Chapter 110
Jury
Chapter 110 Jury
This also shows that Jack is indeed a seasoned veteran in the police force; he even knows to make prior arrangements before arresting people in his colleagues' jurisdictions.
"Jack, it's Christmas Eve." The reporter tried to haggle down the price.
However, Kevin Spacey interrupted him by lighting a cigarette, adopting a businesslike demeanor: "No, no, it's illegal possession of marijuana."
"In fact, the number of copies sold exceeded 36,000 and kept rising. Nobody knew how popular it would become."
Seeing this, the reporter had no choice but to try a different approach, saying, "Radio and television are both possibilities. As long as we cultivate the public's appetite for knowledge, good fortune will naturally follow."
The so-called "changing perspective" refers to exchanging money for official positions and fame.
Jack uses his position to help newspaper editors arrest Hollywood stars involved in prostitution, gambling, and drugs, providing them with front-page news. In return, the newspaper is required to praise his achievements, making him the most famous cop in the Los Angeles Police Department, thereby increasing his chances of being discovered and appreciated by his superiors.
Using the exposure of Hollywood stars using marijuana to attract public attention and boost newspaper sales was a product of that era and would be unlikely to happen today.
The first point to clarify is that the media environment in Hollywood in the 50s was quite different from that in Hollywood today.
The American public does not generally believe that smoking marijuana is the same as drug use.
Back in 1971, students at San Rafael High School in the United States launched the "420" marijuana-smoking campaign, which later evolved into International Cannabis Day.
This event sparked a grassroots movement to legalize marijuana, and in 1975 California took the lead in passing a law that reduced marijuana penalties, marking a key starting point for the loosening of the consensus on drug prohibition.
In 1996, California passed Proposition 215, becoming the first state in the United States to legalize medical marijuana, thus initiating a wave of marijuana legalization in the US.
As of 2024, 24 states and Washington, D.C. had legalized recreational marijuana, and 38 states had legalized medical marijuana.
These states have decriminalized the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana by adults through local legislation, no longer treating it as a criminal offense, and even allowing its legal sale. Therefore, it's entirely accurate for some magazines to call the United States a drug empire.
Rott Downey Jr.'s early acting career plummeted, not primarily because of his drug use, but because he was arrested multiple times in the 90s for drug possession and evading drug tests, resulting in three separate prison sentences.
Frequent legal scandals damaged his public image, leading to his implicit blacklisting by Hollywood and leaving him with no acting opportunities.
Kevin Spacey's appearance was over quickly, and next up was Ed, played by Guy Pearce.
Compared to Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe, this actor is significantly less well-known.
His most famous work as a lead actor should be Nolan's "Memento". Although he later starred in two Oscar-winning films, "The Hurt Locker" and "The King's Speech", his popularity has never really taken off. He is considered a relatively low-key but talented actor in Hollywood.
"Officer Ed Eisley, son of the legendary hero Preston Eisley, you must think it's hard to catch up with him, right?"
Pierce turned to look at him.
A flash of white light appeared, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Why don't you go out and make a name for yourself? Why did you become a policeman?" his colleague continued to ask.
"I enjoy helping people."
"I heard that two police officers were attacked tonight. What are your thoughts on this?"
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This is an important piece of information, foreshadowing later plot developments.
"This line of work is inherently dangerous," Pierce said with a nonchalant shrug. "But I've seen the report, and they're fine."
The colleague didn't dwell on that issue and continued with the previous question, "Isn't it too young for you to be a duty officer right now?"
This is another addition to the character's profile information; he is young but very ambitious in his career.
"Only tonight." Gails glanced back at his colleagues. "All the married people in the department have been given a family leave."
"This sentence is perfect for my opening remarks."
Just then, a third party interrupted their conversation.
"Merry Christmas, sir," his colleague quickly greeted.
An older police officer named Dudley, dressed in a sharp suit, walked over amiably. After exchanging a few pleasantries with his subordinates, he left. Pierce was about to leave as well when Dudley called him back.
The director's handling of this scene clearly creates space and conditions for a one-on-one dialogue between the two.
"I've seen the exam results; you're at the top of the list out of 23," Dudley asked in a superior's tone of concern for a subordinate. "Where do you plan to transfer to—patrol, political ethics, or somewhere else?"
"I'd like to come to the Criminal Investigation Department."
Upon hearing this answer, Dudley thought for a moment and said, "Edmund, you are a man of strategy. You can see through the weaknesses of human nature, but you lack the courage of a tough guy."
Whether he accepts the first half or not is unknown, but Pierce definitely won't accept the second half. "You're wrong, sir."
Seeing this, Dudley also launched a soul-searching interrogation into him, questions that were very important and directly related to his own fate.
"Would you be willing to frame someone you know is guilty to ensure a guilty verdict in court?"
"We've discussed these things before."
"Are you willing or not?" Dudley only needed to give a positive answer at this point.
"I don't want to."
"Are you willing to use torture to extract a confession from a prisoner?" the old policeman continued.
"I don't want to."
"Would you shoot a hardened criminal in the back to prevent his lawyer from acquitting him?"
This is the last question, and also the most crucial one.
"Won't."
Dudley's question was actually related to the American judicial system at the time.
The most famous institution in the American judicial system is the jury system.
The original intention of this system was to achieve checks and balances on power and prevent judges from abusing their power by having ordinary citizens participate in the judiciary, thereby playing a role in preventing judicial corruption.
However, although the original design was good, it has many flaws in real-world applications.
First, individual cognitive biases can dominate judicial decisions. Most jurors have not received systematic legal training and lack professional evidence judgment skills, making them easily misled by the emotional expressions of the prosecution and defense, as well as public opinion.
At this time, people who are good at public speaking and stirring up emotions have a great advantage. For example, Hitler, who delivered a passionate speech throughout his treason trial in 24, turning the trial bench into his own political propaganda platform.
With his silver tongue, he successfully swayed the jury, turning a death sentence into a five-year prison term, and allowing him to be paroled nine months later.
David knew about this because he had seen a movie called "Rise of the Devil," which, strictly speaking, is a series, divided into two parts, and belongs to the biographical film category. The actor's performance was excellent; he was practically Hitler himself.
In addition to being misled by the emotional expressions of the prosecution and defense and by public opinion, some jury members may also be influenced by irrelevant factors such as appearance and race.