Marshall Page #3

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They'll martyr Spell

for their own cause.

Not my problem.

You think he did it. That's

for a jury to decide.

You think he raped this woman and drove

her to the reservoir to kill her?

People have done

stranger things.

That's right. People do all sorts

of strange things, horrible things.

But throw a woman over the bridge, into the

water, not check to see if she's dead,

then drive back to her house?

You've gotta have a pretty

dim view of Negroes

to think any one of us would

do anything so goddamn stupid.

The papers say he was dishonorably

discharged from the army.

This isn't

a court-martial.

He was fired from his

last job for stealing.

No charges were brought.

He left behind a wife and two

kids in Louisiana, Thurgood.

Yes, he's got baggage. Criminal

defendants usually do.

They're not perfect citizens

like you and me.

But none of that makes him

guilty of this crime.

I got Gruber on the phone. What

do you want me to tell him?

I don't know.

Tell him he's a schmuck.

- Sam, come on.

- Irwin! Genug?

Why me?

I need someone who

will do as I say.

What makes you think

I will do as you say?

You have no choice. You don't

know what you're doing.

You're quite a salesman.

There's no time for that.

You want me to try this case.

No, I need you to try this case.

"And the Lord commanded Moses

to enlist his brother's help.

He shall speak for you

to the people."

"He shall be your mouth,

and you shall be

as God to him."

Tell Gruber to go f*** himself.

All right.

And find the cop who stopped Spell.

We need a witness.

Okay. I'm on it.

What is this?

You say you've never tried

a criminal case before, right?

Yeah, that's right.

You'd better start reading then.

You've got one month.

Hey, look who's back.

You coming tonight?

No, not tonight.

Man, I was really looking

forward to catching up with you.

All right, you need to stop

feeling sorry for yourself.

I am the one who's been sick...

every morning...

for the past month.

What?

You better not be lying.

Look at the bump.

I see it.

You see it?

I'm not going anywhere

after this.

What?

You don't believe me.

No, I don't.

I swear.

You swear.

I swear I swear.

Nowhere, nowhere.

I swear.

Langston, he swore

on his mother's life

that he wouldn't be going

anywhere anytime soon.

My mother's name

was never mentioned.

Well, this case is all anybody

in this city is talking about.

Which only means that the inevitable

loss will be that much more devastating.

Don't bet against me. You're not

even trying the case, baby.

Every single word that man utters

in that courtroom will be mine.

I'm just making the point that a

Negro charged with ravishment

by the Greenwich gentility

should probably save himself the

time and unpleasantness of a trial.

Langston, maybe you should

just go back to Spain.

Or back to Russia.

Write your little poems, explore

big ideas with your comrades.

I was fighting Fascists

in Spain.

Well, you were writing about

fighting Fascists in Spain.

Listen, by the time

the baby comes,

Thurgood's gonna be

out of a job.

Do none of you

have any confidence in me?

I'd say you have enough

confidence for us all,

misplaced as it may be.

Great to see you!

God, here comes Zora.

Probably leaving dinner

with Charles Lindbergh.

- Don't you dare...

- Zora!

Sit down!

Come on over here.

Zora Neale Hurston!

Hi!

How y'all doin'?

Langston Hughes.

Zora.

And who is this?

I'm August.

I've heard so much about you.

That's funny, 'cause I haven't

heard a thing about you.

Langston?

You had it now, girl!

Okay, guys.

We ready to go?

You're still not talking to me.

It's...

It's not my fault.

You have no idea how

persuasive this guy can be.

Stella.

What on earth is Sam thinking?

With all that's going

on in the world today,

we don't need this kind of

attention focused on us.

Well, he wasn't looking for it, Rose.

Irwin got him involved.

Well, you tell him that everybody

is terrified by what this man did.

Sophie Gittelson

fired her girl today.

She's been with them

for 11 years.

They fired Gladys?

Why? She's lovely.

Yeah, she's lovely.

But what if one of her

relatives comes to visit?

They have their daughter

to think of.

I would've done the same thing.

Well, if it isn't

Mr. Friedlansky.

Mr. Weisman.

Dora and I couldn't remember.

Were you born here or in Minsk?

We, We came over

when I was one.

That's what I thought.

So you feel like a really big shot,

I bet, defending that schvartze.

What do you think

your father would say?

I could not tell you.

I think he'd say he was proud.

For the defense.

Don't mention it.

To anyone.

Eew!

Jury selection, gentlemen.

Clerk, call the first

venire person.

Lester Gilman of Norwalk.

Mr. Gilman.

Mr., Gilman,

in this case a colored man is

accused of raping a white woman.

Could you be fair

in deciding such a case?

I think so.

No further questions.

Accepted by the defense.

To tell you the truth, I don't

know much about them, the colored.

We don't have too many

in Stratford.

Excused.

I'll be honest with you.

I don't like the colored.

Seems to me they're always getting

into some sort of trouble.

I don't think much

of Hebrews either.

Excuse me?

Well, you're one of them...

I figured.

Thank you for your candor,

Mr. Wright.

No further questions.

Excuse for cause.

Counselor?

Your Honor, we move to have Mr.

Wright excused for cause.

On what grounds?

Bias.

I know.

He just admitted he's biased.

Mr. Wright, you are

a law-abiding citizen.

Wouldn't you say? That's

right, Your Honor.

If I instructed you that the law

requires that you set aside your bias,

would you obey my instruction?

Guess I'd have to.

The challenge for cause

is overruled.

You may use

the peremptory challenge.

- Your Honor, with all due respect...

- I've made my ruling.

Excused.

Mr. Ellis,

you agree, do you not,

that as a colored man you could not

fairly pass judgment on Mr. Spell.

No, sir.

You agree you could not be fair.

No. What I mean is, yes, if he's

guilty, I'd have to convict him.

I'll use a challenge.

Object.

On what basis?

Just do it.

Your Honor, I object.

Grounds?

He can't use the challenge

to discrim...

I heard that,

Mr. Marshall.

It's a peremptory challenge,

Mr. Friedman.

The State may use it

for whatever reason it wants.

Mr. Willis, you have four left.

The defense has one.

What was the point of that?

Every single time they discriminate,

we're going to object.

Recognize it.

Now.

Mrs. Richmond,

do you reside in Greenwich?

Yes, Mr. Willis.

I do now.

And if the State

proves its case,

you could convict the defendant?

Yes, of course I could.

Thank you, Mrs. Richmond.

That's all I wanted to know.

Mrs. Richmond, I notice

you have an accent.

Really? Here I thought you were the

one with the accent, Mr. Friedman.

Fair enough.

Mrs. Richmond,

where did you live

before moving here?

Raleigh, North Carolina.

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