Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

I pronounce

this man dead.

Score another one

for Thompson.

You don't think much

of the district attorney, do you, Austin?

On the contrary...

He's an extremely

able man.

Then why are you

always attacking him on your editorial page?

Because I think

he's trying to reach the governor's chair

Over the bodies

of executed men.

I'm fighting against

capital punishment.

That's why I wanted

you to witness that execution.

Thanks.

After you've seen one,

you...

Did you ever

meet Thompson?

No.

He just came in.

Well--

Guess I'd better

go over

And say hello

to Austin Spencer.

You looking

for trouble?

Why wait for

tomorrow's editorial?

Might as well

hear it now. Join me?

No, thanks.

I'll read about it

in tomorrow's paper.

Hello, Roy.

It's good

to see you, Austin.

I'd like you to meet

Tom Garrett.

This is our

district attorney Roy Thompson.

How do you do, sir?

Join us

for a moment?

Thanks.

Care for a drink?

No, not now.

I enjoyed your novel

very much, Mr. Garrett. Congratulations.

Thank you.

I guess you're very pleased

with yourself.

Not particularly.

Why should I be?

Oh.

Peters committed

a murder.

And it doesn't

bother you to send him to the electric chair?

I presented

certain facts to a jury.

They decided,

Beyond a reasonable

doubt,

That Peters

was guilty.

Under the law,

he must be executed.

There were

no eyewitnesses,

No direct testimony

establishing his guilt.

Only circumstantial

evidence,

Which you handled

masterfully.

You don't mean

you think Peters was innocent, do you?

He might be.

The jury

didn't think so.

Look, Roy, I've sat

in too many courtrooms

Not to know that an able

and persuasive prosecutor like you

Can make a jury believe

that a thing is a fact when it isn't,

Especially

if the defense attorney

Is not as capable

as you are.

Would you have

Mr. Thompson ignore circumstantial evidence?

No, not at all.

I just don't think

the state should take a man's life

In such a case.

In fact, I'm not sure

his life should be taken in any event.

There are six states

in this country

That don't have

capital punishment.

But this state does,

And I'm sworn to uphold

the laws of this state.

It's good to see you,

Austin.

I'm very happy

to have met you, Mr. Garrett.

My pleasure, sir.

He seems

friendly enough.

And why not?

I've always been fair

to him personally in the paper.

We just don't agree

on capital punishment, that's all.

Well, let's face it,

Austin.

That's an argument

that's been going on for centuries,

And I doubt very much

that you or Mr. Thompson are going to settle it.

Oh, I think I can,

But not just

by talking about it.

I'll have to be getting

back to the office.

Joe?

Can I drop you anywhere?

No. Susan promised

to meet me here.

Oh. You two

are beginning to sound serious.

Any objections?

If I had, I wouldn't

have let you leave the paper

When you wanted

to write that novel.

What has that

got to do with it?

My daughter

has expensive tastes.

I don't think you'd have

made much progress

On the salary

I was paying you.

[Chuckles]

Hello.

Hi.

I couldn't reach

the top of his head.

You didn't

try very hard.

Well, if you two

can spare me...

We'll manage.

See you later.

Sit down.

Thank you.

Would you like

a drink?

Mmm...no, thanks.

Thanks.

Well...

What would

you like to do?

Oh, I feel like dancing.

At 5:
00

in the afternoon?

I'll take you dancing

tonight.

Mmm...but I feel

like dancing now.

All right.

Where?

I've never seen

your apartment.

Aren't we a little

mixed up?

That's supposed to be

my line.

But you've never

used it.

It all began

the day I looked

At you

You were just like

The girl

I dreamed of...

Next month,

we'll make you a June bride.

[Telephone rings]

Let it ring.

Oh, go ahead

and answer it.

I have to go home

and change anyway.

I'll get rid of this

and drive you.

Never mind.

I'll take a cab.

Hold on a second,

will you?

What time shall

I pick you up tonight?

About 8:
00.

And tell her

you're spoken for.

I never thought

that I could feel this way

Your love is all I want

to sing about...

Hello.

Yes.

And spring will last

forever and a day...

It works, too.

I couldn't go through

the rest of my life

Watching you search

for matches.

It's beautiful...

And so are you.

I'm glad you two

finally set a date.

Uh...

I'm afraid we might

have to postpone it for a while.

Oh?

That telephone call

in the apartment was my publisher.

He hit the ceiling

when he found out

How much progress

I haven't made.

What's that

got to do with your being married?

He wants the new book

right away,

So I'll just

have to buckle down and get it written.

Might surprise

you to know

That there are

successful writers who are married.

But I'm not a successful

writer yet, Sue.

One book

doesn't prove anything.

That's why the second one

is so important.

I'll just have

to concentrate on it.

You can understand that,

can't you, Austin?

Yes. You can't afford

a letdown after your first book.

I hope you understand,

Susan.

Of course I understand,

And I wouldn't dream

of forcing you

To do anything

you obviously don't want.

Susan.

Yes?

Darling, I love you

very much,

And I just want

our marriage to start right.

And the only way

is to finish the book first.

I couldn't write

if I were distracted,

And being married

to you

Should certainly

be distracting.

Are you trying

to tell me

That if you were

married to me,

You'd be too distracted

to write?

I certainly hope so.

I'll try to get

used to it, though.

All I'm asking

is that we postpone it for a little while.

I'll finish the book,

And then we can

start out together

With nothing

on our minds

But ourselves.

Write fast,

will you?

I've been thinking

about what you said at the club today--

About capital punishment.

You get engaged

to my daughter,

And all you

can think about is capital punishment?

No, really.

I'm serious, Austin.

I haven't been able

to get it out of my mind.

You mean, then, that

you agree with me about capital punishment?

Oh, I'm not sure

about that,

But the idea

that an innocent man could be executed...

Kind of bothers me.

It might be a good subject

for a book.

Oh, a book.

A fictitious story

wouldn't prove anything.

It can only be proven

By a fact that no one

could deny.

How?

By having someone

whose innocence I knew and could prove...

Arrested, tried,

and convicted

For a murder

he didn't commit.

Yeah, but it

wouldn't be possible

If the police

had any real suspects.

In a large city

like this,

Homicides occur

quite frequently.

Sometimes the police

are completely baffled.

They have no clues,

No suspects,

Nothing to go on.

I believe,

in such a case,

It would be possible

For an innocent man

to plant evidence

That would lead

To his arrest, trial,

and conviction.

A case like that

doesn't come up once in 10 years.

You said a case

like this

Doesn't happen

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