The Trial of the Chicago 7 Page #7

ABBIE:

Abbie and Jerry’s fine.

45 INT. COURTROOM -DAY

SCHULTZ:

What was said at the meeting?

44

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45

44.

STAHL:

I was told that the Youth

International Party would be

holding a Festival of Life in Grant

Park during the Democratic National

Convention, that there would be

thousands of young people attending

and that there would be rock bands

playing in the park.

46 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY

JERRY:

Music will be performed.

STAHL:

Rock music?

JERRY:

I would think.

47 INT. COURTROOM -DAY

STAHL:

They also said there would be

public fornication.

SCHULTZ:

Say that again, sir?

48 INT. STAHL’S OFFICE -DAY

JERRY:

Public fornication.

STAHL:

You’re asking for a parks permit

for public-

JERRY:

Yeah.

ABBIE:

And rock music.

STAHL:

No. Of course not.

46

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47

48

45.

ABBIE:

What if it was R&B?

CUT BACK TO:

49 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 49

SCHULTZ:

Did you issue the permits?

STAHL:

I did not.

SCHULTZ:

And what if anything did Abbie

Hoffman say when you denied the

request for the permits?

50 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY 50

ABBIE:

Mr. Stahl, you need to understand

something. There’s going to be a

Festival of Life in Grant Park and

it will be held during the

convention. Bands will play rock

music. There will be public

fornication, likely some of it with

the wives and mistresses of

delegates. Psychedelic long-haired

leftists will consort with dope

users. And we’re going to insist

that the next President of the

United States stop sending our

friends to be slaughtered. These

things are going to happen whether

you give us the permit or not.

STAHL looks at them for a long moment...

STAHL:

The hotel rooms will be filled with

delegates. Where will people sleep?

ABBIE:

Some people will sleep in tents.

Others will live frivolously.

STAHL:

How many people are coming here?

46.

A lot.

JERRY:

STAHL:

What’s alot? A thousand? Two-

thousand?

JERRY:

Ten-thousand.

STAHL:

Jesus Christ.

Right?

ABBIE:

CUT BACK TO:

51 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 51

SCHULTZ:

Did Abbie Hoffman add something at

the end of that meeting?

Yes.

STAHL:

SCHULTZ:

What did he say?

He said-STAHL

52 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY 52

ABBIE:

Or you could gimme a hundred grand

and I could call the whole thing

off.

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53 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 53

SCHULTZ:

Thank you.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Mr. Feinglass?

47.

WEINGLASS:

Weinglass, sir. Mr. Stahl, the

meeting you just described with Mr.

Hoffman and Mr. Rubin, was that the

only meeting you had with any of

the defendants?

TITLE:

Trial Day 4

STAHL:

No.

WEINGLASS:

On August 2nd you had a meeting

with Tom Hayden and Rennie Davis.

54 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY 54

TOM and RENNIE are stepping in. They’re in coats and ties.

TOM:

Tom Hayden.

RENNIE:

Rennie Davis.

CUT BACK TO:

55 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 55

WEINGLASS:

And on August 12th you had a

meeting with David Dellinger.

56 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY 56

STAHL:

(to DAVE)

I’ll tell you the same thing I told

the others.

CUT BACK TO:

48.

57 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 57

WEINGLASS:

There were two more meetings with

Tom and Rennie--on the 10th and

12th of August--and there was one

more meeting with David Dellinger

on the 26th.

STAHL:

I can’t be sure of the dates.

WEINGLASS:

I can be sure, they’re recorded in

the log at City Hall.

STAHL:

Okay.

WEINGLASS:

And at each meeting, a request was

made for a permit to demonstrate in

Grant Park during the convention.

58 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY

DAVE:

Mr. Stahl, we intend a peaceful

demonstration. We’re not interested

in violence or disturbing the

delegates.

59 INT. COURTROOM -DAY

WEINGLASS:

And at each meeting the request for

permits was denied.

60 INT. STAHL'S OFFICE -DAY

TOM and RENNIE are meeting with STAHL-

STAHL:

I’ll tell you the same thing I told

Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Rubin and Mr.

Dellinger-

TOM:

Sir-

58

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59

60

49.

STAHL:

There will be no demonstrations

within sight of the Hilton.

TOM:

We need to demonstrate near the

Hilton, that’s where the convention

is.

STAHL:

There will be no demonstrations

within sight of the Hilton.

TOM:

Okay, but the thing is, there will

be.

STAHL:

Is that a threat, Mr. Hayden?

TOM:

No. We’re cautioning you. Thousands

of people are coming to Chicago and

if they’re not given a place to

demonstrate they’re gonna

demonstrate wherever they’re

standing. It’s reckless,

irresponsible and foolishly

dangerous of the city not to

develop a contingency plan. We’re

gonna need police security and

first aid, traffic control, water,

sanitation-

CUT BACK TO:

61 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 61

WEINGLASS:

So five times you were asked for a

permit, five times you were advised

of the dangers of not providing a

location to demonstrate, not

providing-

STAHL:

I don’t take my instructions from

the defendants, sir.

WEINGLASS:

No you don’t.

50.

STAHL:

No I don’t.

WEINGLASS:

You take them from Mayor Daley.

STAHL says nothing...

WEINGLASS (CONT'D)

You’re appointed by the mayor and

you serve at his pleasure?

STAHL:

Yes.

WEINGLASS:

And you’re subject to removal in

the same manner by the mayor?

STAHL:

(beat)

Yes.

KUNSTLER:

Thank you.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Further cross examination, Mr.

Kunstler?

KUNSTLER:

Yes, sir. Mr. Stahl-

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Excuse me, Mr. Seale, would you

identify the man sitting behind

you?

(beat)

Mr. Seale?

BOBBY:

No sir.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

No?

BOBBY:

That’s right.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Why not?

BOBBY:

He’s not on trial here.

51.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Mr. Seale, identify the man sitting

behind you.

FRED leans in and whispers something to BOBBY...

BOBBY:

His name is Fred Hampton.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Let the record indicate that Mr.

Hampton is the head of the Chicago

chapter of the Black Panther Party.

KUNSTLER:

Your Honor, Mr. Hampton isn’t at

the bar, why is the record

identifying him at all?

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Mr. Hampton is clearly giving Mr.

Seale legal advice.

BOBBY:

My lawyer is Charles Garry.

KUNSTLER:

Excuse me, sir, but for all you

know Mr. Hampton is giving Mr.

Seale the score of the White Sox

game.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

I will assume that he’s not.

KUNSTLER:

Why?

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Because that’s what happens when

you don’t have a lawyer. The Court

assumes that you’re being

represented by the Black Panther

sitting behind you. Continue.

KUNSTLER:

Mr. Stahl, when Abbie offered to

call the whole thing off for a

hundred-thousand dollars, did you

think he was serious or did you

think he was making a joke?

52.

STAHL:

I had no reason not to think he was

serious.

KUNSTLER:

Really?

STAHL:

Yes.

KUNSTLER:

Do you know what extortion is?

STAHL:

Yes.

KUNSTLER:

Do you know that it’s a felony?

STAHL:

Yes.

KUNSTLER:

Okay, so when you called the FBI

and told them about Mr. Hoffman’s

attempt to extort a government

employee, what’d they say?

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