A Few Good Men Page #4

KAFFEE:

Thank you, Isaac, that's nice of

you.

WHITAKER:

Sit-down, this first one's for you.

He hands KAFFEE some files.

WHITAKER:

(continuing)

You're moving up in the world, Danny,

you've been requested by Division.

"Oooh"'s and "Ahhh"'S from the other LAWYERS. (Subtle Note:

Kaffee doesn't want to move up in the world.)

KAFFEE:

Requested to do what?

WHITAKER hands him a file.

WHITAKER:

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A marine

corporal named Dawson illegally fires

a round from his weapon over the

fenceline and into Cuban territory.

KAFFEE:

What's a fenceline?

WHITAKER:

Sam?

SAM:

A big wall separating the good guys

from the bad guys.

KAFFEE:

Teachers pet.

WHITAKER:

PFC William Santiago threatens to

rat on Dawson to the Naval

investigative Service. Dawson and

another member of his squad, PFC

Louden Downey, they go into Santiago's

room, tie him up, and stuff a rag

down his throat. An hour later,

Santiago's dead. Attending physician

says the rag was treated with some

kind of toxin.

KAFFEE:

They poisoned the rag?

WHITAKER:

Not according to them.

KAFFEE:

What do they say?

WHITAKER:

Not much. They're being flown up

here tomorrow and on Thursday at

0600 you'll catch a transport down

to Cuba for the day to find out what

you can. Meantime, go across the

yard and see Lt. Commander Joanne

Galloway. She's the one who had 'em

brought up here. She'll fill you in

on whatever she has. Any questions?

KAFFEE:

The flight to Cuba, was that 0600 in

the morning, sir?

WHITAKER:

It seems important to Division that

this one be handled by the book, so

I'm assigning co-counsel. Any

volunteers?

SAM:

No.

WHITAKER:

Sam.

SAM:

I have a stack of paper on my desk --

WHITAKER:

Work with Kaffee on this.

SAM:

Doing what? Kaffee'll finish this up

in four days.

WHITAKER:

Do various... administrative... you

know... things. Back-up. Whatever.

SAM:

In other words I have no

responsibilities whatsoever.

WHITAKER:

Right.

SAM:

My kinda case.

CUT TO:

INT. JO'S OFFICE - DAY

JO sits behind her desk. KAFFEE and SAM stand in the doorway.

KAFFEE knocks politely.

JO looks up.

KAFFEE:

Hi.

(beat)

I'm Daniel Kaffee. I was told to

meet with --

(checks notes)

-- Commander Galloway.

JO is staring at him. KAFFEE doesn't know why.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

About a briefing.

JO is finding this hard to believe.

JO:

You're the attorney that Division

assigned?

KAFFEE:

I'm lead counsel. This is Sam

Weinberg.

SAM:

I have no responsibilities here

whatsoever.

JO's deeply puzzled.

JO:

(beat)

Come in, please, have a seat...

KAFFEE and SAM come into the office and sit.

JO:

(continuing)

Lieutenant, how long have you been

in the Navy?

KAFFEE:

Going on nine months now.

JO:

And how long have you been out of

law school?

KAFFEE:

A little over a year.

JO:

(beat)

I see.

KAFFEE:

Have I done something wrong?

JO:

No. It's just that when I petitioned

Division to have counsel assigned, I

was hoping I'd be taken seriously.

KAFFEE and SAM exchange a look.

KAFFEE:

(to JO)

No offense taken, if you were

wondering.

SAM:

Commander, Lt. Kaffee's generally

considered the best litigator in our

office. He's successfully plea

bargained 44 cases in nine months.

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