The Trial of the Chicago 7 Page #16

ABBIE:

It’s a revolution, Tom. We may have

to hurt somebody’s feelings.

There’s momentary silence in the room...

RENNIE:

(pause)

So...we have this list. I was

thinking maybe Monday morning we

could read the names into the

record.

TOM:

Jesus-

RENNIE:

As a way of saying-

TOM:

As a way of saying what?

RENNIE:

That whatever we’re facing, you

know, is peanuts compared to what

these guys-

TOM:

He’s the one who’s gonna sentence

us.

(MORE)

113.

TOM (CONT'D)

The judge gets to decide what we’re

facing. It’s a goddam trial.

ABBIE:

A political trial.

TOM:

No, we were arrested for--the law

doesn’t recognize political-

ABBIE:

We weren’t arrested, we were

chosen. Lee, John, have you guys

asked yourselves what you’re doinghere?

WEINER:

Every day.

ABBIE:

You’re a give-back. They give the

jury a couple of guys they can

acquit and feel better about

finding the rest us guilty. Lenny,

am I wrong?

WEINGLASS:

No.

FROINES:

Our role in history is that we made

it easier to convict our friends?

Lee?

WEINER nods his head...

ABBIE:

They’re gonna find us guilty of “I

just don’t like you.” That’s whyBill won’t put any of us on the

stand.

DAVE:

I could take the stand, I’m easyfor them to like. I’m literally a

Boy Scout troop leader.

KUNSTLER:

You’re a conscientious objector.

DAVE:

A lot of people are conscientious-

114.

KUNSTLER:

During World War II. You sat out

World War II. Even I want to punch

you.

DAVE:

Well we can talk about that.

KUNSTLER:

I’m looking forward to it.

JERRY:

I could take the stand.

KUNSTLER:

Have you ever taught a classroom

how to make a bomb?

JERRY:

8th graders are taught how

Oppenheimer made a bomb.

KUNSTLER:

Not one you can build with material

from Woolworths.

RENNIE:

You know what would be ironic?

JERRY:

Rennie Davis speaks.

KUNSTLER:

What?

RENNIE:

I said you know what would be

ironic?

TOM:

He heard you, he’s asking what

would be ironic.

RENNIE:

I was just gonna say if John

Mitchell did all this just to get

back at Ramsey Clark.

TOM:

For what?

115.

RENNIE:

That thing. Remember? Outgoing

cabinet members are supposed to

resign as a courtesy but Ramsey

Clark didn’t tender his resignation

until an hour-

As this goes on, we PUSH IN on KUNSTLER and WEINGLASS as they

look at each other, each having the same thought.

JERRY:

Yeah, I read Mitchell had a fit

about that.

(to WEINGLASS)

Did you read about that?

(beat)

Lenny?

But KUNSTLER and WEINGLASS keep silently staring at each

other...

JERRY (CONT'D)

(beat)

Bill?

KUNSTLER:

He was never even on our witness

list.

TOM:

Who?

KUNSTLER:

The first witness you’d put on the

stand...if this was a political

trial.

(calling)

Bernadine!

BERNADINE:

Yeah.

KUNSTLER:

My office needs to find Ramsey

Clark.

ABBIE:

William Kunstler just showed up.

CUT TO:

116.

159 EXT./EST. SUBURBAN HOUSE -DAY 159

There’s a dusting of snow on the ground as a taxi pulls into

the circular driveway. The side of the taxi lets us know

we’re in the D.C. area.

TOM, KUNSTLER and WEINGLASS get out of the cab. WEINGLASS

pays the driver while KUNSTLER looks at something--a black

sedan sitting in the driveway next to the family car.

KUNSTLER:

Lenny.

WEINGLASS looks over. KUNSTLER walks to the black sedan and

wipes away some snow that’s caked on the license plate--it

reads “U.S. Gov’t”.

WEINGLASS:

Maybe--I don’t know, does he have a

Secret Service detail?

KUNSTLER:

No. They’re here for us.

The three of them walk up to the front door and stand there a

moment. It’s like they’re about to knock on the door

belonging to the Wizard of Oz.

KUNSTLER (CONT'D)

He was the Attorney General, what

do we do, we just ring the

doorbell?

WEINGLASS:

Yeah, I guess so.

KUNSTLER:

You want to do it?

TOM:

Just ring the damn-

TOM rings the doorbell.

They wait...

KUNSTLER:

It’s a nice house.

WEINGLASS:

Yeah.

117.

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

What would you call this, Tudor or

Colonial?

The door’s opened by JANE, a young, African-American

housekeeper.

KUNSTLER (CONT'D)

Good morning, I’m Bill Kunstler.

Mr. Clark is expecting us.

JANE:

Come in.

160 INT. FOYER -CONTINUOUS 160

JANE:

He’s in his study at the end of the

hall. Can I get anyone coffee?

KUNSTLER:

I’ll tell you, ma’am, that sounds

great.

WEINGLASS:

Nothing for me, thank you.

TOM gives a small wave that means he’s fine.

JANE:

The end of the hall.

KUNSTLER and WEINGLASS start down the hall but TOM’s stopped

by-

JANE (CONT'D)

Mr. Hayden?

TOM looks at her...

JANE (CONT'D)

I read in the paper you were the

only one who stood for the judge

after what he did to Bobby.

TOM:

Oh. That was a mistake. It was a

reflex and-

KUNSTLER:

Tom?

118.

TOM:

Yeah.

TOM joins the two lawyers as they head down the hall.

161 INT. STUDY -DAY 161

RAMSEY CLARK, in khakis and a button-down shirt, is sitting

with two men in dark suits, one of whom we recognize as

HOWARD from John Mitchell’s office. Framed photos are on the

wall of Clark with LBJ in the Oval Office, with Bobby Kennedy

and from his days as a Marine.

CLARK is both laid back and completely in control. He gets up

to greet his visitors.

CLARK:

Hey, Bill, Ramsey Clark.

KUNSTLER:

Pleased to meet you, sir, this is

Leonard Weinglass.

CLARK:

(shaking hands)

Mr. Weinglass.

KUNSTLER:

And Tom Hayden.

CLARK:

I know who Tom Hayden is, the FBI

used to work for me. These two men

are senior deputies with the

Justice Department--Mr. Calley and

Mr. Howard.

KUNSTLER:

I don’t know what these men are

doing here.

CLARK:

I invited them.

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

You invited them?

CLARK:

I don’t want any appearance of

impropriety.

KUNSTLER:

There isn’t any impropriety.

119.

CLARK:

And now there are witnesses to

that.

KUNSTLER’s at a loss. He’s screwed before he even got

started...

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

Sir, these men are going to call

Schultz and Foran as soon as we’re

done here.

CLARK:

Don’t be ridiculous, they’ve

already called Schultz and Foran

and they’re gonna call John

Mitchell as soon as we’re done

here. Ask what you want to ask.

KUNSTLER:

In front of them?

CLARK:

Mm-hm.

KUNSTLER takes a breath...

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

Alright. Mr. Clark, while you were

the Attorney General for President

Johnson, was there ever a

discussion with the White House

about seeking indictments against

my clients?

HOWARD:

He can’t answer that.

KUNSTLER:

Why not?

HOWARD:

It’s against the law.

WEINGLASS:

That’s an overly broad

interpretation of the law.

KUNSTLER:

That’s Lenny’s way of saying you’re

criminally full of sh*t, Deputy

Howard.

120.

HOWARD:

Sir-

KUNSTLER:

And I’ll tell you what--We’ve dealt

with jury tampering, wire tapping,

a defendant who was literally

gagged and a judge who’s been

handing down rulings from the bench

that would be considered wrong in

Honduras!--so I’m less interested

in the law than I was when this

trial began.

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