Last Dance Page #6

execution for John Henry Reese...

and commuting his sentence

to life imprisonment.

- What about Liggett?

- There should be no mistake however...

- No.

- That I remain a strong proponent

of the death penalty...

- Why?

- And a firm believer of its place in our society.

- What the hell do you want, a religious conversion?

- Wouldn't have hurt.

- And I know the people of this state...

overwhelmingly agree with me.

- There are, however...

- Look...

- those rare occasions when

exceptions cry out.

- It's an issue of credibility.

- And the rule of law...

- Whose credibility?

- Mine.

Must acknowledge

extraordinary circumstances.

- I'll take a few questions now.

- Governor.

- Governor.

Governor, could you tell us

the compelling reasons

that prompted your decision...

to commute

Mr Reese's sentence?

- Mr Reese has gone as far as any prisoner I've ever seen...

- I stick my neck out, there better be a damn good reason.

- Transforming himself into a thinking, contributing...

- I don't see it with Liggett. Maybe you do. I'm sorry.

- This is about reelection, isn't it?

- Responsible and very unique voice.

It's about getting

the black vote, isn't it?

It's about clemency.

Governor, what about

the Liggett case?

Clemency was denied. Miss Liggett's

death warrant is set to be carried out...

at 12.01 a.m. On Saturday,

one week from today.

If it's carried out, Cindy Liggett will be

the first woman in 11 years...

to be executed in this state.

- Any comment?

- Miss Liggett committed a brutal

and senseless double murder.

Her sex made no difference to her victims.

It makes no difference to us

under our legal system.

- It's okay.

- I'm sorry.

I know.

Look, I've got an idea

for an appeal.

No, no. You've gotta keep

letting me fight this.

I am afraid to say no...

and I am afraid to say yes.

Look.

There is somethin'

you can do for me.

- One, two, three, hey!

- What's this about?

- One, two, three, hey!

- I'm a friend of your sister's.

- One, two, three, hey!

- Here's how it is.

Uh, she's got six more days, okay?

Maybe you already know that.

Now she wanted me

to get you this.

You're the only family she's got.

She loves you.

- She said that?

- Yes, she did.

You'll be doin' K.P., boy!

Let's move it!

Six days.

We're doin' all we can.

I'm the one who turned her in.

Did you know that?

Look, she doesn't hold anything

against you, okay?

She's... She's actually grateful that

you stopped her. Believe me.

- The cops, they, um... they said

I'd be savin' her life.

- Yep.

What I did,

I did it to help her.

She was all messed up. Couldn't

tell what she was gonna do next.

I didn't know this

was gonna happen.

Listen, she knows all that,

all of it.

She's okay.

Come on, boys! Move it!

So my next trick, kids,

is very impressive, very exciting.

What I'm going to do is show you

a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

- Would ya like to see that?

- Yeah.

Would ya? Okay. Good.

Hold on. Ah, here they are.

Aren't they beautiful?

As you can see, there's blue...

and red and pink.

What's so funny? Why are you giggling?

What do you mean there's no flowers?

- Hi, I'm Rick Hayes. Remember?

- This happens to be my home.

- Look, I, I need your help. I'm sorr...

- It's my daughter's birthday.

Okay. Well, I need you to file a stay of

execution in Federal District Court

for Cindy Liggett.

- Mama, Vanessa took my M&Ms.

- Okay, sweetheart, go back.

I'll take care of it.

- Okay.

- I'll be right there.

L-I'm sorry. But we... we have some

big-time grounds for appeal here.

- What grounds?

- Well, ineffective counsel.

Basically, your partner Ed Duffy blew it.

- Oh, you got a hell of a nerve.

- All right. Well, you take a look

at this, uh...

I've got a police report here, okay?

And this is a statement made by

her brother before the arrest.

She and Doug Barnes had been

up for two days smokin' crack.

Now, he never introduced it.

You tell me why.

Well, I don't know. Maybe he felt a jury

sees a drug addict as subhuman.

You and I both know they'd be a lot more

likely to execute an addict.

Hey, we're talkin' a level of intoxication

here that might save her life.

- Oh, man, it was a strategic move.

- Oh, come on.

- Maybe he should have

pressed the drugs.

- We're six days from her execution.

This is the only chance

she's got.

Will you do it? Look, I'll handle

the research. I'll do the legwork.

- Mom, I wanna open my presents.

- In a minute, baby. In a minute.

One, two, three.

Abracadabra.

- I'll do my own research.

- Good.

Good night.

Good evening, sir.

Thanks.

Nice to see you.

- Hey.

- Hey.

- You made it.

- Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late, sweetie.

Well, you missed the soggy crab cakes

and the California champagne.

- Well, you look beautiful, though.

- Thank you.

- Hey, here's John.

- There he is.

- Hi. - Hi, how ya doin'?

- I'm good. You? - You okay?

- Yeah, everything's good.

- You free on Sunday, maybe

for some tennis or whatever?

Uh, yeah. Maybe.

Rick?

- They spent hundreds of thousands

on the building alone.

- Governor? Governor?

- Excuse me, sir. Hi. Um, I'd like to...

- Mr Hayes.

- Yes, sir.

- Clemency.

- Yes.

You fellas did a mighty

fine job on the Reese case.

- Thank you, sir. I'd like to talk to you

about Cindy Liggett.

- Liggett?

- Yes. I urge you to reconsider. - Oh, not now.

- I believe that this woman deserves clemency as well.

- This is completely inappropriate.

- It's all right.

- No, it isn't all right.

- We'll talk tomorrow in my office.

John, set that up.

- She had ineffective counsel.

- She should've been given a life sentence.

- I'm sorry.

- Shut up.

- Prison is the only stable environment...

- This is difficult for all of us, Mr Hayes.

- That this woman has ever known. Her life outside...

- Rick, come on.

- John, let go of me.

Her life outside was a nightmare.

She's changed. She's grown.

She's a different person now. Now,

we're... we're not settin' an example here.

We never gave her a chance to become

like us, sir! We've become like her.

You have an eloquent tongue, Mr Hayes.

Must run in the family.

- Well, Cindy Liggett didn't have a chance,

sir. And if you'd just...

- Now, you've had your turn!

Now, the rule of law demands that

this girl receive the maximum penalty

for what she did.

- Governor, you...

- May I finish?

- Yes.

- Now, if you don't like this particular law,

by all means, change it.

But in the meantime, it's my sworn duty

as governor to uphold the laws

as I find them.

You understand? You just pour

yourself a good, stiff drink.

- Enjoy the rest of the party

with your brother John.

- Sir.

- Let's go.

- Mark, I'm sorry about that.

Now, the building...

Young turks.

- I hope you know what you just did.

- John, the man pulls the switch.

Bottom line.

- Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet.

- Look, I don't care who hears this.

- What the hell is wrong with you?

- For what? Do you think this is about me?

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