Because I am a geek and I loved Lee on the stand...
Yes, I transcribed Lee's testimony on last night's BSG.
Judge1:
Call your witness, councilor
Romo:
Thank you. Mr. Adama
*Lee goes to the stand*
Romo:
Mr. Adama, did you meet with your father, Admiral Adama 4 days ago?
Lee:
Yes
Romo:
At that meeting, did Adm Adama express an opinion as to whether the defendent deserved a trial?
*pause*
All I am looking for here is the truth, Mr Adama. Let's have it. I'm waiting. Answer the question. You swore an oath as an officer of the court, if you don't answer the question, you hold the entire system of justice -
Lee: *shouting*
What frakking system?!
Judge1:
Mr Adama!
Romo:
I'm sorry, your Honor, please excuse my associate. Alright, alright, I'll try something else. Do you believe the defendant deserves a fair trial?
Lee:
As a matter of fact, I do.
Romo:
Why?
Lee:
Well aside of the fact that everyone deserves a fair trial, I also happen to believe that he is not guilty of the charges and should be acquitted....
Prosecution:
Your honors, I must insist on an exception here. He can not testify in this matter. It is completely improper.
Lee:
I agree.
Prosecution:
He can make his remarks in closing statements, not on the stand.
Judge1:
I'm inclined to agree with the prosecution
Prosecution:
Thank you
Bill:
You can appeal to the president if you feel this influences the verdict. But, I for one, would like to hear this witness testify.
Judge2:
I would second that
Judge1:
Continue
Romo:
Thank you, your Honors. Mr. Adama. Mr. Adama!
Lee:
Yes?
Romo:
Why do you believe the defendent, Gaius Baltar, deserves to be acquitted?
Lee:
Well because the evidence does not support the charges.
Romo:
Come on...
Lee:
Did the defendent make mistakes? Sure, he did. Serious mistakes. But did he actually commit any crimes? Did he commit treason? No.
*shot of Laura looking dismayed*
Lee:
I mean, it was an impossible situation, when the Cylons arrived, what could he possible do? What anyone have done? I mean ask yourself, what would you have done? What would you have done? If he had refused to surrender, the Cylons would probably have nuked the planet right then and there. So did he appear to cooperate with the Cylons,? Sure. So did hundreds of others. What's the difference between him and them? The president issued a blanket pardon. They were all forgiven, no questions asked.
Col. Tigh. Col. Tigh used suicide bombers killed dozens of people. Forgiven.
Lt. Agathon and Chief Tyrol. They murdered an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven.
The Admiral. The Admiral instituted a coup d'etat against the President. Forgiven.
And me? Well, where do I begin? I shot down a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic Carrier, over a 1000 people on board. Forgiven.
I raised my weapon to a superior officer committed an act of mutiny. Forgiven.
And then on the very day Baltar surrendered to those Cylons, I as commander of Pegasus, jumped away. I left everybody on that planet, alone, undefended for months. I even tried to persuade the Admiral never to return, to abandon you all there for good. If I'd had my way, nobody would have made it off that planet. I'm the coward. I'm the traitor. I'm forgiven.
I'd say we are very forgiving of mistakes. We make our own laws now, our own justice. And we've been very creative in finding ways of letting people off the hook now for everything from theft to murder. And we've had to be, because...because we're not a civilization anymore. We are a gang, and we're on the run. And we have to fight to survive. We have to break rules, bend laws, we have to improvise.
But not this time. No. Not this time.
*Lee pointing at Baltar*
Lee:
Not for Gaius Baltar. No, you...you have to die. You have to die because, well, because we don't like you very much. Because you're arrogant. Bacause you're weak. Because you're a coward. And we, the mob, want to throw you out the airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and get yourself killed in the process. That's justice now! You shoulda been killed back on New Caprica! But since you had the temerity to live, we're gonna execute you now! That's justice!
*crowd murmurs*
Judge1:
Order! Order!
Lee: *looking at Bill*
This case, this case is built on emotion, on anger, bitterness, vengeance. But most of all it is built on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt or those of us who ran away....who ran away. And we are trying to dump all that guilt, all that shame onto one man. And then flush him out the airlock and hope that just gets rid of it all. So that we can live with ourselves. But that won't work...That won't work. That's not justice. Not to me...not to me.
Romo:
No further questions.
Judge1:
Call your witness, councilor
Romo:
Thank you. Mr. Adama
*Lee goes to the stand*
Romo:
Mr. Adama, did you meet with your father, Admiral Adama 4 days ago?
Lee:
Yes
Romo:
At that meeting, did Adm Adama express an opinion as to whether the defendent deserved a trial?
*pause*
All I am looking for here is the truth, Mr Adama. Let's have it. I'm waiting. Answer the question. You swore an oath as an officer of the court, if you don't answer the question, you hold the entire system of justice -
Lee: *shouting*
What frakking system?!
Judge1:
Mr Adama!
Romo:
I'm sorry, your Honor, please excuse my associate. Alright, alright, I'll try something else. Do you believe the defendant deserves a fair trial?
Lee:
As a matter of fact, I do.
Romo:
Why?
Lee:
Well aside of the fact that everyone deserves a fair trial, I also happen to believe that he is not guilty of the charges and should be acquitted....
Prosecution:
Your honors, I must insist on an exception here. He can not testify in this matter. It is completely improper.
Lee:
I agree.
Prosecution:
He can make his remarks in closing statements, not on the stand.
Judge1:
I'm inclined to agree with the prosecution
Prosecution:
Thank you
Bill:
You can appeal to the president if you feel this influences the verdict. But, I for one, would like to hear this witness testify.
Judge2:
I would second that
Judge1:
Continue
Romo:
Thank you, your Honors. Mr. Adama. Mr. Adama!
Lee:
Yes?
Romo:
Why do you believe the defendent, Gaius Baltar, deserves to be acquitted?
Lee:
Well because the evidence does not support the charges.
Romo:
Come on...
Lee:
Did the defendent make mistakes? Sure, he did. Serious mistakes. But did he actually commit any crimes? Did he commit treason? No.
*shot of Laura looking dismayed*
Lee:
I mean, it was an impossible situation, when the Cylons arrived, what could he possible do? What anyone have done? I mean ask yourself, what would you have done? What would you have done? If he had refused to surrender, the Cylons would probably have nuked the planet right then and there. So did he appear to cooperate with the Cylons,? Sure. So did hundreds of others. What's the difference between him and them? The president issued a blanket pardon. They were all forgiven, no questions asked.
Col. Tigh. Col. Tigh used suicide bombers killed dozens of people. Forgiven.
Lt. Agathon and Chief Tyrol. They murdered an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven.
The Admiral. The Admiral instituted a coup d'etat against the President. Forgiven.
And me? Well, where do I begin? I shot down a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic Carrier, over a 1000 people on board. Forgiven.
I raised my weapon to a superior officer committed an act of mutiny. Forgiven.
And then on the very day Baltar surrendered to those Cylons, I as commander of Pegasus, jumped away. I left everybody on that planet, alone, undefended for months. I even tried to persuade the Admiral never to return, to abandon you all there for good. If I'd had my way, nobody would have made it off that planet. I'm the coward. I'm the traitor. I'm forgiven.
I'd say we are very forgiving of mistakes. We make our own laws now, our own justice. And we've been very creative in finding ways of letting people off the hook now for everything from theft to murder. And we've had to be, because...because we're not a civilization anymore. We are a gang, and we're on the run. And we have to fight to survive. We have to break rules, bend laws, we have to improvise.
But not this time. No. Not this time.
*Lee pointing at Baltar*
Lee:
Not for Gaius Baltar. No, you...you have to die. You have to die because, well, because we don't like you very much. Because you're arrogant. Bacause you're weak. Because you're a coward. And we, the mob, want to throw you out the airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and get yourself killed in the process. That's justice now! You shoulda been killed back on New Caprica! But since you had the temerity to live, we're gonna execute you now! That's justice!
*crowd murmurs*
Judge1:
Order! Order!
Lee: *looking at Bill*
This case, this case is built on emotion, on anger, bitterness, vengeance. But most of all it is built on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt or those of us who ran away....who ran away. And we are trying to dump all that guilt, all that shame onto one man. And then flush him out the airlock and hope that just gets rid of it all. So that we can live with ourselves. But that won't work...That won't work. That's not justice. Not to me...not to me.
Romo:
No further questions.