FOUR (to all). All right. Sit down everybody.
(They all move back to their seats. When they are all seated, FOUR then sits down.)
FOUR (quietly). I still believe the boy is guilty of murder. I’ll tell you why. To me, the most damning evidence was given by the woman across the street who claimed she actually saw the murder committed.
THREE. That’s right. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the most important testimony.
EIGHT. All right. Let’s go over her testimony. What exactly did she say?
FOUR. I believe I can recount it accurately. She said that she went to bed at about eleven o’clock that night. Her bed was next to the open window, and she could look out of the window while lying down and see directly into the window across the street. She tossed and turned for over an hour, unable to fall asleep. Finally she turned toward the window at about twelve-ten and, as she looked out, she saw the boy stab his father. As far as I can see, this is unshakable testimony.
THREE. That’s what I mean. That’s the whole case.
(FOUR takes off his eyeglasses and begins to polish them, as they all sit silently watching him.)
FOUR (to the JURY). Frankly, I don’t see how you can vote for acquittal. (To TWELVE) What do you think about it?
TWELVE. Well . . . maybe . . . there’s so much evidence to sift.
THREE. What do you mean, maybe? He’s absolutely right. You can throw out all the other evidence.
FOUR. That was my feeling.
(TWO, polishing his glasses, squints at clock, can’t see it. SIX watches him closely.)
TWO. What time is it?
ELEVEN. Ten minutes of six.
TWO. It’s late. You don’t suppose they’d let us go home and finish it in the morning? I’ve got a kid with mumps.
FIVE. Not a chance.
SIX (to TWO). Pardon me. Can’t you see the clock without your glasses?
TWO. Not clearly. Why?
SIX. Oh, I don’t know. Look, this may be a dumb thought, but what do you do when you wake up at night and want to know what time it is?
TWO. What do you mean? I put on my glasses and look at the clock.
SIX. You don’t wear them to bed.
TWO. Of course not. No one wears eyeglasses to bed.
TWELVE. What’s all this for?
SIX. Well, I was thinking. You know the woman who testified that she saw the killing wears glasses.
THREE. So does my grandmother. So what?
EIGHT. Your grandmother isn’t a murder witness.
SIX. Look, stop me if I’m wrong. This woman wouldn’t wear her eyeglasses to bed, would she?
FOREMAN. Wait a minute! Did she wear glasses at all? I don’t remember.
ELEVEN (excited). Of course she did. The woman wore bifocals. I remember this very clearly. They looked quite strong.
NINE. That’s right. Bifocals. She never took them off.
FOUR. She did wear glasses. Funny. I never thought of it.
EIGHT. Listen, she wasn’t wearing them in bed. That’s for sure. She testified that in the midst of her tossing and turning she rolled over and looked casually out the window. The murder was taking place as she looked out, and the lights went out a split second later. She couldn’t have had time to put on her glasses. Now maybe she honestly thought she saw the boy kill his father. I say that she saw only a blur.
THREE. How do you know what she saw? Maybe she’s far-sighted.
(He looks around. No one answers.)
THREE (loud). How does he know all these things?
(There is silence.)
EIGHT. Does anyone think there still is not a reasonable doubt?
(He looks around the room, then squarely at TEN. TEN looks down and shakes his head no.)
THREE (loud). I think he’s guilty.
EIGHT (calmly). Does anyone else?
FOUR (quietly). No. I’m convinced.
EIGHT (to THREE). You’re alone.
THREE. I don’t care whether I’m alone or not! I have a right.
EIGHT. You have a right.
(There is a pause. They all look at THREE.)
THREE. Well, I told you I think the kid’s guilty. What else do you want?
EIGHT. Your arguments. (They all look at THREE.)
THREE. I gave you my arguments.
EIGHT. We’re not convinced. We’re waiting to hear them again. We have time.
(THREE runs to FOUR and grabs his arm.)