The Trial of the Chicago 7 Page #8

STAHL:

I didn’t call the FBI.

KUNSTLER:

Sorry, when you called the U.S.

Attorney and reported the attempted

extortion, what’d their office say?

STAHL:

I didn’t call the U.S.-

KUNSTLER:

Cook County D.A. then, did you call

them?

STAHL:

No sir.

KUNSTLER:

How ‘bout the chief of police?

STAHL:

Mr. Kunstler-

53.

KUNSTLER:

How ‘bout the police officer posted

outside the mayor’s office? How

‘bout the mayor? Mr. Stahl, I’m

going to ask you again. When Abbie

asked for a hundred-thousand

dollars to call the whole thing

off, did you think he was serious

or did you know it was a joke?

STAHL:

I had no reason not to believe he

was serious.

KUNSTLER:

Alright, and along with extortion,

you know that perjury’s a crime,

right?

SCHULTZ:

Objection.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Sustained and strike it. In fact,

strike the entirety of Mr. Stahl’s

testimony under cross-examination

and the jury is instructed to

disregard it.

KUNSTLER:

You’re striking the entire cross-

examination?

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

I gave you and co-counsel Feinglass

ample latitude to demonstrate

relevance and-

KUNSTLER:

Co-counsel’s name is Weinglass and

Mr. Stahl’s testimony under cross-

examination was completely-

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

You’ve interrupted the court again,

Mr. Kunstler.

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

Move to reinstate testimony.

JERRY AND ABBIE:

Overruled.

54.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Overruled.

KUNSTLER:

Exception.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Noted. Are there any further

questions?

KUNSTLER:

Yes sir. Mr. Stahl, in any of these

meetings, did any of the defendants

say that if you didn’t grant them

permits that they would do violent

acts to the city?

STAHL:

Not precisely in that language.

KUNSTLER:

Did they do it in any language?

STAHL:

Yes, they said permits for the

parks should be issued in order to

minimize destruction.

KUNSTLER:

Did they indicate from whom the

destruction would come?

STAHL:

The destruction didn’t come from

the Chicago Police Department if

that’s what you’re suggesting.

KUNSTLER:

I wasn’t suggesting that, you just

did. No more questions.

BOBBY:

I’d like to cross-examine the

witness, Your Honor.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

You may not.

BOBBY:

(to STAHL)

Have you ever met me?

55.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Sit, Mr. Seale.

CUT TO:

A62 INT. MAKE-SHIFT PRESS ROOM -EARLY EVENING A62

ABBIE and JERRY are sitting at a table in front of a dozen

microphones. TV news cameras line the back of the room.

REPORTER #7

Why won’t Bobby Seale let anyone

represent him?

JERRY:

You’ve posed that question in the

form of a lie.

The press conference continues in VO as we

CUT TO:

62 EXT./EST. STREET IN HYDE PARK -NIGHT 62

We’re outside a house where all the lights on the ground

floor are on. Several photographers are waiting out front.

A taxi pulls up and KUNSTLER gets out to a spray of

flashbulbs. He pays the driver and disappears into the house

as JERRY continues-

JERRY (VO)

Bobby Seale’s lawyer is Charles

Garry who’s in the hospital right

now. A motion was made for

postponement and it was denied by a

judge who just for the heck of it

is suspending due process for a

while.

63 INT. CONSPIRACY OFFICE -SAME TIME 63

It’s a second-floor, three-bedroom apartment but the whole

place resembles a dorm that’s been taken over by a college

newspaper. Young women are everywhere working the phones or

opening bags of mail.

Court documents are in piles on tables and on the floor. A

big board shows the schedule of witnesses and the walls are

adorned with posters including ones that read “FREE THE

CHICAGO 7”.

56.

BERNADINE:

(into the phone)

Conspiracy office, can you hold on?

(another line)

Conspiracy office, can you hold on?

KUNSTLER:

Maybe you don’t want to call it the

conspiracy office.

BERNADINE:

They understand irony and

appreciate the humor.

KUNSTLER:

I wouldn’t count on it.

BERNADINE:

Most people are smart, Bill.

KUNSTLER:

If you believe that, you’re gonna

get your heart broken every day of

your life.

BERNADINE:

(to KUNSTLER)

Hang on.

(she goes back to the

first caller)

Hi, how can I help you?

KUNSTLER:

(quietly)

Messages?

BERNADINE:

(into the phone)

We sure do take contributions,

we’ve got high-priced lawyers.

KUNSTLER:

The high-priced lawyers are working

for free, it’s the support staff

that needs-

BERNADINE:

(into phone)

We can’t take grass.

ABBIE heard that and calls to Bernadine like she’s crazy-ABBIE

Hey!

57.

BERNADINE:

(into the phone)

Yeah, Abbie says we’ll take the

weed.

KUNSTLER:

(quietly)

Messages.

BERNADINE hands him a stack of messages-

BERNADINE:

(into the phone)

Lemme give you our mailing address.

KUNSTLER heads into-

64 INT. DINING ROOM -CONTINUOUS 64

TOM and WEINGLASS are at the table with piles of documents.

KUNSTLER:

I don’t want you guys holding press

conferences.

TOM:

If you’re gonna get between Abbie

and a camera I’d wear pads and a

helmet.

KUNSTLER:

We had a good day.

(to WEINGLASS)

Tell him we had a good day.

WEINGLASS:

6 and 11?

KUNSTLER:

Yeah.

TOM:

What does that mean?

WEINGLASS:

Jurors 6 and 11. They’re with us.

TOM:

How do you know?

58.

WEINGLASS:

6 made sure I saw a copy of a James

Baldwin novel under her arm and

11’s been nodding during the Stahl

cross.

TOM:

Falling asleep?

WEINGLASS:

(demonstrating)

Nodding. Agreeing.

KUNSTLER walks out into-

65 INT. CONSPIRACY OFFICE -CONTINUOUS 65

--where the press conference is now playing on the TV.

REPORTER #8 (O.S. FROM THE TV)

Would you have taken a hundred-

thousand dollars to call the whole

thing off?

ABBIE (FROM THE TV)

I’d have taken a hundred-thousand

dollars. As for calling it off...

REPORTER #9 (O.S. FROM THE TV)

How much is it worth to you? What’s

your price?

ABBIE (FROM THE TV)

To call off the revolution?

REPORTER #9 (O.S. FROM THE TV)

What’s your price?

ABBIE drops the comedy...

ABBIE (FROM THE TV)

My life.

KUNSTLER clocks that and we

CUT TO:

66 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 66

Everyone’s in their places but the BAILIFF and a MARSHALL are

at the bench. They’ve given a note to JUDGE HOFFMAN and he’s

looking it over.

59.

No one knows what’s going on and everyone’s waiting to find

out.

TITLE:

Trial Day 23

FROINES leans into WEINER-

FROINES:

(quietly)

Any idea what’s going on?

WEINER:

(quietly)

It’s been years since I’ve had any

idea what was going on.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

I’m going to adjourn the court for

the day and see counsel in my

chambers in 15 minutes.

He raps his gavel. Everyone stands as he exits but no one

knows what’s going on.

CUT TO:

67 INT. JUDGE HOFFMAN’S CHAMBERS -DAY 67

As the lawyers walk in and a MARSHAL closes the door.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

It’s been brought to my attention

that two of the jurors have

received threatening notes from a

member or members of the Black

Panther Party.

KUNSTLER:

Which two jurors?

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Juror number 6 and Juror number 11.

It was slipped into the mail at the

homes of their parents.

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