Michael Moriarty credited as playing...
Governor Harold Hoffman
- David Wilentz: [referring to the report from the independent investigation of the Lindbergh kidnapping case while Schwarzkopf reviews it] Hoffman's on his way over. You "follow" the "general drift", I take it?
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: oh yeah, you know what this is about, don't you? He wants me out, he wants you out
- David Wilentz: let me handle it ok?
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: you think you can?
- David Wilentz: yes, I do
- David Wilentz: [after Hoffman knocks on the door and Wilentz answers it] Harold, come on in
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [while shaking hands] Dave, good to see you
- Governor Harold Hoffman: good afternoon, Colonel. I had a "hunch" you'd be joining us
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: Mr. Hoffman, if you want to accuse me of something, why don't you just come out and say it?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [referring to the report] you tell me Colonel, what'd you make of it?
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: politics governor, it's clear...
- David Wilentz: [interrupts him] alright, alright
- David Wilentz: Harold, sit down. Have a seat
- David Wilentz: [after he sits down] Harold, what'd you have in mind?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [referring to the Lindbergh kidnapping case] well, you would agree that mistakes were made right? Or is that going too far?
- David Wilentz: are you saying Hauptmann is "totally clean?"
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: for Christ's sake, they found fourteen thousand dollars of ransom money in this man's garage
- David Wilentz: [to Hoffman] his "involved." There's just too much evidence against him
- Governor Harold Hoffman: he didn't murder the Lindbergh baby
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: [to Hoffman] alright fine, suppose he didn't do it. He still had the money, he knows "something", why won't he talk?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [referring to the death penalty] I don't know: all I know is if he didn't murder the baby he shouldn't go to the chair
- David Wilentz: [to Hoffman] you know you can't commute the death sentence in New Jersey, the governor doesn't have that power. Only I can
- Governor Harold Hoffman: I know that, anybody knows that, I know that
- David Wilentz: and you know you can't reopen the case, only I can do that
- Governor Harold Hoffman: that's why I'm here Dave
- David Wilentz: [amused] you think I'm about to reopen this case?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: I don't think you have a choice, judging by this report. How does this report make things different? We're the only ones whose read it so far
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: [to David] that's why his here, he wants us out
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [raises his voice] I want justice and I shouldn't be "begging" for it from a police officer and the Attorney General
- David Wilentz: alright, easy now Harold
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: ok fine, kiss his ass. Make him president
- David Wilentz: Norman, you know this is about
- Col. Norman Schwarzkopf: [shouts and slams down on the table] I know we have a guilty man: we have a conviction. Where I come that's justice
- David Wilentz: hold on Norman. Now I don't think Harold has thought this "thing" quite trough yet
- Governor Harold Hoffman: is that so?
- David Wilentz: [gestures to him to sit down] Harold please
- David Wilentz: [after sighing] now Harold suppose you make your report public, what's going to happen? Every officer in the New Jersey police and every officer in the New York police is going to stand by the police evidence. And Charles Lindbergh, his not about to tell the world that he lied under oath and the press is going to ask "Why is Mr. Hoffman defending a baby killer?" And the people, the voters, Harold, they're not going to like it. That goes so far to say the only vote you'll get will be from Richard Hauptmann but he won't be around to vote, will he? Harold, you'll destroy your career and you still won't save him. Now is that of "justice" you want? Ok, so how about we "work" this "thing" out between us?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [meeting privately in Hauptmann's cell] I have a proposition to make you. I've made a kind of "deal" with David Wilentz: the Attorney General. The state is now willing to commute your commute your death sentence
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: [confused] "commute?" What is that?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: they'll change it to a lesser sentence...
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: [interrupts him, relieved] I knew it
- Governor Harold Hoffman: to a lesser sentence of life in prison. On one condition: that you make a full statement of the part you played in the crime and a complete and unreserved confession
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: [saddened] I told you
- Governor Harold Hoffman: any confession, however small. So long as it is an admission of guilt. I'm sorry, that's the deal: it's the best I can get
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: how can I make this confession? What have I to confess?
- Governor Harold Hoffman: that's for you to decide
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: [walks closer to him] I thought you believed me, I thought you were the only one
- Governor Harold Hoffman: I'm sorry. I wish I had the power to do more but I don't, do you understand that?
- Bruno Richard Hauptmann: [tearfully] so, to "save" myself, I must "condemn" myself
- Governor Harold Hoffman: [nods] yes sir. It's about the way it is