Arnie...
I don't know what I'd do
if he goes.
- He's the only family I've got.
- He's very proud ofyou.
I'm a lawyer because of him.
He wanted it for me
and he made sure I got it.
To him -
- being a lawyer was
the finest thing you could be.
Your Honour,
court's about to begin.
Coming! Coming!
You must admit
she's an attractive woman.
I wouldn't mind seeing her again.
You'll be fine.
Just answer simply and directly.
Silence. All rise.
All persons in this court
draw near and pay attention.
The Honourable Francis Rayford
presiding.
Be seated.
It's really very simple.
We have a judge,
the symbol ofjustice here -
- who's accused of raping
and brutally beating this young girl.
We can do something about it.
We can do it today
and we can do it together.
Let's make this
our goal line stand.
Just give me a verdict of guilty.
I need your help.
Thank you.
The Prosecutor has completed
his opening statement.
- Is the defence counsellor ready?
- Yes, Your Honour.
Your Honour, Mr Foreman,
ladies and gentlemen ofthe jury.
My name is Arthur Kirkland -
- and I am the defence counsellor
for the defendant -
Judge Henry T. Fleming.
That man over there is
the prosecuting attorney.
And he couldn't be happier today.
He is a happy man because today
he's going after a judge.
And if he gets him -
he's gonna be a star.
He will have his name in
this month's Law Review, centrefold.
Lawyer ofthe month.
Now, in order to win
this case he needs you.
Naturally. You're all he's got.
So, he's counting on tapping that
emotion in you, which says:
"Let's get somebody in power.
Let's get a judge."
However, these proceedings are here
to see thatjustice is done.
And justice is, as any reasonable person
would tell you, finding the truth.
And what is the truth today?
One tragic truth -
- is that that girl
has been beaten and raped.
Another truth is that
the prosecution has no witness.
Does not have
one piece of evidence -
- other than the testimony
of the victim herself.
Another truth is that
my client voluntarily, -
- and the prosecution
is well aware ofthis, -
took a lie detector test...
Objection!
That's inadmissible evidence.
- Come on, Arthur.
- He told the truth.
The jury will disregard that remark.
Polygraph tests have not been proven
reliable enough. They are inadmissible.
Sorry, Your Honour.
Let's get back to justice.
What is justice?
What is the intention ofjustice?
The intention is to prove guilty
the guilty and free the innocent.
Simple, isn't it?
Only it's not that simple.
However,
it is the defence counsellor's duty -
- to protect the rights
of the individual.
As it is the prosecution's duty
to uphold the laws of the state.
Justice for all.
Only we have a problem here.
And do you knowwhat it is?
Both sides want to win.
We want to win.
We want to win
regardless ofthe truth.
We want to win regardless ofjustice.
Regardless ofwho's guilty or innocent.
Winning is everything.
That man wants to win so badly today.
It means so much to him.
He is so carried away
with the prospect of winning -
- that he forgot something that's
essential to today's proceedings.
He forgot his case.
He forgot to bring it.
I don't see it. Do you?
The prosecution
has got to have a case.
Not a witness.
Not one piece of evidence -
- other than the testimony
of the victim herself.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
I have a case to end all cases.
I have witnesses for my client.
I have character references.
Testimonials that are backed up
from here to Washington DC.
- I have lie detector tests...
- Objection!
Objection sustained.
Mr Kirkland, you are out of order!
The one thing that bothered me...
The one thing that stayed
in my mind and haunted me -
was why?
Why would she lie?
What was her motive for lying?
If my client is innocent,
she's lying. Why?
Was it blackmail? No.
Was itjealousy? No.
Yesterday I found out why.
She doesn't have a motive.