A Few Good Men Page #26

ROSS:

(to KAFFEE)

Your witness.

KAFFEE:

Corporal Hammaker, were you in Dawson

and Downey's barracks room ten minutes

after this meeting?

HAMMAKER:

No sir.

KAFFEE:

Thanks, I have no more questions.

HAMMAKER gets off the stand, and KAFFEE watches while walks

past DAWSON and DOWNEY. A barely perceptible exchange occurs

between the eyes of DAWSON and HAMMAKER.

KAFFEE makes a decision.

ROSS:

The Government calls Corporal Raymond

Thomas --

KAFFEE:

Please the Court, I understand Lt.

Ross is planning on calling all the

other members of Rifle Security

Company Windward to testify.

ROSS:

In light of the defense that Lt.

Kaffee is planning to mount, the

explicit instructions of the platoon

leader seems particularly relevant

testimony.

KAFFEE:

The defense is willing to concede

that all 23 witnesses will testify

substantially as Corporal Hammaker

did, if the Government is willing to

concede that none of them were in

Dawson and Downey's room at 16:20 on

August 6th.

RANDOLPH:

(to ROSS)

Lieutenant?

ROSS:

The Government'll agree to the

stipulation, sir.

RANDOLPH:

Then we'll adjourn for the day. You

can call your next witness in the

morning.

CUT TO:

SHOT OF WASHINGTON AT NIGHT

DISSOLVE TO:

THE PARADE GROUNDS - EARLY MORNING, two SAILORS are raising

the flag.

CUT TO:

INT. THE COURTROOM - DAY

COMMANDER STONE, a Navy doctor in his mid-40's, is on the

stand.

STONE:

...And he was pronounced dead at

zero-zero-thirty-seven.

ROSS:

Dr. Stone, what's lactic acidosis?

STONE:

If the muscles and other cells of

the body burn sugar instead of oxygen,

lactic acid is produced. That lactic

acid is what caused Santiago's lungs

to bleed.

ROSS:

How long does it take for the muscles

and other cells to begin burning

oxygen instead of sugar?

STONE:

Twenty to thirty minutes.

ROSS:

And what caused Santiago's muscles

and other cells to start burning

sugar?

STONE:

An ingested poison of some kind.

KAFFEE:

Your Honor, we object at this point.

The witness is speculating.

ROSS:

Commander Stone is an expert medical

witness, in this courtroom his opinion

isn't considered speculation.

KAFFEE:

Commander Stone is an internist, not

a criminologist, and the medical

facts here are ultimately

inconclusive.

RANDOLPH:

A point which I'm confident you'll

illustrate to the jury under cross-

examination, so I'm sure you won't

mind if his opinion is admitted now.

KAFFEE:

Not at all, sir. Objection withdrawn.

KAFFEE sits.

ROSS:

Doctor Stone, did Willy Santiago die

of poisoning?

STONE:

Absolutely.

ROSS:

Are you aware that the lab report

and the coroners report showed no

traces of poison?

STONE:

Yes I am.

ROSS:

Then how do you justify --

STONE:

There are literally dozens of toxins

which are virtually undetectable,

both in the human body and on a

fabric. The nature of the acidosis

is the compelling factor in this

issue.

ROSS:

Thank you, sir.

KAFFEE gets up.

KAFFEE:

Commander, you testified that it

takes lactic acidosis 20 to 30 minutes

before it becomes lethal.

STONE:

Yes.

KAFFEE:

Let me ask you, is it possible for a

person to have an affliction, some

sort of condition, which might, in

the case of this person, actually

speed up the process of acidosis

dramatically?

Rate this script:4.0 / 7 votes