MovieChat Forums > A Time to Kill (1996) Discussion > Do you think they deserved to die?!

Do you think they deserved to die?!

posted 16 years ago by stenlis
132 replies | jump to latest

There was a moment in the trial that didn't make any sense to me. It's when the prosecutor asks Carl 'Do you think they deserved to die?' and Carl admits he does. The film portrays this as a big victory for the prosecution - the music, the victorious grin on prosecutors face, Carls lawyer looks devastated...

But from judicial point of view it doesn't make any sense. Sure, usually it's a strong point to have the defendant admit he thought the victim deserved to die. But that's only when he denies killing him/her. This question (or the answer to be precise) establishes a motive. In Carl's case, nobody in the world would doubt his motive and nobody could have expected a different answer to that question from him.

So - the prosecutor achieved only one thing with this question - he showed us that the writers of this movie know nothing about murder trials.

[–] trelaina 15 years ago

I have two answers to this.

1. As a rational human being...Carl Lee was 100% guilty. If I was on the jury, that would have been in my head.

2. As a parent, thinking about such a heinous act committed against one of my sons...God forbid! If I was on that jury...there is NO color...why even bring that into the equation? Who gives a crap about that?!?! I would not find Carl Lee guilty, regardless of the evidence.

Matters not. If I was on the jury he would have walked...and I would have been happy to see him walk.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] little_joost 15 years ago

They didn't deserved to die by execution. But they did deserve to be in jail for a very long time.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Crazy-T 15 years ago

Yes they deserved to die, and I hope they burn in hell!!!

[–] miguelangel-23 15 years ago

I remember thinking when I first watched the movie that those guys didn't deserve to die. A sudden and rapid death was such a merciful reward for what they did to that little girl. They deserved to endure the same treatment they gave to her, performed three times per day for the rest of their long long lives.

[–] Ash-lee 15 years ago

My thoughts exactly. Yes, they deserved to die, but even more than that, they deserved to suffer horribly for years and years and then die brutal deaths. Carl Lee didn't do anything that any other normal, grieving father (or mother!) wouldn't do. Vigilantism is never okay, but any parent would be tempted to do the same and be justified in doing so. This wasn't a man who picked up a gun and took it to a schoolyard, this was a man who's mind snapped after the unthinkable happened to his child.

[–] YoBFFJill 15 years ago

Omg, are people even reading the OP before responding?

And yo momma, too.

[–] Virgil_Hawkins 15 years ago

I think the correct answer would be "I wasn't thinking about it, I could only think of my daughter being raped and abused and the next thing I knew, I was standing over the bodies of... blah, blah, blah."

"I murdered them because of what they did to my daughter", although true in both instances, doesn't sound like a man not thinking logically. The truth isn't always as important as the emotion and mental states you can imply with word choice.

Don't tell me what I can't do!

[–] miguelangel-23 14 years ago

However, the whole controvercy was because the atackers were white. If the rapist were black, Carl Lee would have killed them the same. And he probably would have ended up in jail for a long time.

Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] randulator 14 years ago

I watched this movie a few times a long time ago, before I was a parent. Now I have my own daughter, and I can honestly say that I would not do what Carl Lee did. I would have done much worse. I may have even tried to make sure they DIDN'T go to jail that way I could do exactly what I wanted to do. If they had gone to jail then I wouldn't have access to them. But as free men, they would be hunted, captured, brutally tortured for days, maybe even weeks, then they would die. No witnesses, unlike in the courthouse where Carl Lee shot those boys. No chance of innocent bystanders getting hit, like the deputy. They would have felt every bit of her pain and more, begging for the sweet release of death, only to not get their wish until it happened naturally from the injuries.

Me
www.myspace.com/randulator
My band
www.myspace.com/silentdivide

[–] myranger1989 14 years ago

In a word....

YESSSSSSS

I do not have children as I don't have much faith in humanity in general.

But if I did , I believe with the way I tend to mother younger people that it would be a safe bet that I would do the same thing.

The only thing that could save these *beep* would be God himself.

Even if they made it to trial and were convicted, it probably would not be that hard to get to them in prison...

[–] shaun3701-1 14 years ago

YES THEY DESERVED TO DIE, AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!!

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 14 years ago

Yes they deserved to die, they brutally raped an innocent TEN year old girl, two men, sadistically raped her, threw full beer cans at her until it tore parts of her flesh, then they threw her off a bridge, she wouldn't be able to bare any children because the womb was damaged heavily. If that was your child, race or not, you would not be thinking clearly and you would be angered to the point that you would to do the same thing that Carl Lee did. Some people call Carl Lee a murderer, then what were those two men that raped his underaged daughter? They probably would've gotten off and gone and raped again. What would you do to them? What did they deserved in your eyes?

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit' me!" Hudson in Aliens.

[–] Misa_Malone 14 years ago

Hell yeah, and they should all burn in hell!

Grandma, your tootsie rolled out a long time ago

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Misa_Malone 14 years ago

Wow. I'm glad I'm not your child.

Your Child: I was raped by two grown men!
You: What color were they?
Your Child: What does that matter? They hurt me. Please avenge my six year old honor.
You: Well, let's consider the bigger picture here...

Grandma, your tootsie rolled out a long time ago