Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil Page #7

I do take umbrage.

But I'll do it.

JOHN:
What is the story

with the guy with the horsefly epaulets?

Luther Driggers.

He's a genius.

Developed the "No-Bug" strip.

The company he worked for

took the credit and the money.

Now he just wanders around town

with a bottle of poison in his pocket.

JOHN:

Of course.

Says someday he's going to put it

in the water supply, do us all in.

Why do you want him on the jury?

We're the defense team.

We need all the nuts we can get.

What about Largent?

Finley's up for reelection.

If he strikes Luther...

...he might upset him enough to...

...you know...

SONNY:

I'll be back in on Sunday.

You've got a murder trial

starting in 3 days. Where you going?

Home opener against 'Bama.

Betty. Henry.

Go, Dogs!

Is he really leaving?

Oh, yeah.

Better say a prayer.

JUDGE:

All right, Mr. Largent...

...the state has the burden of proof,

and you have the opening.

LARGENT:

Your Honor.

LARGENT:
Good morning, Your Honor,

ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

The state of Georgia is ready

and most anxious to proceed.

If the court pleases.

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes

is quoted as saying...

...that life is...

...nasty, brutish...

...and short.

And surely it must have seemed so

to Billy Hanson...

...as he lay wounded...

...his blood and his life...

...oozing out

onto Jim Williams' Persian rug.

LARGENT:
It's important for you

to know that the defendant...

By the end of this trial...

...I believe...

...that when faced with the evidence...

...you will render...

...the verdict that is fair and just:

Guilty of first-degree murder.

Thank you.

All right, Mr. Seiler,

we've been going for some time now.

Would you prefer to make

your opening statement after recess?

I would prefer to address

the jury now, Your Honor.

What I have to say won't take long.

I apologize if I look tired...

...if my eyes are red...

...if my complexion is sallow.

But I came by it honestly.

Because...

...I have not had much sleep lately.

For while my bed is soft...

...my client's is not.

And while I'm surrounded

by my loving family...

...Jim Williams...

...my friend...

...my client...

...is locked up in a room...

...full of thieves,

murderers and rapists.

You're the ones I want.

You're the ones I trust.

Because although it is Jim Williams

on trial here today...

...when I look at the circumstances...

...I think to myself...

...there...

...but for the grace of God,

go you...

...or I.

You know why?

Because I guaran-damn-tee you:

Someone comes into my home

and shoot at me, I will shoot back.

And I'll shoot back again and again...

...and again,

until I'm sure that they're dead.

Until I'm sure that my home

and my family are safe.

And then...

...old Finley here, my friend...

...would be prosecuting me.

I'd be the one on trial.

And my life...

...would be in the hands...

...of good folks like you.

He is way out-of-bounds.

He didn't object once during ours.

We'll look like a**holes.

SONNY:

Folks not swayed by fancy words.

Folks who would not be prejudiced...

...who would not judge a man...

...by the color of his skin...

...or the amount of money that he makes.

I will say...

...the simple fact of the matter...

...is...

...Jim Williams...

...murdered no one.

How did you think it went?

Because I was very pleased.

Sonny has a certain style,

a flair, doesn't he?

From what I've seen...

...that man could weave horseshit

into Egyptian cotton.

JOHN:

Pleasantly surprised.

John Kelso,

I hope you understand.

Might I consider you my friend?

Yes.

The lack of gunshot residue in the hand,

plus the other things I mentioned...

...led me to the conclusion

that the scene was contrived.

Thank you, Detective Boone.

No further questions.

Detective...

...I'd like to revisit

some of the things...

...you said just then in direct.

You testified there was blood

on Hanson's hand, correct?

Yes. There was blood in the palm

of the victim's hand.

And that's important because if Hanson

had been holding the gun...

...there'd be no blood.

But you never saw the blood

on the victim's hand, did you?

No.

The blood was noted

in the autopsy report.

I didn't turn them over

when I bagged them.

SONNY:

I believe you also testified that...

...you believe the final shot was fired

from above the victim, is that correct?

I concluded that the shot came

from someone standing over the victim...

...execution style.

A coup de grce.

A coup de grce?

SONNY:

Will you tell the jury, please...

...did you find Jim's prints

on Billy's gun?

The Luger handle has a textured surface.

Is the answer no, Detective?

Yes, the answer was no.

SONNY:

Yes, the answer is no.

State's 22, Your Honor.

Who's this handsome fellow?

That's me.

SONNY:

Who's this?

That's that reporter fella

from up north.

BOONE:

The one that's working with Williams.

I don't know how he got in.

And this?

Young officer...

...name escapes me.

Understandable. You'd need a program

to keep track of everyone in that room.

Objection!

Counsel's testifying.

Strike that.

I would much rather have

the detective tell us.

SONNY:

How many people was in that room?

BOONE:

Seven.

No, eight.

"Seven, no, eight."

And a pussycat.

SONNY:

Read the funny papers, Detective?

Not often.

In the funny papers they sometimes

have this little competition...

...to find an animal

hidden in an illustration.

I love to play it with my grandson.

You know that game?

We're going to play "Where's Shelton?"

I don't know what Mr. Seiler's trying

to prove with all this, but I assume...

Mr. Finley, we can all play.

Shelton Williams...

...is the defendant's tabby cat.

SONNY:

Now, Detective...

...let's play "Where's Shelton?"

I'll give you a clue.

Take a look at the rug.

Is the answer "yes"?

Yes.

State's 22, Your Honor.

SONNY:

Tabby cat.

SONNY:

Is Shelton Williams on your payroll?

SONNY:

I've heard tell of cat burglars.

Is this a cat detective?

Don't be ridiculous.

I'll tell you what's ridiculous.

You saying that

the scene of the crime was secured.

That's what's ridiculous.

Seven, no, eight people, and a pussycat,

walking all around that room...

You call that secure?

We hung around a lot.

Billy had a car

and he'd give me rides sometimes.

Mr. Tucker, do you,

of your own knowledge...

...know anything of the relationship

between Billy Hanson and...

...Jim Williams?

SONNY:

Objection.

Objection, Your Honor.

Let me see you gentlemen

over here a minute.

JUDGE:

What's this about?

Your Honor, if this boy says

what I think he's going to say...

...you can't ask the jury to ignore it.

You can't let a skunk go in the box

and then say they didn't smell it.

Our intention with Mr. Tucker is to show

the victim was afraid of the defendant.

To do that, he has to describe

the nature of the relationship.

Your intention

is to paint Jim Williams pink...

...then rely on some prejudice

in the jury.

Besides which, whatever he says

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