Quotes

Others

If there's a reasonable doubt in your minds as to the guilt of the accused, a reasonable doubt, then you must bring me a verdict of not guilty. If however, there is no reasonable doubt, then you must in good conscience find the accused guilty. However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event that you find the accused guilty, the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case. You are faced with a grave responsibility. Thank you, gentlemen.

Dialogue

#7: You a Yankee fan? #5: No, Baltimore. #7: Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crow bar once a day.

Dialogue

#8: This kid's been kicked around all of his life. You know, born in a slum. Mother dead since he was nine. He lived for a year and a half in an orphanage when his father was serving a jail term for forgery. That's not a very happy beginning. He's a wild, angry kid, and that's all he's ever been. And you know why because he's been hit on the head by somebody once a day, every day. He's had a pretty miserable eighteen years. I just think we owe him a few words, that's all. #10: I don't mind telling you this, mister. We don't owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn't he? What do you think that trial cost? He's lucky he got it. You know what I mean? Now look, we're all grown-ups in here. We heard the facts, didn't we? You're not gonna tell me that we're supposed to believe this kid, knowing what he is. Listen, I've lived among them all my life. You can't believe a word they say. You know that. I mean, they're born liars. #9: Only an ignorant man can believe that... Do you think you wer

Dialogue

#2: It's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go'. Nobody proved otherwise. #8: Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn't even have to open his mouth. That's in the Constitution.

Dialogue

#8: [To #10] Let me ask you something. You don't believe the boy's story, how can you believe the woman's? She's "one of them" too, isn't she? #10: ...You're a pretty smart fella, aren't you?

Dialogue

#8: There were two witnesses to the murder. What if they're wrong? #12: What do you mean, what if they're wrong? What's the point of having witnesses at all? #8: Could they be wrong? #12: Well no, I don't think so. #8: Do you 'know' so? #12: Come on. Nobody can know something like that. This isn't an exact science. #8: That's right, it isn't.

Dialogue

#3: You're talking about a matter of seconds! Nobody can be that accurate. #8: Well, I think that testimony that can put a boy into the electric chair should be that accurate.

Dialogue

#8: There's another thing I'd like to talk about for a minute. I think we've proven that the old man couldn't have heard the boy say "I'm going to kill you," but supposing— #10: You didn't prove it at all. What're you talking about? #8: But supposing he really did hear it. This phrase, how many times has each of us used it? Probably hundreds. "I could kill you for that, darling." "If you do that once more, junior, I'm going to kill you." "Get in there, Rocky, and kill him!" We say it every day. It doesn't mean we're going to kill someone. #3: Wait a minute. What are you trying to give us here? The phrase was "I'm going to kill you," and he screamed it out at the top of his lungs! Don't tell me he didn't mean it. Anybody says a thing like that the way he said it, they mean it.

Dialogue

#10: "Bright"? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English. #11: He doesn't even speak good English. [smiles at #10]

Dialogue

#8: ...But I'd like to find out if an old man who drags his foot when he walks, because he had a stroke last year, could get from his bedroom to the front door in 15 seconds. #3: He said 20 seconds. #8: He said 15! #3: He said 20 seconds! What are you trying to distort–! #11: He said 15. #3: How does he know how long 15 seconds is?! You can't judge a thing like that! #9: He said 15 seconds, he was very positive about that! #3: He was an old man! Half the time, he was confused! How could he be positive about anything?!

Dialogue

#3: What do you mean you want to try it? Why didn't his lawyer bring it up if it's so important? #5: Well, maybe he just didn't think of it huh? #10: What do you mean didn't think of it? Do you think the man's an idiot or something? It's an obvious thing. #5: Did you think of it? #10: Listen smart guy, it don't matter whether I thought of it. He didn't bring it up because he knew it would hurt his case. What do you think of that? #8: Maybe he didn't bring it up because it would of meant bullying and badgering a helpless old man. You know that doesn't sit well with a jury, most lawyers avoid it if they can. #7: So what kind of a bum is he then? #8: That's what I've been asking, buddy.

Dialogue

#8: I think this is what happened: the old man had heard the fight between the boy and his father a few hours earlier. Then, while lying in bed, he heard a body hit the floor in the boy's apartment, and he heard the woman scream from across the street. He got up, he tried to get to the door, heard someone racing down the stairs and *assumed* it was the boy. #3: Assumed? Brother, I've seen all kinds of dishonesty in my day, but this little display takes the cake. Y'all come in here with your hearts bleedin' all over the floor about slum kids and injustice, you listen to some fairy tales, suddenly you start gettin' through to some of these old ladies... well, you're not getting through to me, I've had enough! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU GUYS?! YOU ALL KNOW HE'S GUILTY! HE'S GOT TO BURN! YOU'RE LETTING HIM SLIP THROUGH OUR FINGERS! #8: Slip through our fingers? Are you his executioner? #3: I'M ONE OF 'EM! #8: Maybe you'd like to pull the switch? #3: For this kid, you bet I would! #8: I fee

Dialogue

#11: I beg pardon. #10: "I beg pardon?" What are you so polite about? #11: For the same reason you are not: it's the way I was brought up.

Dialogue

#3: That business before when that tall guy, what's-his-name, was trying to bait me? That doesn't prove anything. I'm a pretty excitable person. I mean, where does he come off calling me a public avenger, sadist and everything? Anyone in his right mind would blow his stack. He was just trying to bait me. #4: He did an excellent job.

Dialogue

#10: I don't understand you people! I mean all these picky little points you keep bringing up. They don't mean nothing! You saw this kid just like I did. You're not gonna tell me you believe that phony story about losing the knife, and that business about being at the movies. Look, you know how these people lie! It's born in them! I mean what the heck? I don't have to tell you. They don't know what the truth is! And lemme tell you, they don't need any real big reason to kill someone, either! No sir! #10: They get drunk. Oh, they're real big drinkers, all of 'em, you know that! And bang: someone's lying in the gutter. Well, nobody's blaming them for it. That's the way they are! By nature! You know what I mean? VIOLENT! #10: Where are you going? Human life don't mean as much to them as it does to us! #10: [Beginning to sound desperate] Look, they're lushing it up and fighting all the time, and if somebody gets killed, so somebody gets killed! They don't care! Oh, sure, there's some good

Dialogue

#9: It's eleven to one. #7: So, what do we do now? #8: You're alone. #3: I don't care if I'm alone or not! It's my right. #8: It's your right. #3: Well, what do you want from me? #8: We want your arguments. #3: I gave ya my arguments! #8: We're not convinced! We want to hear them again. We have as much time as it takes. #3: Everything... every single thing that came out in that courtroom, but I mean everything... says he's guilty. What d'ya think? I'm an idiot or somethin'? Why don't cha take that stuff about the old man; the old man who lived there and heard everything? Or the business about the knife! What, just because he found one exactly like it? The old man saw him. Right there on the stairs. What's the difference how many seconds it was? Every single thing. The knife falling through a hole in his pocket...you can't prove that he didn't get to the door! Sure, you can hobble around the room and take all the time you want, but you can't prove it! And that stuff with the El! And the

Dialogue

#9: Hey, what's your name? #8: Davis. #9: My name's McCardle. [pause] Well, so long.