American Violet Page #6

---

against everyone we arrested

in the sweep in Melody.

Make no mistake,

I'm certain everyone

was guilty as sin.

Just can't prove it...

this time.

- What about the people

who already pled guilty?

- What about them?

They pled guilty.

They're guilty.

- Is there gonna be...

- Calvin!

- Dee, that's great news.

- Mm.

But he said I'm guilty.

- Doesn't matter

what he said.

The charges are dropped.

- What you think, David?

- Well, it's good news for you.

And your suit

and the jury's verdict

have forced Beckett

to change his plans.

But the system

isn't changing.

He could raid

Arlington Springs tomorrow

and start

all over again.

He's not even

throwing out the convictions

of people like Gladys,

who pled guilty

under duress.

- Excuse me.

What does this

have to do with Dee?

- She filed the case

against Beckett.

If she quits,

the case is over.

- So you expect her

to keep going?

What you think?

- If Dee wants to drop the case,

now's the time to do it.

But what David's saying is true.

Beckett's not gonna change.

The system's

not gonna change.

- Y'all crazy.

Dee got a custody hearing

in front of this man.

- Would y'all please stop

talking about "Dee"

like I'm not here?

Just...

I don't know.

- Dee?

There's a lot riding on this,

but it's your family,

your life.

This has

got to be your decision.

I'm your lawyer.

I'll do what you want.

- Hello, Miss Roberts.

- Hello, sir.

- Cisco around?

- He's in the kitchen.

- Hey, Cisco,

how are you?

- Nice to meet you.

Hey, Dee.

[Door opens]

- [Stammers]

[Crying]

[Knocking on window]

So they just up

and threw you out?

- [Coughs]

That's the law.

Didn't think

it would happen,

but it did.

- Gladys,

you can stay with me.

I got a little bedroom.

- Thank you.

It wouldn't work anyhow.

They'd just throw you out too

if they catch you.

[Crying]

- Gladys.

- [Crying]

- Our case has been assigned

to Judge C.W. Belmont.

He's as strict law and order

as they come.

Hasn't ruled against the police

in over 15 years.

- How many times has Beckett

appeared before him?

- At least a dozen times

in the last five years alone.

- Then he's conflicted.

We move

for a change of venue.

- That's never gonna happen.

No.

Beckett knows the system.

Belmont getting this case

is no accident.

We gonna have to win this thing

before it ever goes to trial.

- Uh.

They came

in the middle of the night,

two of them.

Crack!

One of them

put a gun to my head,

told me I was

a worthless piece of sh*t

and scum like me

deserved to die.

I just laid there

and took it.

The next day, they took me over

to Mr. Beckett's office,

and I was real ready

to cooperate.

- Mr. Porter,

what happened

after you were taken

to Mr. Beckett's office?

- He told me about,

that I know

I could get 60 years and...

he was real tired

of seeing me.

So he was gonna watch for my

no-good drug-head ass family.

- So he threatened you

and your family with jail terms?

- Yes.

- Did he threaten you

with bodily harm?

- He told me

he'd make a phone call

and get the biggest-dicked

son of a b*tch he could find-

excuse my language, y'all,

but these his exact words:

"I'm gonna get you locked up,

"and I'm gonna

make a phone call

"and get the biggest-dicked

son of a b*tch I can find

to screw you every day for the

rest of your natural born life."

- Those were his exact words?

- That was his words to me,

yes.

- Are you uncomfortable,

Mr. Porter?

- Well, I said

I didn't want him here.

- Who are you

referring to?

- Him.

- Let the record show

that Mr. Porter has pointed

at Calvin Beckett.

- I'm always

gonna be here, Eddie.

That's my rag.

I ain't going anywhere.

- I was given

a list of names.

- By Beckett?

- Yeah.

He had them

right there.

- Mr. Porter, was Dee Roberts'

name on the list

the DA gave you?

- Uh, I don't remember.

- Oh, come on, Mr. Porter.

Did you put Dee Roberts'

name down as a drug dealer

because your cousin Claudia

asked you to?

- I-I-I can't remember.

- But you do know

who Claudia is, right?

You...

She's-

she lives with Darrell Hughes.

- I know her.

She my cousin, yeah.

- Boy, did you put

Dee Roberts' name down

because your cousin Claudia

asked you to or not?

- I don't know.

Look, all they needed

was five more names,

and they didn't care

who they was.

- Mr. Porter,

my name is Mark Shelby.

Mr. Porter, generally, would you

say that you tell the truth?

- I try to,

unless I feel

like I'm in danger

or I got to protect myself.

- Mm-hmm.

And were you telling the truth

when you testified under oath

at the Green trial?

'Cause the truth

you're telling today

is not exactly the same truth

you were telling back then.

- So I'm just trying to figure

out what about today's truth

is true.

- Well,

he had me locked up then.

He could've did anything

he wanted to do to me.

And now I got to do

what's right,

'cause the truth

will set you free.

- Which truth

we talking about,

the truth you told before

or the truth you're telling now?

'Cause I'm

a little confused by all that.

Mr. Porter,

you ever had

any mental problems?

- Yeah.

- Could you tell me

what type?

- I was diagnosed

with paranoid schizophrenia,

and I can't remember

the other one.

- That's all right,

Mr. Porter.

That's probably enough.

Now, you understand that we're

embroiled in a lawsuit here.

And these plaintiffs

are seeking damages.

And if these

allegations are proven,

a lot of police officers,

some good men,

not being

police officers anymore.

- Is there going to be an end

to this cascade of rhetoric?

- I'm just trying to determine

if Mr. Porter here

truly comprehends

the seriousness

of these allegations,

allegations

that were brought forth

by a paranoid schizophrenic

that can't remember

what else he is.

- I understand the seriousness

of this whole situation.

I understand the seriousness

of people being incarcerated.

I understand the seriousness

of people's lives

being changed forever

and affected.

I understand the seriousness

of not being able

to sleep good at night

'cause you worried about

somebody coming to your house

and harming you

or your family members.

I understand a lot.

And I know my life

will never be the same.

- They'll destroy

Porter on the stand.

- Well, we need to turn his

unreliability back against them.

- We need a change in venue.

- The motion is denied.

- But the district attorney

has appeared

before you 16 times.

Surely a change in venue would

result in a fairer trial.

- The motion

has been denied.

Is there something

about the word "denied"

that you don't understand,

Counselor?

- No, Your Honor.

- Good.

- Did you hold a gun

to Eddie Porter's head

and threaten

to kill him

if he didn't help you

with your drug cases?

- No.

- Did you

give him crack cocaine...

- No.

- So he could make

drug buys for you?

- Absolutely not.

- Did you suspect

he was using drugs?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes