like that to you! If you want to vote not guilty, then do it because you are convinced

the man is not guilty. If you believe he is guilty, then vote that way. Or don't you have the . . . the . . . guts—the

guts to do what you think is right?

NO.7:
Now listen....

NO. 11:
1s it guilty or not guilty?

NO. 7:
(hesitantly). I told you. Not guilty.

NO. 11:
(hard). Why?

NO.7.1 don't have to

NO. 11.You have to! Say it! Why?

[They stare at each other for a long while.]

NO.7:
(low) l... don't think . . . he's guilty.

NO. 8:
(fast). I want another vote.

FOREMAN:
Okay, there's another vote called for. I guess the quickest way is a show of hands. Anybody

object? (No one does.) All right. All those voting not guilty, raise your hands.

: Okay, there's another vote called for. I guess the quickest way is a show of hands. Anybody

object? (No one does.) All right. All those voting not guilty, raise your hands.

[Numbers 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 raise their hands immediately. Then, slowly NO.12 raises his hand. The

foreman looks around the table carefully, and then he too raises his hand. He looks around the table, counting

silently.]

FOREMAN:
Nine. (The hands go down.) All those voting guilty.

[Numbers 3, 4, and 10 raise their hands.]

FOREMAN:
Three. (They lower their hands.) The vote is nine to three in favor of acquittal.

NO.10:
I don't understand you people. How can you believe this kid is innocent? Look, you know how those

people lie. l don't have to tell you. They don't know what the truth is. And lemme tell you, they— (NO.5 gets up

from table, turns his back to it, and goes to window.)—don't need any real big reason to kill someone either.

You know, they get drunk, and bang, someone's lying in the gutter. Nobody's blaming them. That's how they

are. You know what I mean? Violent!

[NO.9 gets up and does the same. He is followed by NO.11]

NO.10:
Human life don't mean as much to them as it does to us. Hey, where are you going? Look, these people

are drinking and fighting all the time, and if somebody gets killed, so somebody gets killed. They don't care.

Oh, sure, there are some good things about them, too. Look, I'm the first to say that.

[NO. 8 gets up, and then NO. 2 and NO. 6 follow him to the window.]

NO.10:
I've known a few who were pretty decent, but that's the exception. Most of them; it's like they have no

feelings. They can do anything. What's going on here?

[The foreman gets up and goes to the windows, followed by NO. 7 and NO. 12:]

NO.10:
.1'm speaking my piece, and you listen to me! They're no good. There's not a one of ‘em who's any

good. We better watch out. Take it from me. This kid on trial....

[NO. 3 sits at table toying with the knife, and NO. 4 gets up and starts for the window. All have their backs to

NO.10.]

NO.10:
Well, don't you know about them? Listen to me! What are you doing? I'm trying to tell you

something....

[NO. 4 stands over him as he trails off. There is a dead silence. Then NO. 4 speaks softly.]

NO. 4:
I've had enough. If you open your mouth again, I'm going to split your skull.

[NO. 4 stands mere and looks at him. No one moves or speaks. NO. 10 looks at him, then looks down at the

table.]

NO. 10:
(softly). I'm only trying to tell you....

[There is a long pause as NO. 4 stares down at NO. 10:NO. 4 stares down at NO. 10:]

NO. 4:
(to all). All right. Sit down everybody.

[They all move back to their seats. When they are all seated, NO. 4 then sits down.]

NO. 4:
(quietly). I still believe the boy is guilty of murder. I'll tell you why. To me, the most damning evidence

was given by the woman across the street who claimed she actually saw the murder committed.

NO. 3:
That's right. As far as I'm concerned, that's the most important testimony.

NO. 8:
All right. Let's go over her testimony. What exactly did she say?

NO. 4:
I believe I can recount it accurately. She said that she went to bed at about eleven o'clock that night. Her

bed was next to the open window, and she could look out of the window while lying down and see directly into

the window across the street. She tossed and turned for over an hour, unable to fall asleep. Finally she turned

toward the window at about twelve ten and as she looked out, she saw the boy stab his father. As far as I can

see, this is unshakable testimony.

NO. 3:
That's what I mean. That's the whole case.

[NO. 4 takes off his eyeglasses and begins to polish them, as they all sit silently watching him.]

NO. 4:
(to the jury). Frankly, I don't see how you can vote for acquittal. (To NO. 12) What do you think about

it?

NO. 12:
Well . . . maybe . . . there's so much evidence to sift.

NO. 3:
What do you mean, maybe? He's absolutely right. You can throw out all the other evidence.

NO. 4:
That was my feeling.

[NO. 2, polishing his glasses, squints at clock ,but can' t see it. NO. 6 watches him closely.]

NO. 2:
What time is it?

NO. 11:
Ten minutes of six.

NO. 2:
It's late. You don't suppose they'd let us go home and finish it in the morning. I've got a kid with mumps.

NO. 5:
Not a chance.

NO. 6:
(to NO. 2). Pardon me. Can't you see the clock without your glasses?

NO. 2:
Not clearly. Why?

NO. 6:
Oh, I don't know. Look, this may be a dumb thought, but what do you do when you wake up at night and

want to know what time it is?

NO. 2:
What do you mean? I put on my glasses and look at the clock.

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