A Few Good Men Page #20

SAM:

An argument that didn't work for

Calley at My Lai, an argument that

didn't work for the Nazis at

Nuremberg.

KAFFEE:

For Christ sake, Sam, do you really

think that's the same as two teenage

marines executing a routine order

that they never believed would result

in harm? These guys aren't the Nazis.

There's a pause in the room.

JO:

Don't look now, Danny, but you're

making an argument.

KAFFEE:

(pause)

Yeah.

(beat)

Tomorrow morning I'll get them a new

attorney.

JO:

Why are you so afraid to be a lawyer?

Were daddy's expectations really

that high?

KAFFEE:

Please, spare me the psycho-babble

father bullshit. Dawson and Downey'll

have their day in court, but they'll

have it with another lawyer.

JO:

Another lawyer won't be good enough.

They need you. You know how to win.

(beat)

You know they have a case. And you

know how to win. You walk away from

this now, and you have sealed their

fate.

KAFFEE:

Their fate was sealed the moment

Santiago died.

JO:

Do you believe they have a defense?

KAFFEE:

You and Dawson both live in the same

dreamland. It doesn't matter what I

believe, it only matters what I can

prove. So please don't tell me what

I know and don't know. I know the

law.

JO looks at him, shakes her head, and turns to walk away.

She turns back.

JO:

You know nothing about the law. You're

a used car salesman, Daniel. You're

an ambulance chaser with a rank.

You're nothing.

(beat)

Live with that.

Jo walks off leaving KAFFEE alone. We HOLD on KAFFEE. He's

not having a good night.

CUT TO:

INT. A GEORGETOWN BAR - NIGHT

KAFFEE sits at the bar. The place is crowded with YUPPIES

and STUDENTS. KAFFEE's been drinking there a while now. Next

to him is a YUPPIE LAWYER, regaling his FRIENDS with the

story of his latest brilliant maneuver in the world of high

stakes corporate law.

We HOLD on a KAFFEE a moment longer, then

YUPPIE LAWYER:

...So I told duncan if we leverage

the acquisition of Biotech, the

interrogatories would be there on

demand. All I have to do is not pick

up the phone and it'll run Flaherty

ten thousand a day in court costs.

CUT TO:

EXT. A GEORGETOWN STREET - NIGHT

KAFFEE sits on a bench in the night. He takes a sip from a

bottle he's holding in a brown paper bag.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE PARADE GROUNDS - DAY

A bright, sunny morning. The BAND is performing for a group

of day campers.

CUT TO:

INT. THE COURTROOM - DAY

DAWSON and DOWNEY are at the defense table, ROSS is his place.

KAFFEE walks in and joins JO and SAM at their table. Papers

are being passed back and forth between ROSS and the SERGEANT

AT AMS. Quiet activity.

The door in the back of the courtroom opens and RANDOLPH, a

marine colonel, enters and takes his place at the bench. We

can HEAR the band in the background.

SERGEANT AT ARMS

All rise.

Everyone present in the courtroom stands.

RANDOLPH:

Where are we?

SERGEANT AT ARMS

Docket number 411275. VR-5. United

States versus Lance Corporal Harold

W. Dawson and Private First Class

Loudon Downey. Defendants are charged

with Conspiracy to Commit Murder,

Murder in the First Degree, and

Conduct Unbecoming a United States

Marine.

RANDOLPH:

Does defense wish to enter a plea?

KAFFEE stands.

KAFFEE:

Yeah.

(pause)

They're not guilty.

JO, SAM, ROSS, RANDOLPH... it's hard to say who's the most

surprised. It takes everything Jo's got to suppress a smile.

The silence is broken by ROSS, who takes the two files, drops

them into his briefcase, closes the lid, and snaps it shut.

RANDOLPH looks at KAFFEE and ROSS, then turns to the SERGEANT

AT ARMS.

RANDOLPH:

Enter a plea of not guilty for the

defendants. We'll adjourn until ten-

hundred, three weeks from today, at

which time this Court will reconvene

as a General Court-Martial.

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