Murder in the First Page #11

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's...

I wanna change my plea.

That's what I told you.

I'm gonna ask you the single

most important question I can ask you.

It's what this whole trial is about.

Are you guilty of the murder

of Rufus McCain?

I wanna change my plea to guilty.

That's what I said.

I didn't ask what you said you wanted to do.

I asked if you are guilty.

Objection, Your Honor.

He's badgering the witness.

- He's my witness, for chrissakes.

- I'm not your nothing.

If the accused wants to enter

a plea of guilty, I don't know why...

Silence. Mr. Stamphill,

you are skating on very thin ice here.

Maybe, Your Honor,

but I'd like to get to the other side.

Very well. You may proceed,

at your own peril.

Thank you.

Let me take this one step at a time.

Mr. Young, we had a conversation

in which I told you...

...I felt with the way the trial was going,

the most you'd have to face...

...more than likely, would be

another 10 years. Maybe even less.

- You don't give a sh*t...

- Ten years, that's what I said.

Yeah, yeah, but...

And then did you say to me,

that you were Henri...

...you were the guy

who had to do the time, not me?

You were the one back in Alcatraz

to do those 10 years, right?

That's what I told you.

Why are you doing this to me?

Because, Mr. Young, if you change

your plea to guilty, they will execute you.

You will die.

So f***ing what?

I'd rather die than go back there!

- What did you say, Mr. Young?

- said...

I said I'd rather die than go back there.

Can't you understand that?

Why, Henri? Why do you want to die?

Because.

Because I'm...

I'm scared of them.

I'm scared to go back there. I'm scared.

I'm scared. I'm scared.

- Objection. He's finished...

- I haven't finished anything.

Henri, look at me.

Henri, look at me. Look at me.

You were right. You were right,

I was wrong. I'm sorry.

I'm just talking to you right now.

Not the judge or the jury.

If you wanna die, we'll back you up.

I swear to God,

I will fight these bastards...

...so they will never do this

to anyone again.

You are not gonna die for nothing.

The choice is yours, Henri.

What do you wanna do?

I wanna stop being afraid.

All right.

Henri Young...

...are you guilty of the murder

of Rufus McCain?

I was the weapon...

...but I ain't no killer.

They're the murderers.

Bailiff, you may remove the prisoner.

Escort the prisoner to the holding room.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

...you have received your instructions.

You may find the defendant guilty

of involuntary manslaughter...

...which carries with it a maximum penalty

of three years...

...in which case the defendant

will be remanded...

...to the custody of the warden

ofAlcatraz.

Or you may find the defendant guilty

of murder in the first degree.

Without a recommendation for mercy...

...that verdict will carry with it

a sentence of death.

This court is now in session.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

how do you find?

The defendant will rise.

We, the jury...

...find the defendant, Henri Young...

...not guilty of murder

in the first-degree...

...and guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Order. Order.

Your Honor...

...we would like permission

to address the court, if possible.

Very well.

Your Honor,

we have this day signed a petition...

...which I would like to read to the court.

"We would like the following to be read

into the record of this proceeding.

Though we know it will have

no legal or binding effect...

...we'd hope that it will have

a moral effect.

We, the members of the jury,

recommend and request...

...an immediate investigation

by the proper federal authorities...

...of the federal penitentiary

known as Alcatraz.

We find this institution, its warden,

and associate warden...

...guilty of crimes against humanity."

Thank you. The jury is dismissed.

This trial is concluded.

All rise. The defendant

is remanded to the warden of Alcatraz.

News from San Francisco.

The Young trial concludes.

The Rock will be investigated

as Young is vindicated...

...by a verdict

of involuntary manslaughter.

As I walked out of the courtroom that day...

...I did not fully realize how much

Henri and I had actually accomplished.

It all just happened so fast.

Henri, Henri, I'm gonna be up to see you

as often as I can.

And then you can bring

that Blanche back for a second shot, huh?

Yeah, I'll try. See what I can do.

No place like home.

Henri, it's not over.

It's not over. I'm gonna appeal

to have you moved to another prison.

I'm gonna file motions

to have your original case reopened.

Henri and Jim, together again, huh?

That's right.

Henri and Jim, together again.

- Henri and Jim, together again.

- Hey, Jim.

I won, didn't I?

I mean, I really did something.

I won.

That's right, Henri, you won.

Hey, Jim, how many games

was DiMaggio's hitting streak?

- Fifty-four?

- No.

No, I got you.

It was 56, wasn't it?

Yeah. Ha-ha-ha.

I'll see you soon, Henri.

Take care of yourself.

The definition of victory is:

"Success in any contest or struggle.

Engagement ending in triumph."

That was to be the last time

I was to see Henri Young alive.

Before the court date was set for an appeal,

his body was found in a cell.

He laid beneath a single word

he had scrawled with a rock:

"Victory."

Henri Young taught me

the meaning of the word.

He was the only man that I have known

who gave more than he asked.

All that he ever wanted was a friend.

And I will always remember him

as one of the best friends I have ever had.

Unlike many men that live much longer,

Henri Young did not die in vain.

In the end, he was not afraid.

He lived and he died in triumph.

If only we could all do that.

Welcome home.

I've missed you, Henri.

Mr. Glenn...

...you can beat me,

you can put me back in that hole...

...whatever you wanna do...

...it doesn't matter to me.

Action:

I won.

Reaction:

You can't ever take that away from me.

Take him to the hole.

Charles Dickens once said

that solitary confinement was inhumane.

Seven months later,

the Supreme Court agreed.

And as a result of the facts brought out

in the trial ofThe People v. Henri Young...

...the dungeons of Alcatraz

were closed forever.

Associate Warden Glenn was brought up

on charges ofmistreatment.

He was found guilty. He would never work

in the penal system again.

I remained in private practice.

I also became a baseball fan.

You did it, Henri.

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