And Justice for All (1979)

Al Pacino: Arthur Kirkland

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Quotes 

• Arthur Kirkland : The one thing that bothered me, the one thing that stayed in my mind and I couldn't get rid of it, that haunted me, was 'why?' Why would she lie? What was her motive for lyin'? If my client is innocent, she's lying. Why? Was it blackmail? No. Was it jealousy? No. Yesterday, I found out why. She doesn't have a motive. You know why? Because she's not lying. And ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution is not gonna get that man today. No! Because I'm gonna get him! My client, the Honorable Henry T. Fleming, should go right to fuckin' jail! The son of a bitch is guilty! This man is guilty! That man, there, that man is a slime! He is a slime! If he's allowed to go free, then something really wrong is goin' on here! That man is guilty! That man, there, that man is a slime! he is a *slime*! If he's allowed to go free, then something really wrong is goin' on here!

  Judge Rayford : Mr. Kirkland you are out of order!

  Arthur Kirkland : You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order! That man, that sick, crazy, depraved man, raped and beat that woman there, and he'd like to do it again! He *told* me so! It's just a show! It's a show! It's "Let's Make A Deal"! "Let's Make A Deal"! Hey Frank, you wanna "Make A Deal"? I got an insane judge who likes to beat the shit out of women! Whaddya wanna gimme Frank, 3 weeks probation?

  Frank Bowers : *DAMMIT!*

  Arthur Kirkland : [to Judge Fleming]  You, you sonofabitch, you! You're supposed to *stand* for somethin'! You're supposed to protect people! But instead you fuck and murder them!

  [dragged out of court by bailiffs] 

  Arthur Kirkland : You killed McCullough! You killed him! Hold it! Hold it! I just completed my opening statement!

• Judge Rayford : I found out what the meaning of life is.

  Arthur Kirkland : What's that?

  Judge Rayford : It sucks.

• Arthur Kirkland : At this point, I would just like to say that what this committee is doing in theory is highly commendable. However, in practice, it sucks... and I'm not going to answer any more questions.

• Arthur Kirkland : I have a client in jail for a busted tail light and I can't get him out.

• Arthur Kirkland : It also states here that when asked what you were doing in the alley, you replied, 'I don't know nothin' about that taxi cab robbery'.

  Ralph Agee : Now that's the truth! Because, I don't.

  Arthur Kirkland : How did you know there was one, Ralph?

  Ralph Agee : Mr. Kirkland, there's always one.

• Arthur Kirkland : Why do we have to use microphones? Why can't we just talk to each other? We're close enough.

  Assistant D.A. Keene : This is a hearing, Mr. Kirkland.

• Jeff McCullaugh : If everyone agrees that I'm innocent, how come I'm going *back* to jail?

  Arthur Kirkland : There's enough proof, Jeff, it's just the court won't accept the proof.

  Jeff McCullaugh : Why not?

  Arthur Kirkland : Well, there's a law - there's a law that says that evidence must be submitted within a certain time period. And - and ours came in three days late.

  Jeff McCullaugh : What difference does that make? What difference does it make if it came in three years late! They've got the proof they need. They should let me go! I don't understand this? The judge is sending me to jail and he knows I'm innocent! What's going on here?

• Arthur Kirkland : [Arthur is visiting his client Jeff McCullaugh in jail, and sees that he has been assaulted]  Jeff, what happened?

  Jeff McCullaugh : Some... somebody beat me up...

  Arthur Kirkland : Why?

  Jeff McCullaugh : I dunno, I didn't ask.

• Warren Fresnell : [In Arthur's place Warren let slip corrections required in Ralph Agee's case, resulting in his arrest when he was supposed to get probation]  If he's not in jail this week, he'll be there next week!

  [Arthur's crying] 

  Warren Fresnell : Oh, Arthur, you know it's probation's fault. Appeal it!

  Arthur Kirkland : I can't appeal it! He's dead! - - He's dead! Half hour after they put him in the lockup, he hanged himself! Goddammit!

  Warren Fresnell : I'm sorry.

  Arthur Kirkland : Oh, Goddammit!

  Warren Fresnell : I'm sorry. I...

  Arthur Kirkland : Oh, Godammit!

• Arnie : [about Arthur's grandfather]  He keeps telling us you're going to make a great lawyer.

  Arthur Kirkland : I wish he could remember that I AM a lawyer.

  Arnie : Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't, what's it matter? He's still proud of you.

• Arthur Kirkland : [about Judge Rayford]  This is a man bent on killing himself, it's not secret, a guard found him in his chambers once trying to hang himself! This is a man who's making value decisions on people's lives!

• Arnie : Whoa! Where's your teeth?

  Arthur Kirkland : What'd you do with your teeth, Grandpa?

  Sam Kirkland : Did I have teeth the last time you visited me?

  Arnie : Of course you had teeth, you had teeth this morning!

• Judge Rayford : [in a helicopter]  Would you like to go anywhere in particular?

  Arthur Kirkland : No! Down! I'd prefer to go down!

• Arthur Kirkland : Okay, Ralph, why don't you tell me what happened. It says here in the report that you were involved in a robbery.

  Ralph Agee : Uh-uh. No, sir. Uh-uh. No. See, see what happened here is, it was time to come down on a nigger. Mr. Kirkland, you know, it's - it's - it's like smoking. They've got to have a nigger every twenty minutes.

• Sam Kirkland : They're still your parents.

  Arthur Kirkland : No. You raised me. You put me through law school. You're a wonderful man, Grandpa. But your son is a shit.

• Sam Kirkland : Are you a good lawyer? Honest?

  Arthur Kirkland : Being honest doesn't have much to do with being a lawyer.

  Sam Kirkland : If you're not honest, you've got nothing.

• Ralph Agee : I was in that taxi cab but I didn't rob it, it was my cousin's idea. I didn't know nothin'. It was my cousin's idea. See, he - he crazy!

  Arthur Kirkland : What's your cousin's name?

  Ralph Agee : I don't know. I mean, he - he live over on Hillsdale.

  Arthur Kirkland : You don't know your cousin's name?

• Arthur Kirkland : Either you give me some straight answers or get yourself another lawyer. I don't have time to listen to some jive-ass put-me-on.

• William Zinoff : Please do not over dramatize these proceedings. This is not the McCarthy hearings.

  Arthur Kirkland : Oh, that's a relief. So you're not going to ask me 'are you now or have you ever been a lawyer?'

  Gail Packer : That wasn't amusing, Mr. Kirkland.

• Arthur Kirkland : [He's trying to get out of an invitation by the Judge to fly with him]  Why dont you go flying together with your wife?

  Judge Rayford : Ha! The last thing we did together was get married!

• Judge Francis Rayford : Are we gonna get together this weekend, huh?

  Arthur Kirkland : I don't know. You know, you're the only one I've been dating these days.

• Carl Travers : I was your first, you know that, Arthur? I was your first client, you broke cherry on me.

  Arthur Kirkland : Now is not the time to go down memory lane, Carl.

• [Arthur has agreed to go flying with Judge Rayford, thinking the Judge flies planes. But he is not pleased to find that the Judge flies helicopters] 

  Arthur Kirkland : Where are we going?

  Judge Rayford : You wanna go someplace in particular?

  Arthur Kirkland : No. Down, I would prefer to go down...

• Arthur Kirkland : You know, there are times where I'm not too sure I like you. We're so opposite.

• Arthur Kirkland : They want me to defend Fleming because of my moral integrity. And if I don't defend him, they're going to have me disbarred for being unethical.

• Warren Fresnell : You know I don't like those penny-ante cases. I was doing you a favor!

  Arthur Kirkland : Favor? What kind of favor?

  Warren Fresnell : It's all nickel and dime, Arthur! It's all nickel and dime!

  Arthur Kirkland : Don't you care? Warren, don't you even care?

  Warren Fresnell : If you cared so much, why weren't you in the courtroom? Goddamn right I do care! But, not about them.

  Arthur Kirkland : They're people, Warren. They're all - they're people. They're just people.

• Arthur Kirkland : What is justice? What is the intention of justice? The intention of justice is to see that the guilty people are proven guilty and that the innocent are freed. Simple, isn't it? Only it's not that simple. However, it is the defense counsellor's duty - to protect the rights of the individual. As it is the prosecution's duty - to uphold and defend the laws of the state. Justice for all. Only we have a problem here. And you know what it is? Both sides want to win. We want to win. We want to win regardless of the truth. And we want to win regardless of justice. *Regardless* of who's guilty or innocent. Winning - is everything.

• Arthur Kirkland : Jeff, I promise - I promise I'll get you out. I promise, Jeff!

• Arthur Kirkland : Look, sir, I can understand your strict enforcement of the statute. But, what I can't understand is that my client's constitutional rights are being denied.

  Judge Henry T. Fleming : Don't you quote the law to me.

  Arthur Kirkland : My client is innocent.

  Judge Henry T. Fleming : Personally, I don't give a shit about your client.

• Judge Francis Rayford : Did you ever skydive?

  Arthur Kirkland : No! Why?

  Judge Francis Rayford : You oughta try it. You might learn something. You know, I was skydiving once and my main chute, it didn't open. I pulled my reserve and it didn't open either. There I was, plunging to the earth. Just as I hit the treetops I discovered the meaning of life.

  Arthur Kirkland : Which is?

  Judge Francis Rayford : It sucks, Arthur. It really sucks!

• Arthur Kirkland : You talk to me like that you're not going to get me into bed, dear.

  Gail Packer : Yes, I will. I've had tougher cases. You're so easy.

  Arthur Kirkland : You knew that, huh? That's why you went out with me. Finish your egg roll.

• Gail Packer : I really hate to tell you this, but - you remind me a little of my ex-husband.

  [laughs] 

  Arthur Kirkland : In what way?

  Gail Packer : Because, during sex, he would always say: "Go! Go!"

  Arthur Kirkland : "Go"?

  Gail Packer : Yeah.

  Arthur Kirkland : I don't say "go".

  Gail Packer : I heard you say "go".

  Arthur Kirkland : No, I don't say "go". "Go" is - dumb. I say "God".

  Gail Packer : Are you sure you didn't say "go"?

  Arthur Kirkland : I'm sure.

  Gail Packer : I could have sworn I heard a couple of go's coming from you.

  Arthur Kirkland : That was "God".

• Grandpa Sam : Look at you. Filled out, like a man. Soon, you'll look like a lawyer and you'll be a lawyer.

  Arthur Kirkland : I am a lawyer, Sam. I've been a lawyer for twelve years.

• Arthur Kirkland : How high up do you go?

  Judge Francis Rayford : How high up do you wanna go?

• Arthur Kirkland : Patient? What are you talking about? Patient? Judge, this is not a case of monetary damages. Judge, this is a human being we're talking about. Okay? This is a boy who's in prison, frightened out of his mind. Fighting every day for his life. I can't tell him to be patient.

  Judge Henry T. Fleming : What? Prison should be frightening place. Let those criminals create their own hellhole.

  Arthur Kirkland : Are you crazy? What are you talking to me about?

  Judge Henry T. Fleming : I tell you, Arthur, the idea of punishment to fit the crime doesn't work. We need unjust punishment! Hang somebody for armed robbery. Try it! We've got nothing to lose. Do you understand what I'm saying to you, for God's sake? You don't, do you? You fellas with your fancy ideas of - rehabilitation. I tell you that the concept of rehabilitation is a farce! Do you honestly think that - that bringing Johnny Cash into prisons to sing *railroad* songs is going to rehabilitate anyone? Most people are sick and tired of mugging and crime in the streets. Do you hear what I'm talking about, Arthur? Arthur? Arthur!

• Arthur Kirkland : You gotta give up.

  Jeff McCullaugh : Give up?

  Arthur Kirkland : Yeah. Jeff, you gotta do it.

  Jeff McCullaugh : To whom? Everybody screwed me. Who else is there?

• Arthur Kirkland : Coffee, please.

• Gail Packer : You're conning the public into thinking you're doing something and you're not.

  Arthur Kirkland : Yeah, but we are doing something. We are protecting the public from a lot corrupt lawyers, is what we're doing.

  Gail Packer : You're skimming the surface. You're not going after real power.

  Gail Packer : [sarcastically]  Wow. That's scary. What real power Arthur?

  Arthur Kirkland : You don't know?

  Gail Packer : No. Why don't you tell me.

  Arthur Kirkland : Well, now we know they're definitely safe.