Walking Tall Page #6

LAWYER:

Look at it from the other side. There's

over a dozen witnesses, none of em are

gonna paint a very flattering picture.

We see a montage of casino workers badmouthing Chris.

WORKER:

He started bustin up the machines...

GIRL:

There was a gunshot..

WORKER:

Went crazy...

GIRL:

Complete psychopath.

CHRIS:

They're only offering me this deal just

to keep me quiet.

LAWYER:

Well I still say you should take it.

CHRIS:

I wasn't wrong. And I won't say I was.

INT. COURTROOM

CASINO GUARD:

Our job is to keep order. But there

was no chance of that. Me and my men

we were just tryin to control him. He

was highly trained, violent, very dangerous

person.

PROSECUTOR:

So dangerous, so violent, so highly

trained that he despatched six of the

casino staff single handedly. His weapon

of choice a simple piece of cedar. Which

in his hand became a devastating force

with one aim, to hurt people, destroy

property.

WORKER:

He went directly for everything. He

just came in and took over the place.

PROSECUTOR:

You said he broke your arm.

WORKER:

Yea that's correct, my right forearm.

Both bones with a single shot. It was

crazy.

CASINO GUARD 2

You know, toss out a coupla drunks now

and then. Guys try to grope the girls,

but ah nothing with this sort of violence.

PROSECUTOR:

Did he give you any kind of advanced

warning? A chance to defend yourself.

CASINO GUARD 2

We tussled, but he's a big guy. He was

on a mission. Besides, he seemed to

be too busy enjoying himself from what

I could see.

PROSECUTOR:

So from what you saw, it seemed like

he had some kinda purpose?

CASINO GUARD 2

I think he had a point to prove yeah.

WORKER:

I was emptyin machines when Mr Vaugh

came in and started swingin.

GIRL:

I was tryin to get outta there.

JUDGE:

Mr Crow, you may present your client's

case.

CHRIS:

(To his lawyer) You're fired.

CHRIS:

Your honor, I'd like to plead my own

case.

JUDGE:

Order, order. Mr Vaughn, if you choose

to represent yourself and not be represented

by legal counsel you realise that you

can't then claim a mistrial on that

basis.

CHRIS:

Yes I do.

JUDGE:

Very well Mr Vaughn.

CHRIS:

I don't deny anything that was said

here today.

JUDGE:

Does that mean you're changing your

plea to guilty?

CHRIS:

I'm not guilty of anything. Except standing

up for myself when the law wouldn't.

OPPOSITION:

Objection. He's trying to introduce

prior events your honor.

JUDGE:

Sustained. Mr Vaughn stay on point.

CHRIS:

I grew up in this town. People used

to walk tall in this town, they wouldn't

have traded the mill for a crooked casino.

JUDGE:

Mr Vaughn we're not here to listen to

civic speeches.

CHRIS:

And they wouldn't have stood around

while drugs were being sold to kids.

OPPOSITION:

Objection.

JUDGE:

Sustained. Mr Vaughn you're close to

being held in contempt.

CHRIS:

I was justified in what I did, and if

you acquit me of these charges I'm gonna

run for sheriff. And if elected, I'm

gonna fix this town.

JUDGE:

Order, order. Mr Vaughn you are now

charged with contempt.

CHRIS:

And I will make sure that THIS (He opens

his shirt revealing huge scarring) never

happens to anyone again without punishing

those who did it.

JUDGE:

I order the jury to ignore what they

have just seen. Mr Vaughn take your

seat. Order! Order!

JUDGE:

Mr Forman, has the jury reached a verdict?

FORMAN:

We have your honor.

JUDGE:

Will the defendant please rise.

FORMAN:

We find the defendant Chris Vaughn not

guilty.

The crowd breaks into cheer. Chris takes a tag from his piece

of cedar wood which is laying on the evidence table.

CHRIS:

This is mine.

The crowds fade away with chants of 'Sheriff Vaughn'.

EXT. POLICE STATION

Chris pulls up to the station in his police truck, it's clear

he's now the sheriff.

WATKINS:

Sheriff.

CHRIS:

Watkins.

WATKINS:

Well you won the election, congratulations.

We do have a tradition of professional

courtesy up here, and I can personally

vouch for each and every one of these

men. They're good deputies.

CHRIS:

You're all fired.

INT. POLICE STATION

Chris takes a look around.

EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD

Jay is speeding along in a sportscar. He is pulled over by a

police truck.

JAY:

Hey Chris.

CHRIS:

License and registration please.

JAY:

You're joking right?

CHRIS:

License and registration.

Jay hands it over.

JAY:

What's the problem sheriff?

CHRIS:

You. And the drugs you're pedalling

out of your casino.

JAY:

Oh. Only thing that's going on in my

casino right now is reconstruction.

You took care of that.

CHRIS:

Yea that's right and I plan on taking

care of everything else too.

JAY:

If you can, try to think this through.

A casino is a license to print money.

Why would I jeopardise that by selling

drugs?

CHRIS:

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes