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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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- Sorry about all the smoke.
- It's alright.
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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It's alright.
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Okay, I have speed.
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Let's start from the beginning,
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- Might as well.
- Okay.
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It didn't look good for you
when they came for your arrest.
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You had 41 rounds of live ammo
and a .357 magnum in your room,
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you were on probation
for felony theft.
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Is that a different issue?
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No, I mean, it is
a whole different issue.
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A lot of people say...
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I was not an angel
on the outside.
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At the same time,
I was not the devil.
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But whatever I was
on the outside does not justify
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to frame a person
to put him in prison
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for a murder he did not commit.
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That is no excuse.
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FREE CHOL SOO LEE
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At the time,
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I was a couple months
short of my 21st birthday.
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I was just a young street punk,
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not even thinking
about the time of day.
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And I was living in Chinatown.
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I used to hang out
around Jackson Street,
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and at Mike's pool hall,
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00:02:04,210 --> 00:02:07,355
which were popular spots
for the Chinatown street gangs.
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00:02:07,714 --> 00:02:09,661
But I was not bothered
once by them.
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00:02:10,425 --> 00:02:12,871
I had a quiet personality.
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I often felt like
the lone Korean in Chinatown.
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00:02:17,265 --> 00:02:22,234
When I first met Chol Soo Lee,
he was always smiling.
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I think he smiled for us.
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He was always smiling.
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So at that time,
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my older sister,
she worked in a pearl store.
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Each time she was going
to open an oyster, Chol Soo,
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he would peer over to her
opening and revealing the pearl.
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And he asked her about that.
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''How do you know there's
gonna be a pearl inside?''
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And ''what kinds of pearls
are going to come out?''
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And he stuck around and
he stuck around 'til closing.
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She just felt that he was alone,
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and so she just said,
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00:03:02,769 --> 00:03:08,260
''You wanna come over for
dinner?'' And he said yes.
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He knew a lot of people.
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00:03:12,904 --> 00:03:15,655
But he would always be
the only Korean,
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and so everybody...
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''You mean the Korean guy?''
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And we'd just see him.
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We'd go out to eat
sometimes after work.
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There's once he asked me to go
see his probation officer
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with him because he said,
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''If I bring this nice Japanese
girl, then they'll think''
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''that I have good friends
and think better of me.''
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I was on probation for theft.
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Ever since I arrived
from Korea as a kid,
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I didn't like staying home,
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so I was out
on the street a lot.
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When you're out there,
what are you gonna eat?
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You have to steal something,
or do something, right?
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By 1973, I was doing odd jobs.
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Sometimes I'd work as a barker
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for the strip joints
on Broadway.
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00:04:07,667 --> 00:04:10,220
Those are the guys who stand
in front of the night clubs
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trying to lure in the customers.
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One night the manager
showed me his gun.
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It was the first time
I ever held a gun before.
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I asked if I could borrow it.
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Back at my place, I was cocking
it back and forth, you know,
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messing around with it...
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Then accidentally shot the wall.
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Five days later, I was arrested.
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But when they told me it was
for a murder,
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I couldn't believe
what they were saying.
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I didn't know nothing
about any murder.
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JUNE 3, 1973
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Yip Yee Tak was
gunned down execution-style
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in front of hundreds
of terrified witnesses.
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The shooting occurred around
7:30 pm at the intersection
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of Pacific and Grant Avenues.
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Eyewitnesses say the victim
was shot from behind in the head
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by a Chinese man
in his early 20s.
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They said the bullet
I shot into my wall
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was shot from the murder weapon.
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We ended up with 3 positive
identifications
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of Mr. Lee as being
the perpetrator of the killing.
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It was regarding
a $10,000 alleged rip-off
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by the victim from his own gang.
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HIS FEAR OF BEING KILLED CAME TRUE
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And they hired Mr. Lee to kill
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one of their own members
for taking this money.
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It just shocked me that Chol Soo
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would have been arrested
for a Chinatown murder.
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In Chinatown, people knew that
the Korean didn't do it.
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I am a Korean,
and Chinese is Chinese.
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00:06:00,280 --> 00:06:03,724
And I felt that
eventually this...
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which I felt at first was just
a misunderstanding,
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00:06:07,412 --> 00:06:10,266
would be straightened out
in due time.
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00:06:10,352 --> 00:06:13,680
JURY SAYS ''GUILTY'' IN CHINATOWN KILLING
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KOREAN CONVICTED IN SAN
FRANCISCO SLAYING GETS LIFE SENTENCE
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I had been sentenced
to life in prison
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for a crime I did not commit.
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It was a quiet trip.
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I looked out the window
like it might be
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my last time seeing the view.
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The deputy had the radio
playing at a low volume,
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and there was a song
I still remember hearing
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during that drive:
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''You're Still a Young Man''
by Tower of Power
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I felt very old,
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as if life was closing in
on me at age 21.
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DEUEL VOCATIONAL INSTITUTION
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As soon as I got to the prison,
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I was subjected
to my first strip search.
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Put your head down.
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00:07:33,498 --> 00:07:34,896
OK, raise your arms up.
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Up higher.
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Spread your legs.
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00:07:42,465 --> 00:07:45,810
Okay, this time
I want you to bend over.
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As many times as we had to
repeat this routine,
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00:07:50,932 --> 00:07:53,525
convicts never felt
indifferent to the degradation
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and dehumanization
of such treatment.
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This built up
a fire of hell within us.
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00:08:05,071 --> 00:08:07,228
These are members
of prison gangs,
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00:08:07,365 --> 00:08:09,918
men so violent
that the maximum-security unit
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00:08:10,076 --> 00:08:12,669
is divided into sections
for different gangs
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00:08:12,829 --> 00:08:14,549
to keep them from
attacking each other
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00:08:14,664 --> 00:08:17,359
and from preying on non-members.
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00:08:18,459 --> 00:08:21,488
I was at one of California's
most violent prisons
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at a time when all the gangs
were at war with each other.
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00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:29,043
Its nickname was
''Gladiator School.''
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00:08:32,890 --> 00:08:34,690
Within less than one year,
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00:08:34,809 --> 00:08:37,639
I witnessed a convict
get his head bashed in.
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00:08:37,812 --> 00:08:40,365
Another killed
on a weight bench.
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00:08:40,523 --> 00:08:45,295
And one inmate get stabbed
24 times, right out in the open.
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This suddenly became my world.
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How was I,
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00:08:49,157 --> 00:08:51,511
an inexperienced,
lone Asian convict,
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00:08:51,659 --> 00:08:53,081
going to stay alive?
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00:08:53,105 --> 00:08:55,042
WARNING
KEEP HANDS OFF GATE
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I followed the first rule of
survival in any prison system:
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Show no fear.
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00:09:02,879 --> 00:09:07,720
This wrongness was so wrong.
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00:09:08,426 --> 00:09:09,923
What uh...?
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00:09:10,803 --> 00:09:13,499
What are you
going to do about it?
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00:09:14,599 --> 00:09:16,182
And I thought,
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00:09:16,267 --> 00:09:18,938
''I'm going to become that lawyer''
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00:09:19,103 --> 00:09:22,547
''that will take
that kind of case.''
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00:09:22,857 --> 00:09:24,398
And then at that point,
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all I could do was
just like be his friend.
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00:09:31,167 --> 00:09:33,693
DEAR RANKO,
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THE BEAUTIFULEST AND BEST.
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FALTA TEXTO
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MORE THAN A FRIEND.
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00:09:47,632 --> 00:09:49,749
I started to have
feelings for her.
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00:09:49,884 --> 00:09:52,779
But she did not feel
the same way about me.
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00:09:54,222 --> 00:09:56,457
That could have caused her
to cut me off.
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00:09:56,599 --> 00:09:58,047
But she didn't.
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00:10:00,269 --> 00:10:03,773
Instead, Ranko's response
all throughout the years
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reflected a struggle for justice
as her main inspiration.
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00:10:08,986 --> 00:10:11,697
It may not have been
a personal relationship,
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00:10:11,864 --> 00:10:18,003
but Ranko's friendship was pure
light in my darkened world.
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00:10:22,375 --> 00:10:26,075
AFTER 4 YEARS IN PRISON
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Colorful...
the morning's Sacramento Union!
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00:10:30,466 --> 00:10:32,345
Good news, great people.
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00:10:32,468 --> 00:10:34,427
People like K.W. Lee,
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00:10:34,554 --> 00:10:36,472
award-winning
investigative reporter.
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00:10:36,597 --> 00:10:38,279
K.W Lee, digging, probing,
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00:10:38,391 --> 00:10:40,864
tackling the bureaucracy,
infiltrating the unknown.
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00:10:41,018 --> 00:10:43,414
Read K.W. Lee!
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00:10:45,731 --> 00:10:48,760
So I learned from
a drug counselor in Chinatown.
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00:10:48,943 --> 00:10:50,270
He was casually saying,
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00:10:50,361 --> 00:10:54,855
''Hey, it's a shame that,
the Korean kid got railroaded.''
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00:10:55,116 --> 00:10:59,293
Here, I was looking into a case
which is already four years old.
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00:10:59,537 --> 00:11:01,694
But I don't leap
into conclusion.
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00:11:01,831 --> 00:11:03,473
I'm an investigative reporter,
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00:11:03,583 --> 00:11:05,678
and I follow the smell.
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00:11:06,252 --> 00:11:08,963
I kept reading
the court records and
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00:11:09,130 --> 00:11:10,977
things shouted at me.
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00:11:11,201 --> 00:11:12,347
OFFICIAL COURT REPORTERS
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00:11:12,372 --> 00:11:14,110
The arresting officer
on the stand
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00:11:14,135 --> 00:11:15,341
to identify Chol Soo Lee
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00:11:15,428 --> 00:11:17,426
as the man he arrested, he said,
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00:11:17,555 --> 00:11:19,315
''There, that Chinese,''
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00:11:19,432 --> 00:11:21,786
pointing at Chol Soo Lee
in the defense table.
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00:11:21,934 --> 00:11:25,399
Calling a Korean a Chinese.
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00:11:25,605 --> 00:11:29,465
Anybody who has a smattering of
understanding of Asian culture
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00:11:29,692 --> 00:11:32,338
would find it very unreal.
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00:11:32,967 --> 00:11:36,349
GANGLAND KILLINGS: NO END SEEN
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00:11:37,867 --> 00:11:40,420
One of the Chinese youths
had a gun
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00:11:40,578 --> 00:11:43,174
and fired several shots
into another Chinese youth.
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00:11:43,706 --> 00:11:46,774
Ng, in his 60s, was killed
in the front room of the school
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00:11:46,959 --> 00:11:49,670
by an Oriental youth
in his early teens.
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00:11:49,837 --> 00:11:51,439
Killings in Chinatown
are involving
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00:11:51,547 --> 00:11:53,045
awfully young individuals.
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00:11:53,132 --> 00:11:54,852
There's been
gangland style murders,
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00:11:54,967 --> 00:11:56,252
bodies dumped in the bay
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00:11:56,344 --> 00:11:58,579
where they had been
strangled and bound.
200
00:11:58,721 --> 00:12:01,117
Killings on the street.
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00:12:01,599 --> 00:12:03,795
The specter of gangs have
frightened some merchants
202
00:12:03,935 --> 00:12:06,331
to close early at night.
203
00:12:06,562 --> 00:12:10,455
Grant Avenue seems empty
of natives or tourists.
204
00:12:11,108 --> 00:12:13,819
San Francisco Chinatown
is a tourist town,
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00:12:13,986 --> 00:12:17,411
and there have been a dozen
unsolved murders.
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00:12:17,615 --> 00:12:22,506
And Mayor Alioto was really
getting pressure on the police.
207
00:12:22,787 --> 00:12:24,666
There's always going
to be priorities,
208
00:12:24,789 --> 00:12:27,583
and right now I say
the priority is Chinatown.
209
00:12:29,919 --> 00:12:34,012
It didn't take a genius
to find out what went wrong.
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00:12:34,507 --> 00:12:38,051
Chinese, Japanese, Koreans,
they all look alike.
211
00:12:38,261 --> 00:12:41,922
These things put the impact
on this street boy,
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00:12:42,139 --> 00:12:45,643
who had no pressure groups,
no defense groups.
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00:12:45,851 --> 00:12:48,097
He was completely alone.
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00:12:51,023 --> 00:12:54,527
How does an Asian
prisoner exist, or
215
00:12:54,735 --> 00:12:58,477
handle or survive a prison,
say like DVI,
216
00:12:58,698 --> 00:13:00,345
which is run by prison gangs?
217
00:13:01,117 --> 00:13:03,670
So for Asians
within a prison system,
218
00:13:03,828 --> 00:13:05,746
their survival depends more on
219
00:13:05,871 --> 00:13:08,028
to avoid aggression
rather than to take action.
220
00:13:08,165 --> 00:13:12,957
But not to be fearful of using
aggression if it's necessary.
221
00:13:15,798 --> 00:13:19,381
Two gangs were fighting over
who ran the poker games.
222
00:13:19,594 --> 00:13:21,790
I was friendly with both.
223
00:13:22,430 --> 00:13:24,190
But the white gang
didn't like that
224
00:13:24,307 --> 00:13:26,361
I associated with
the Mexican gang.
225
00:13:26,475 --> 00:13:28,971
I refused to choose sides.
226
00:13:29,103 --> 00:13:30,601
And soon I learned that
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00:13:30,688 --> 00:13:32,585
the whites were gonna
come after me.
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00:13:34,826 --> 00:13:35,836
OCTOBER 8, 1977
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00:13:35,860 --> 00:13:37,400
In the world of prison,
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00:13:37,486 --> 00:13:39,604
there is a code of conduct
that is totally different
231
00:13:39,739 --> 00:13:41,636
from normal society.
232
00:13:43,784 --> 00:13:46,480
The convicts' code is clear-cut.
233
00:13:46,996 --> 00:13:50,590
Reputation is everything
in prison.
234
00:13:51,459 --> 00:13:55,402
Any sign of disrespect
could lead to violence.
235
00:14:02,511 --> 00:14:05,104
This code may seem like madness.
236
00:14:05,264 --> 00:14:08,411
I can't even find the words
to explain it so that you,
237
00:14:08,601 --> 00:14:13,243
who live in free society,
could understand my position.
238
00:14:15,274 --> 00:14:18,500
All I knew was that in order
to survive in this world,
239
00:14:18,694 --> 00:14:21,589
I had to follow
the convict's code.
240
00:14:24,825 --> 00:14:26,323
If I hadn't,
241
00:14:26,452 --> 00:14:27,999
I'd be dead.
242
00:14:34,877 --> 00:14:37,311
Inmate Chol Soo Lee
is charged with murder
243
00:14:37,463 --> 00:14:40,758
in the stabbing death
of a fellow prisoner.
244
00:14:41,258 --> 00:14:46,347
Chol Soo Lee killed a member
of the Aryan Brotherhood.
245
00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:48,993
But no matter what,
246
00:14:49,141 --> 00:14:52,090
where the knife came from,
who had it first,
247
00:14:52,269 --> 00:14:56,645
what you were wearing or
what you ate for breakfast...
248
00:14:56,899 --> 00:15:00,997
The fact that you were
in that position to be in prison
249
00:15:01,237 --> 00:15:05,350
all that time for something
you didn't even do?
250
00:15:05,574 --> 00:15:07,072
All of that,
251
00:15:07,284 --> 00:15:10,629
everything you do
is self-defense.
252
00:15:11,163 --> 00:15:12,747
A detective told me
I was charged
253
00:15:12,832 --> 00:15:14,671
with first-degree murder.
254
00:15:14,792 --> 00:15:17,226
It sent chills
throughout my mind.
255
00:15:17,378 --> 00:15:19,098
Until that moment,
256
00:15:19,213 --> 00:15:22,122
I didn't even know
that the man I fought was dead.
257
00:15:22,299 --> 00:15:24,694
And because of my prior
murder conviction,
258
00:15:24,844 --> 00:15:27,739
I would now face
the death penalty.
259
00:15:28,764 --> 00:15:30,611
I was shitting my pants.
260
00:15:30,975 --> 00:15:34,875
Because I was ready to do
a story on Chol Soo Lee.
261
00:15:35,104 --> 00:15:38,686
Then, bang, he was charged
with a second murder!
262
00:15:38,899 --> 00:15:41,254
Now, the picture has changed.
263
00:15:41,402 --> 00:15:44,147
That's when I had to see him.
264
00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:49,946
''Dear Chol Soo Lee:''
265
00:15:50,161 --> 00:15:53,229
''My name is Kyung Won Lee.''
266
00:15:53,414 --> 00:15:56,007
''I want to write
about the problems''
267
00:15:56,167 --> 00:15:58,961
''you have run into in America.''
268
00:16:02,173 --> 00:16:04,119
''Dear Mr. Kyung Won Lee:''
269
00:16:04,550 --> 00:16:06,270
''I want to thank you
very much for''
270
00:16:06,385 --> 00:16:08,502
''the thoughtful words
I read in your letter.''
271
00:16:08,637 --> 00:16:11,863
''Please understand my experience
is not a happy story.''
272
00:16:12,057 --> 00:16:14,853
''I would very much wish
to talk with you.''
273
00:16:17,104 --> 00:16:19,550
When I found myself in a prison,
274
00:16:20,065 --> 00:16:24,258
that's where I find
a lonely Korean down there.
275
00:16:25,404 --> 00:16:29,859
I am the only Korean reporter
in the mainstream media.
276
00:16:30,117 --> 00:16:32,763
I also felt so alone myself.
277
00:16:35,206 --> 00:16:40,347
So when I look at Chol Soo Lee,
I feel like I met an old friend.
278
00:16:42,588 --> 00:16:45,234
What a good-looking kid.
279
00:16:45,382 --> 00:16:47,479
Really good-looking kid.
280
00:16:49,094 --> 00:16:50,894
He was in a living hell.
281
00:16:51,013 --> 00:16:55,954
But he had some
innate friendliness.
282
00:16:56,727 --> 00:16:59,622
He had that smile.
283
00:17:01,106 --> 00:17:05,898
So we established
some kind of telepathy.
284
00:17:06,278 --> 00:17:08,316
After all these years,
285
00:17:08,447 --> 00:17:10,881
I finally had the chance to say,
286
00:17:11,033 --> 00:17:12,431
''I'm innocent.''
287
00:17:13,327 --> 00:17:18,019
He single-handedly gave me hope
when there was no hope.
288
00:17:34,181 --> 00:17:37,407
I was born out of wedlock
during the Korean War.
289
00:17:37,601 --> 00:17:39,361
And sadly for my mother,
290
00:17:39,478 --> 00:17:42,149
she was disinherited
from her family,
291
00:17:42,314 --> 00:17:46,558
so she married an American
soldier and left for America.
292
00:17:47,152 --> 00:17:51,695
And my uncle and auntie
kept me, to raise me in Korea.
293
00:17:53,826 --> 00:17:55,824
It was just after the war,
294
00:17:55,953 --> 00:17:58,466
and we had fallen on hard times.
295
00:17:58,622 --> 00:18:02,266
We would pick up scrap metal
to try and get by.
296
00:18:04,879 --> 00:18:08,263
We didn't eat sometimes
for two or three days.
297
00:18:08,465 --> 00:18:10,899
But when my auntie found
a bowl of rice,
298
00:18:11,051 --> 00:18:13,063
you know who she gave it to?
299
00:18:13,178 --> 00:18:15,018
One small bowl for me,
300
00:18:15,139 --> 00:18:17,493
and one small bowl
for her youngest son.
301
00:18:17,641 --> 00:18:20,536
They were very, very
kind people.
302
00:18:22,396 --> 00:18:25,503
I called my auntie and uncle
''mother'' and ''father,''
303
00:18:25,691 --> 00:18:29,684
and they treated me
like their own son.
304
00:18:30,404 --> 00:18:33,749
Years later, my mother had
separated from her husband
305
00:18:33,949 --> 00:18:35,908
and came back to Korea.
306
00:18:36,035 --> 00:18:37,755
''This is my son,'' she said,
307
00:18:37,870 --> 00:18:39,718
''and I'm going
to take him to America.''
308
00:18:39,830 --> 00:18:41,114
Ladies and gentlemen,
309
00:18:41,206 --> 00:18:43,602
your flight attendants...
310
00:18:46,587 --> 00:18:50,209
I arrived in San Francisco
on November 14, 1964,
311
00:18:50,424 --> 00:18:51,971
at the age of 12.
312
00:18:52,301 --> 00:18:54,775
My mother showed me
her apartment,
313
00:18:54,929 --> 00:18:57,362
which had a kitchen
with a gas burning stove,
314
00:18:57,514 --> 00:19:00,265
a bathtub with cold
and hot water.
315
00:19:00,434 --> 00:19:01,362
I thought,
316
00:19:01,435 --> 00:19:05,827
''How rich my mother must be
to have such great luxuries.''
317
00:19:09,860 --> 00:19:13,254
But I had a lot of difficulty
with English.
318
00:19:14,031 --> 00:19:16,702
The school was mostly geared
toward Chinese immigrants,
319
00:19:16,867 --> 00:19:19,164
and there were no Korean
teachers or counselors.
320
00:19:22,915 --> 00:19:26,616
One day another student
started a fight with me.
321
00:19:26,835 --> 00:19:29,681
They took me
to the principal's office.
322
00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,631
But I couldn't explain
that it wasn't my fault,
323
00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:34,481
so I had a tantrum.
324
00:19:34,593 --> 00:19:38,341
I kicked the principal, and
they charged me with battery.
325
00:19:38,630 --> 00:19:40,324
SAN FRANCISCO JUVENILE HALL
326
00:19:40,349 --> 00:19:42,506
When I first went
to juvenile hall,
327
00:19:42,643 --> 00:19:45,988
I guess I was thinking in Korean
that I'm a bad boy now.
328
00:19:46,188 --> 00:19:47,908
Started smoking cigarettes,
329
00:19:48,023 --> 00:19:49,743
trying to act tough
and all that.
330
00:19:49,858 --> 00:19:51,103
If you go to jail,
331
00:19:51,193 --> 00:19:54,088
you must be a bad person,
you know?
332
00:19:54,321 --> 00:19:57,191
One time I was so frustrated
to be in juvenile hall
333
00:19:57,366 --> 00:19:59,720
that I put a towel
around my neck.
334
00:19:59,868 --> 00:20:00,995
And the counselor thought
335
00:20:01,078 --> 00:20:03,116
I was going
to try to commit suicide.
336
00:20:03,247 --> 00:20:05,258
It was not a real suicide.
337
00:20:05,374 --> 00:20:06,786
I was just trying
to get attention
338
00:20:06,875 --> 00:20:08,517
to get out of juvenile hall.
339
00:20:08,627 --> 00:20:10,774
So they sent me
to the psychiatric ward.
340
00:20:19,304 --> 00:20:22,299
They gave me a handful
of medication every day.
341
00:20:22,558 --> 00:20:24,199
But I refused to take it,
342
00:20:24,309 --> 00:20:27,654
so they started
forcing me and gave me shots.
343
00:20:30,858 --> 00:20:33,727
I was at the psychiatric
hospital for three months,
344
00:20:33,902 --> 00:20:36,891
but they released me when
they realized I wasn't crazy.
345
00:20:37,072 --> 00:20:39,767
I just couldn't speak English.
346
00:20:41,493 --> 00:20:45,274
This young boy
was condemned as insane.
347
00:20:45,497 --> 00:20:47,337
There were no support systems,
348
00:20:47,458 --> 00:20:49,852
no counselors,
no school teachers.
349
00:20:50,002 --> 00:20:53,046
Nobody, absolutely
he was on his own.
350
00:20:53,297 --> 00:20:55,295
The criminal justice system
351
00:20:55,424 --> 00:20:58,413
had no incentive
to really find out
352
00:20:58,594 --> 00:21:02,687
about this boy and his cultural
and language background.
353
00:21:05,225 --> 00:21:08,332
Back home, my mother
was working two jobs,
354
00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,985
at the cannery and
as a cocktail waitress.
355
00:21:12,191 --> 00:21:14,030
And when she was home,
356
00:21:14,151 --> 00:21:16,397
sometimes she'd beat me.
357
00:21:19,239 --> 00:21:21,586
So I started running away.
358
00:21:23,577 --> 00:21:27,670
One time, I made it
all the way to the ocean.
359
00:21:29,750 --> 00:21:33,344
Maybe I just wanted
to go back to Korea.
360
00:21:34,630 --> 00:21:38,224
I still don't know why
my mother brought me here.
361
00:21:43,055 --> 00:21:45,528
It was just by the grace of God
362
00:21:45,682 --> 00:21:49,305
I have eluded the fate
that fell on him.
363
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,935
Because there's a very thin line
between him and me.
364
00:21:53,013 --> 00:21:58,497
MOST OF HIS AMERICAN LIFE SPENT
IN CONFINEMENT AS A LONE KOREAN
365
00:21:59,113 --> 00:22:01,059
I was lucky.
366
00:22:03,325 --> 00:22:05,222
He was not lucky.
367
00:22:06,495 --> 00:22:08,969
There are an awful lot
of unlucky people.
368
00:22:09,123 --> 00:22:10,570
Especially Asians.
369
00:22:10,749 --> 00:22:14,044
They have no language.
They couldn't tell their story.
370
00:22:14,865 --> 00:22:20,091
A MISPLACED PERSON'S SAGA AS STRANGE
AS THE KAFKA-LIKE CHARACTER IN ''THE TRIAL''
371
00:22:20,342 --> 00:22:22,261
The institutions, the media,
372
00:22:22,386 --> 00:22:24,621
and law enforcement,
the judicial system
373
00:22:24,763 --> 00:22:28,856
have continued to remain
ignorant and insensitive.
374
00:22:31,311 --> 00:22:35,727
And that's why I felt, you know,
it was my calling
375
00:22:35,983 --> 00:22:38,258
to make some small dent
376
00:22:38,402 --> 00:22:41,591
in that wall
of ignorance and insensitivity.
377
00:22:42,529 --> 00:22:46,450
LOST IN A STRANGE CULTURE
378
00:22:48,829 --> 00:22:52,848
Comforting the afflicted
and afflicting the comfortable.
379
00:22:53,083 --> 00:22:56,705
That has been the tradition
of print journalism.
380
00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,424
It happened in America,
but only in America...
381
00:23:00,632 --> 00:23:03,128
We can right this wrong.
382
00:23:03,667 --> 00:23:07,630
ALICE-IN-CHINATOWN MURDER CASE
383
00:23:13,562 --> 00:23:17,303
My roommate, Dave Kakishiba,
and I were going to Berkeley.
384
00:23:17,524 --> 00:23:20,394
And we saw ourselves
as activists.
385
00:23:20,569 --> 00:23:24,786
18, 19 years old, you're taking
Asian American Studies classes.
386
00:23:25,032 --> 00:23:27,901
You're talking
about oppression, yeah so,
387
00:23:28,076 --> 00:23:29,531
I guess I fit the bill.
388
00:23:29,620 --> 00:23:31,777
We came across a newspaper article,
389
00:23:31,914 --> 00:23:35,179
and it said something about
''Alice in Chinatown.''
390
00:23:35,375 --> 00:23:36,462
And we both said,
391
00:23:36,543 --> 00:23:38,660
''Hey, it sounds
like this man is innocent.''
392
00:23:38,795 --> 00:23:41,269
So we went to
the Sacramento Union office
393
00:23:41,423 --> 00:23:43,105
and met K.W. Lee.
394
00:23:43,217 --> 00:23:44,800
There were papers everywhere,
395
00:23:44,885 --> 00:23:46,725
and he had stuff
all over the walls.
396
00:23:46,845 --> 00:23:50,230
And he just spent a couple of
hours just running down
397
00:23:50,432 --> 00:23:52,927
all the details about the case.
398
00:23:53,060 --> 00:23:55,929
We were pretty inspired
by his controlled rage,
399
00:23:56,104 --> 00:23:56,953
if you will.
400
00:23:57,022 --> 00:23:58,861
We asked him, what can we do?
401
00:23:58,982 --> 00:24:02,169
And so he gave us the names
of some of the activists
402
00:24:02,361 --> 00:24:05,349
who had started
a defense committee.
403
00:24:05,530 --> 00:24:08,084
I was just fresh out
from law school.
404
00:24:08,242 --> 00:24:11,468
My favorite subject is
criminal procedure.
405
00:24:11,662 --> 00:24:14,531
And I went to the prison,
to Chol Soo Lee.
406
00:24:14,706 --> 00:24:18,727
And I just asked him,
''Tell me about your life.''
407
00:24:18,961 --> 00:24:22,465
He says he was born
during the Korean War.
408
00:24:22,673 --> 00:24:26,850
His birthday is August 15.
That's Korean Independence Day.
409
00:24:27,094 --> 00:24:30,359
His name is Chol Soo,
the most popular Korean name.
410
00:24:30,555 --> 00:24:35,882
He must be some man who has
all the sad history of Korea.
411
00:24:36,186 --> 00:24:39,056
K.W. Lee, Grace Kim and I
412
00:24:39,231 --> 00:24:41,744
decided to form
a defense committee
413
00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:43,747
and help Chol Soo Lee out.
414
00:24:45,966 --> 00:24:47,481
FREE CHOL SOO LEE!
415
00:24:51,576 --> 00:24:55,437
At that time, Korean churches
were the organizing force
416
00:24:55,664 --> 00:24:57,012
in the Korean community.
417
00:24:57,624 --> 00:25:01,920
That's really where the
Chol Soo Lee movement started.
418
00:25:02,170 --> 00:25:07,022
Me and Jay Yoo always went
to the Korean churches together.
419
00:25:07,301 --> 00:25:10,535
So we told them
what's going on now.
420
00:25:10,721 --> 00:25:15,096
Chol Soo's plight is a tragedy,
and we must free him.
421
00:25:15,350 --> 00:25:18,101
He could be
an excellent young leader.
422
00:25:18,270 --> 00:25:23,794
Brothers and sisters,
we must save him.
423
00:25:24,109 --> 00:25:25,306
Thank you.
424
00:25:26,570 --> 00:25:29,465
They all made special donation.
425
00:25:30,324 --> 00:25:35,095
This is definitely
a Korean immigrant body
426
00:25:35,370 --> 00:25:38,319
that is coming together
in Sacramento.
427
00:25:38,498 --> 00:25:42,441
And I'm willing to jump on
anybody's bandwagon!
428
00:25:43,587 --> 00:25:48,596
And then, in the Bay Area,
we were at every community fair,
429
00:25:48,884 --> 00:25:51,595
either getting signatures
or having people sign up,
430
00:25:51,762 --> 00:25:54,076
or just talking about his case.
431
00:25:54,222 --> 00:25:58,954
So, ''Free Chol Soo Lee,'' people
come up, they want one.
432
00:25:59,227 --> 00:26:01,224
Because they're free.
433
00:26:01,938 --> 00:26:05,878
They thought we were giving away
some free food.
434
00:26:06,109 --> 00:26:08,068
We sold hot links.
435
00:26:08,195 --> 00:26:10,341
We did fundraising dances.
436
00:26:12,741 --> 00:26:16,007
All those young people said,
''We're going to do fundraising!''
437
00:26:16,203 --> 00:26:18,756
What they did was a dance party,
438
00:26:18,914 --> 00:26:20,561
a concert...
439
00:26:20,707 --> 00:26:22,467
So it costs lots of money.
440
00:26:22,584 --> 00:26:24,281
So we gave them...
441
00:26:24,461 --> 00:26:27,370
But they could not raise
any money!
442
00:26:27,547 --> 00:26:29,395
They spent all our money!
443
00:26:29,591 --> 00:26:33,927
I had written a poem
about the Chol Soo Lee case.
444
00:26:34,179 --> 00:26:36,890
And I said, ''Why don't
we make this into a song?''
445
00:26:37,057 --> 00:26:38,896
''We can get the song
on the radio,''
446
00:26:39,017 --> 00:26:40,935
''and people will find out
about the case!''
447
00:26:47,917 --> 00:26:50,185
SET CHOL SOO FREE
448
00:26:51,117 --> 00:26:52,341
FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY RIGHTS
449
00:26:52,366 --> 00:26:53,654
FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
450
00:26:53,693 --> 00:26:55,693
NO DEATH PENALTY FOR CHOL SOO LEE
451
00:27:00,318 --> 00:27:05,107
A shot rang out in the alley
A man was lying cold dead
452
00:27:05,646 --> 00:27:10,599
Witnesses -three out-of-town tourists
barely recollected
453
00:27:11,123 --> 00:27:16,302
He kind of looked like this one
but they look alike you see
454
00:27:16,459 --> 00:27:22,443
Cops in a hurry want to close the case
so they handcuffed Chol Soo Lee
455
00:27:24,980 --> 00:27:27,175
Many times I asked myself:
456
00:27:27,315 --> 00:27:30,740
''Why are so many people,
total strangers to me,''
457
00:27:30,944 --> 00:27:33,889
''working so hard to get me
out of prison?''
458
00:27:34,281 --> 00:27:36,913
And that kind of
boggled my mind.
459
00:27:37,075 --> 00:27:39,549
I didn't know why they did it.
460
00:27:39,703 --> 00:27:41,582
I was just a prisoner,
461
00:27:41,705 --> 00:27:45,287
and something like that
never happened in my life.
462
00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:48,014
I took this support
in a very personal way.
463
00:27:48,170 --> 00:27:50,564
And I would not understand
until many years later
464
00:27:50,714 --> 00:27:54,970
the enormity of what I'd become
in the eyes of these people.
465
00:27:55,218 --> 00:27:57,115
I had become a cause.
466
00:27:57,304 --> 00:27:58,851
A symbol.
467
00:27:59,764 --> 00:28:01,012
Chol Soo Lee...
468
00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:04,732
His name has been synonymous
within the Korean community
469
00:28:04,895 --> 00:28:08,289
with the fight against injustice
and discrimination.
470
00:28:08,857 --> 00:28:13,272
We needed materials
to walk around in the community
471
00:28:13,528 --> 00:28:15,469
and tell his story.
472
00:28:15,572 --> 00:28:17,847
And it was so hard
to just explain it,
473
00:28:17,991 --> 00:28:20,861
word for word,
what was going in his case.
474
00:28:21,036 --> 00:28:24,580
So I made
this little slide show.
475
00:28:25,999 --> 00:28:28,829
The struggle for Chol Soo's
freedom is also a struggle
476
00:28:29,002 --> 00:28:30,998
of an entire people.
477
00:28:31,421 --> 00:28:33,974
It is a fight for
our own freedom.
478
00:28:34,132 --> 00:28:36,011
Do you know about
Chol Soo Lee's case?
479
00:28:36,134 --> 00:28:37,520
Yes, of course.
480
00:28:37,594 --> 00:28:43,356
First of all,
I know it was not a fair trial.
481
00:28:43,683 --> 00:28:48,653
As a fellow Korean,
I want him to get a fair trial,
482
00:28:48,939 --> 00:28:51,085
so I'm following it.
483
00:28:51,816 --> 00:28:54,409
The broader Asian communities
and the public at large
484
00:28:54,569 --> 00:28:57,114
have also joined
in the struggle.
485
00:28:57,447 --> 00:29:00,594
Demonstrations, hundreds of
people were always there.
486
00:29:00,784 --> 00:29:03,653
Court hearings, hundreds
of people were there.
487
00:29:03,828 --> 00:29:06,573
The Chol Soo Lee movement
had a life of its own.
488
00:29:08,250 --> 00:29:11,674
People of different
nationalities came together.
489
00:29:11,878 --> 00:29:15,025
The first, second and third
generations worked together,
490
00:29:15,215 --> 00:29:16,975
and it gave us resolve.
491
00:29:17,092 --> 00:29:20,985
Blue jeans and Korean dresses
getting together.
492
00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:25,780
NO DEATH PENALTY
493
00:29:26,930 --> 00:29:28,638
CHOL SOO IS INNOCENT
494
00:29:29,312 --> 00:29:31,508
It may be one of
the first times that
495
00:29:31,648 --> 00:29:34,042
so many different people united
around one single issue.
496
00:29:34,192 --> 00:29:37,230
How do you feel about
this community support?
497
00:29:37,404 --> 00:29:40,947
I feel very good that
so many Korean people
498
00:29:41,157 --> 00:29:43,682
and all different class of people
could relate to me.
499
00:29:43,827 --> 00:29:46,577
My deepest sincerest thanks
to everyone
500
00:29:46,746 --> 00:29:49,792
that give me
their support and the time.
501
00:29:50,333 --> 00:29:54,075
And hopefully that
I could relate to them as well.
502
00:29:54,296 --> 00:29:56,491
And the support
they are giving me,
503
00:29:56,631 --> 00:29:58,827
that they would do, maybe,
504
00:29:58,967 --> 00:30:01,757
for other Chol Soo Lees
possibly in the streets,
505
00:30:01,928 --> 00:30:04,374
- running loose now.
- Not just yourself.
506
00:30:07,183 --> 00:30:09,459
I received a number of visitors.
507
00:30:09,603 --> 00:30:12,789
I tried to smile and relate
to them as best as I could.
508
00:30:12,981 --> 00:30:15,327
But it wasn't always easy.
509
00:30:18,403 --> 00:30:21,074
A convict may have
his own personal integrity
510
00:30:21,239 --> 00:30:23,713
and humanity burning within him.
511
00:30:23,867 --> 00:30:26,697
But then it's a struggle
to hold onto them.
512
00:30:26,870 --> 00:30:29,264
His own survival
must guide his actions,
513
00:30:29,414 --> 00:30:33,407
as he is slowly
institutionalized, transformed.
514
00:30:33,710 --> 00:30:36,738
I never discussed these feelings
with my supporters.
515
00:30:36,921 --> 00:30:38,880
Seeing the movement's good will,
516
00:30:39,007 --> 00:30:42,401
I didn't want to bring
dark clouds over them.
517
00:30:43,553 --> 00:30:46,146
We have in our studio
this morning, Leonard Weinglass,
518
00:30:46,306 --> 00:30:48,344
who's famous
for being the counsel in the
519
00:30:48,475 --> 00:30:50,473
Chicago Seven conspiracy trial.
520
00:30:50,602 --> 00:30:52,543
He defended Angela Davis.
521
00:30:52,646 --> 00:30:54,287
Mr. Weinglass, what is it that
522
00:30:54,397 --> 00:30:56,791
interested you
in the Chol Soo Lee case?
523
00:30:56,941 --> 00:31:00,524
When the Korean community
came to me
524
00:31:00,737 --> 00:31:03,607
and brought me the records
of the Chol Soo Lee case,
525
00:31:03,782 --> 00:31:08,473
I became convinced that
his was a case of an injustice.
526
00:31:11,331 --> 00:31:12,701
This is Josiah Thompson
527
00:31:12,791 --> 00:31:15,486
in the case
of The People vs. Chol Soo Lee.
528
00:31:16,795 --> 00:31:20,339
This happened
in the middle of Chinatown.
529
00:31:21,883 --> 00:31:25,981
There must have been
30, 40 Asian people around.
530
00:31:26,221 --> 00:31:29,249
Not one was ever interviewed
by the police.
531
00:31:29,432 --> 00:31:32,377
Not one ever testified at trial.
532
00:31:32,894 --> 00:31:36,688
All you had testifying at trial,
they were all Anglos.
533
00:31:37,482 --> 00:31:42,095
I hit up everybody I knew,
looking for witnesses.
534
00:31:42,362 --> 00:31:44,597
And Tink couldn't do that.
535
00:31:44,739 --> 00:31:48,783
You really couldn't have a
white investigator do that.
536
00:31:49,077 --> 00:31:50,425
But I could.
537
00:31:52,038 --> 00:31:55,333
Ranko had this witness, Mr. X.
538
00:31:55,958 --> 00:31:58,684
I know for a fact
that it wasn't Chol Soo.
539
00:31:58,974 --> 00:32:01,064
MURDER WITNESS STEPS FORWARD
540
00:32:01,089 --> 00:32:03,760
Prior to the shooting
living in Chinatown,
541
00:32:03,925 --> 00:32:07,429
I've seen Chol Soo and
I've seen this other person.
542
00:32:07,637 --> 00:32:11,933
Witness X saw the killer
throw away the gun...
543
00:32:12,183 --> 00:32:19,870
And he was not willing
to testify in open court.
544
00:32:20,316 --> 00:32:21,514
Why?
545
00:32:21,609 --> 00:32:23,406
Because he'd be killed.
546
00:32:23,695 --> 00:32:24,940
It's too frightening.
547
00:32:25,029 --> 00:32:27,226
Too frightening for me...
548
00:32:27,532 --> 00:32:31,675
for me to risk, you know,
my family's lives.
549
00:32:32,245 --> 00:32:37,386
It was such a brutal
public murder.
550
00:32:38,251 --> 00:32:40,764
You never get witnesses
from the community
551
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,680
from that kind of shooting.
552
00:32:42,797 --> 00:32:45,231
Chinatown residents are
most hesitant to talk about
553
00:32:45,383 --> 00:32:47,222
what they've seen,
what they've heard,
554
00:32:47,343 --> 00:32:48,985
or even what they think.
555
00:32:49,095 --> 00:32:53,471
But then some clerk
had made a mistake
556
00:32:53,725 --> 00:32:57,868
and had turned over
a bunch of court papers.
557
00:32:59,230 --> 00:33:03,011
Those papers contained
some new things.
558
00:33:03,234 --> 00:33:07,807
Something about this ''Steve''
and ''Point Richmond.''
559
00:33:08,072 --> 00:33:10,084
And so I went to Point Richmond.
560
00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,277
And we asked around and finally
561
00:33:12,410 --> 00:33:16,151
we got the name ''Morris''
to connect with the ''Steve.''
562
00:33:16,372 --> 00:33:19,678
And when we finally reached him
in Los Angeles, he astonished us
563
00:33:19,876 --> 00:33:22,627
by telling us that
he was only 12 feet away
564
00:33:22,796 --> 00:33:24,293
at the time of the killing.
565
00:33:24,380 --> 00:33:28,201
A percipient witness closer than
any other witness to the case,
566
00:33:28,426 --> 00:33:30,108
had been known to the police,
567
00:33:30,220 --> 00:33:33,315
and his very existence had not
been revealed to the defense.
568
00:33:35,850 --> 00:33:39,711
I'd read something
about hypnosis,
569
00:33:39,938 --> 00:33:44,154
and how hypnosis
would bring back details,
570
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:47,196
of particular memories.
571
00:33:48,321 --> 00:33:53,212
So the doctor starts with this
kind of sing-song tone,
572
00:33:53,493 --> 00:33:56,986
and counts down from 15.
573
00:33:57,664 --> 00:33:58,991
And wow!
574
00:33:59,082 --> 00:34:02,975
I still remember that
as unbelievable.
575
00:34:03,670 --> 00:34:05,167
Steve says,
576
00:34:05,463 --> 00:34:07,560
''I can see a lion.''
577
00:34:08,842 --> 00:34:12,385
That lion was part of
this giant mural
578
00:34:12,595 --> 00:34:16,456
that you encounter
as you drive into Chinatown.
579
00:34:16,698 --> 00:34:21,163
So then he says, ''I was standing
outside the Ping Yuen Bakery.''
580
00:34:21,188 --> 00:34:22,995
INVESTIGATOR'S RE-ENACTMENT
581
00:34:23,020 --> 00:34:28,859
''Then I saw that Asian guy
fire the first shot.''
582
00:34:29,696 --> 00:34:32,249
''Hit the victim in the chest.''
583
00:34:32,407 --> 00:34:35,118
''And then he spun around,''
584
00:34:35,285 --> 00:34:39,378
''and the killer put a bullet
in the back of his head.''
585
00:34:40,582 --> 00:34:45,630
The autopsy report showed that
he was shot in the chest,
586
00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,671
just above the right nipple.
587
00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,169
The press reports,
they're all wrong!
588
00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:53,820
TWICE IN THE BACK
589
00:34:53,845 --> 00:34:55,984
He saw it the way
it really happened,
590
00:34:56,097 --> 00:34:59,601
not like everybody else who's
just reading the newspaper.
591
00:34:59,809 --> 00:35:02,599
That establishes his bonafides!
592
00:35:02,770 --> 00:35:05,640
So I brought Morris up,
put him in the courtroom,
593
00:35:05,815 --> 00:35:07,417
turned on the tape recorder.
594
00:35:07,525 --> 00:35:11,346
And I said, ''Steve, you've just
seen Chol Soo Lee.''
595
00:35:11,571 --> 00:35:15,352
''Was Chol Soo Lee
the person you saw kill''
596
00:35:15,575 --> 00:35:17,472
''Yip Yee Tak
in front of your eyes?''
597
00:35:17,785 --> 00:35:19,268
No, he wasn't.
598
00:35:19,370 --> 00:35:21,527
He said, ''No, he's too little.''
599
00:35:21,664 --> 00:35:22,513
I'm positive.
600
00:35:22,582 --> 00:35:24,342
“And he's beautiful.
601
00:35:24,459 --> 00:35:27,091
''The killer was kind of ugly.''
602
00:35:27,253 --> 00:35:28,085
''Thank you, Steve.''
603
00:35:28,137 --> 00:35:30,240
I turned off the tape recorder,
and we've got it.
604
00:35:30,265 --> 00:35:31,909
NEW WITNESS SAYS IT WASN'T LEE
605
00:35:31,934 --> 00:35:33,360
Judge Lawrence Karlton declares
606
00:35:33,385 --> 00:35:35,325
the Chinatown conviction
invalid.
607
00:35:35,667 --> 00:35:39,286
NEW TRIAL ORDERED IN CHINATOWN KILLING
608
00:35:43,186 --> 00:35:45,421
But the joy was short-lived.
609
00:35:45,563 --> 00:35:49,463
San Francisco prosecutors
immediately appealed.
610
00:35:49,692 --> 00:35:51,147
I remained in prison
611
00:35:51,235 --> 00:35:55,079
as I awaited my murder trial
in the prison-yard case.
612
00:35:57,575 --> 00:36:00,021
But this was
a happy time for me.
613
00:36:00,286 --> 00:36:02,997
So many supporters
came to my hearings.
614
00:36:03,164 --> 00:36:05,321
And I felt like
I had gone on vacation
615
00:36:05,458 --> 00:36:08,852
from the violent,
lonely world of prison.
616
00:36:12,340 --> 00:36:13,982
''My dear Chol Soo:''
617
00:36:14,092 --> 00:36:18,229
''I have sent
a package of reading books.''
618
00:36:18,471 --> 00:36:23,612
''Also, can we send you
a jar of kimchi?''
619
00:36:23,935 --> 00:36:30,590
''Even an animal in a zoo is
entitled to some favorite food.''
620
00:36:30,942 --> 00:36:32,560
''Dear Mr. Kyung Won:''
621
00:36:32,652 --> 00:36:35,363
''I would much love to eat
some kimchi as well as some''
622
00:36:35,530 --> 00:36:38,399
''other Korean food with some
rice that is cooked right,''
623
00:36:38,574 --> 00:36:41,099
''but I don't think people
here would permit it.''
624
00:36:41,244 --> 00:36:43,717
''Thank you for the books
I also received earlier today.''
625
00:36:43,871 --> 00:36:48,168
''With each letter I receive from
you, I find my spirits rising.''
626
00:36:48,418 --> 00:36:49,989
''Chol Soo:''
627
00:36:50,086 --> 00:36:56,086
''You represent a tiny people
with a sad but heroic history.''
628
00:36:56,426 --> 00:37:01,966
''You are not just yourself.
You represent us all.''
629
00:37:03,433 --> 00:37:07,848
For the ones that took the time
to go and meet Chol Soo, wow.
630
00:37:08,104 --> 00:37:13,395
That kind of personal contact
made such a difference.
631
00:37:14,152 --> 00:37:16,229
I started corresponding,
632
00:37:16,362 --> 00:37:20,064
and was just so moved
by him responding,
633
00:37:20,283 --> 00:37:22,360
writing his handwritten letters.
634
00:37:22,493 --> 00:37:24,888
And his script was
just beautiful.
635
00:37:25,038 --> 00:37:27,591
His Korean, I think,
is kind of street Korean,
636
00:37:27,749 --> 00:37:30,063
like his English is
street English.
637
00:37:30,209 --> 00:37:34,228
So I think it's kind of cute.
I thought it was very charming.
638
00:37:34,464 --> 00:37:37,458
Yeah, he had
his own way of talking.
639
00:37:40,136 --> 00:37:44,129
He made smoking cigarettes
look cool.
640
00:37:45,308 --> 00:37:50,948
I believed in him as a person,
I believed in him as a leader.
641
00:37:51,689 --> 00:37:54,995
It was hard to believe that,
not long ago,
642
00:37:55,193 --> 00:37:57,270
I used to hope so much
643
00:37:57,403 --> 00:38:00,847
for a single letter
from my mother or from Ranko.
644
00:38:01,199 --> 00:38:03,474
And when the guards would
walk down the tier,
645
00:38:03,618 --> 00:38:05,299
handing out mail,
646
00:38:05,411 --> 00:38:08,706
I would wait with anticipation.
647
00:38:08,956 --> 00:38:10,875
During these times,
648
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,193
there would be total silence
in the whole prison.
649
00:38:15,546 --> 00:38:17,493
This silence...
650
00:38:17,924 --> 00:38:20,569
was the same in every prison.
651
00:38:25,181 --> 00:38:27,060
But now, here I was,
652
00:38:27,183 --> 00:38:28,349
staying up late,
653
00:38:28,434 --> 00:38:31,779
just to respond to all
letters from across the country,
654
00:38:31,979 --> 00:38:33,926
and even South Korea.
655
00:38:36,818 --> 00:38:41,114
They saw me,
and called me by my name.
656
00:38:41,364 --> 00:38:44,550
They said,
''Chol Soo, don't give up.''
657
00:38:44,742 --> 00:38:46,938
''We're fighting with you.''
658
00:38:47,411 --> 00:38:48,847
The Chol Soo Lee
Defense committee is
659
00:38:48,871 --> 00:38:49,890
a broad-based organization
660
00:38:49,914 --> 00:38:52,567
made up of Koreans and
other Asian Americans.
661
00:38:52,708 --> 00:38:56,536
We have defense committees
active from New York to L.A.,
662
00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:57,889
WE WANT A FAIR TRIAL
663
00:38:57,922 --> 00:39:00,000
in both Korea and Japan.
664
00:39:00,133 --> 00:39:02,487
We're all unified
around a common goal,
665
00:39:02,635 --> 00:39:04,332
which is to free Chol Soo Lee.
666
00:39:04,357 --> 00:39:05,440
SET CHOL SOO FREE
667
00:39:05,465 --> 00:39:06,771
UNITE TO FREE CHOL SOO LEE
668
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,359
And Chol Soo's mother,
669
00:39:12,478 --> 00:39:17,131
she entered in the support
movement more reluctantly.
670
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,507
She probably thought
that her son was just
671
00:39:20,695 --> 00:39:24,489
an unrepentant criminal.
672
00:39:25,116 --> 00:39:28,857
And it took a process
to draw her out to support
673
00:39:29,078 --> 00:39:31,472
her own son in this movement.
674
00:39:31,622 --> 00:39:33,919
And then she came out
like a storm.
675
00:39:37,670 --> 00:39:41,332
Why is innocent boy locked up?
Taxpayers' wasted money,
676
00:39:41,549 --> 00:39:42,746
they lock him up.
677
00:39:43,384 --> 00:39:45,380
If my son's guilty,
678
00:39:45,678 --> 00:39:48,072
I'm not going to defend my son.
679
00:39:48,222 --> 00:39:50,616
If he's guilty,
he has to deserve.
680
00:39:50,766 --> 00:39:52,513
But he's innocent.
681
00:39:53,644 --> 00:39:56,240
Yes, I believe he's innocent.
682
00:39:58,733 --> 00:40:01,919
This is the gas chamber
at San Quentin Prison.
683
00:40:02,111 --> 00:40:05,258
Chol Soo Lee may be the first
Korean in the United States
684
00:40:05,448 --> 00:40:06,645
to die here.
685
00:40:09,493 --> 00:40:13,631
It's painted in this weird
sort of chartreuse color.
686
00:40:13,873 --> 00:40:19,318
A hockey puck of cyanide
is dropped into a tub of acid,
687
00:40:19,629 --> 00:40:22,775
and cyanide fumes are given off.
688
00:40:22,965 --> 00:40:25,461
If you breathe cyanide, you die.
689
00:40:32,591 --> 00:40:36,661
AFTER 6 YEARS IN PRISON
690
00:40:42,533 --> 00:40:46,404
THE TRIAL FOR THE PRISON-YARD
KILLING BEGINS IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.
691
00:40:48,366 --> 00:40:50,919
These people feel Chol Soo Lee
is not getting
692
00:40:51,077 --> 00:40:53,788
a fair shake
within the justice system.
693
00:40:53,955 --> 00:40:56,269
It was at
Deuel Vocational Institution
694
00:40:56,415 --> 00:40:58,493
where Lee killed
another prisoner.
695
00:40:58,626 --> 00:41:00,624
We really want to show
the people, the judge,
696
00:41:00,753 --> 00:41:02,513
the court system,
the prison system,
697
00:41:02,630 --> 00:41:04,925
that we're continued
and determined to fight!
698
00:41:05,174 --> 00:41:08,519
Stockton was
a pretty white place.
699
00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,963
All of a sudden,
all these people come.
700
00:41:12,890 --> 00:41:15,985
I think they were
kind of blown away.
701
00:41:23,067 --> 00:41:26,016
It's important to show support
whenever there's a trial.
702
00:41:26,195 --> 00:41:29,342
The jury and the judge can see
the Korean community,
703
00:41:29,532 --> 00:41:31,411
they are ready
to accept this man,
704
00:41:31,534 --> 00:41:35,876
and feel that they can return
him to the community.
705
00:41:39,041 --> 00:41:41,198
Depending on what happens,
706
00:41:41,335 --> 00:41:46,304
it could be anywhere from
a death sentence for Chol Soo,
707
00:41:46,590 --> 00:41:50,491
all the way to immediate release
back to the community.
708
00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:53,864
So everything hangs
in the balance.
709
00:41:57,685 --> 00:42:01,347
Chol's a young Asian, was caught
literally in the cross-fire
710
00:42:01,564 --> 00:42:04,117
of gang warfare,
which was racial warfare.
711
00:42:04,275 --> 00:42:06,748
It's a classic case
of self-defense.
712
00:42:06,902 --> 00:42:08,315
Coming down to self-survival,
713
00:42:08,404 --> 00:42:12,347
there's no place to run
within the prison system.
714
00:42:13,159 --> 00:42:16,781
Judge Papas was
very antagonistic.
715
00:42:16,996 --> 00:42:22,037
And he resented the presence
of people supporting Chol Soo.
716
00:42:23,635 --> 00:42:26,982
I have seen very few Caucasians
in this room, very frankly.
717
00:42:27,045 --> 00:42:31,589
You see Caucasians in the jury
box. I'm afraid that's where it matters.
718
00:42:33,304 --> 00:42:35,064
When I went out to the courtroom
719
00:42:35,181 --> 00:42:37,726
and look at all
the jury members,
720
00:42:38,225 --> 00:42:40,936
and the faces I seen
was the same kind of faces
721
00:42:41,103 --> 00:42:43,260
I've seen in Sacramento in 1974.
722
00:42:43,397 --> 00:42:45,544
The panel of jurors.
723
00:42:46,150 --> 00:42:49,812
And at that time,
I informed my attorney that
724
00:42:50,029 --> 00:42:54,271
I felt this whole case is gonna
be another mockery of justice.
725
00:42:55,117 --> 00:42:57,670
The jury found Lee guilty
of first-degree murder
726
00:42:57,828 --> 00:43:01,222
and sentenced him to die
in the gas chamber.
727
00:43:02,124 --> 00:43:05,668
The judge came down and ruled
the death penalty for Chol Soo.
728
00:43:05,878 --> 00:43:08,873
We're not finished,
we're going to keep on fighting.
729
00:43:09,423 --> 00:43:13,217
- Freedom for Chol Soo Lee!
- Freedom for Chol Soo Lee!
730
00:43:15,429 --> 00:43:19,805
Leonard, what's to be gained
from all the support? Anything?
731
00:43:20,059 --> 00:43:21,557
You make it sound contrived.
732
00:43:21,644 --> 00:43:24,157
These people came because
they wanted to come,
733
00:43:24,313 --> 00:43:27,807
so they're doing it because
they feel it's right.
734
00:43:41,258 --> 00:43:43,732
MOTHER OF CHOL SOO LEE
735
00:43:53,042 --> 00:43:55,544
CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON SAN QUENTIN
736
00:43:59,667 --> 00:44:01,615
CONDEMNED ROW
737
00:44:01,892 --> 00:44:03,019
First of all,
738
00:44:03,102 --> 00:44:06,883
it's hard for me to comprehend
that I am on death row
739
00:44:07,106 --> 00:44:10,055
for a crime I did not commit.
740
00:44:10,234 --> 00:44:12,866
It almost feels like
sometimes you're dying
741
00:44:13,028 --> 00:44:15,674
just each day
as you live, but...
742
00:44:15,906 --> 00:44:20,519
This experience of working with
the people on outside has been
743
00:44:20,786 --> 00:44:24,408
one of the most tremendous
and beautiful experiences
744
00:44:24,623 --> 00:44:26,271
of my life.
745
00:44:27,501 --> 00:44:28,871
The poor man cannot expect
746
00:44:28,961 --> 00:44:30,761
to get justice by himself,
747
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:33,475
but he needs people to...
748
00:44:33,883 --> 00:44:35,929
to try and get justice.
749
00:44:42,141 --> 00:44:43,638
That's it.
750
00:44:58,699 --> 00:45:00,816
During my years on death row,
751
00:45:00,951 --> 00:45:03,980
the State of California
did not execute anyone.
752
00:45:04,163 --> 00:45:06,908
But two men committed suicide.
753
00:45:09,168 --> 00:45:11,998
I came to realize that
the system was designed so that
754
00:45:12,171 --> 00:45:14,684
the condemned man
would kill himself,
755
00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:16,799
before his execution.
756
00:45:16,926 --> 00:45:19,716
By making him go through
his depression alone.
757
00:45:19,887 --> 00:45:22,480
And he might save
the system time and effort
758
00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:24,636
by taking his own life.
759
00:45:27,061 --> 00:45:28,900
Every convict on death row
760
00:45:29,021 --> 00:45:30,968
thought about
taking his own life.
761
00:45:32,399 --> 00:45:34,556
But I never burdened
people on the outside
762
00:45:34,693 --> 00:45:36,850
with such dark thoughts.
763
00:45:36,987 --> 00:45:38,385
Instead,
764
00:45:38,531 --> 00:45:40,290
I always expressed my gratitude
765
00:45:40,407 --> 00:45:42,682
and encouraged them
not to give up,
766
00:45:42,826 --> 00:45:44,973
because this would be
a long fight.
767
00:45:45,996 --> 00:45:48,826
I would be on death row
for three more years
768
00:45:48,999 --> 00:45:51,495
before my retrial started.
769
00:45:53,250 --> 00:45:57,794
AFTER 9 YEARS IN PRISON
770
00:46:02,856 --> 00:46:05,833
LEE HOPES TO ESCAPE DEATH ROW IN RETRIAL
771
00:46:06,183 --> 00:46:10,625
What has these past 9 years
been like for you in prison?
772
00:46:11,438 --> 00:46:13,435
I think...
773
00:46:15,401 --> 00:46:18,395
This is
a very difficult question.
774
00:46:18,571 --> 00:46:20,291
What has happened over 9 years?
775
00:46:20,406 --> 00:46:22,523
What has it been like?
776
00:46:22,658 --> 00:46:26,452
I think in a sense that...
777
00:46:27,121 --> 00:46:30,110
I feel very bitter that I've
been in prison all this time
778
00:46:30,291 --> 00:46:31,988
for a murder I did not commit.
779
00:46:33,711 --> 00:46:35,906
But at the same time,
I'm very grateful
780
00:46:36,046 --> 00:46:39,788
that my case has become
an educational experience
781
00:46:40,009 --> 00:46:41,406
for the Asian community.
782
00:46:41,510 --> 00:46:44,816
My time that I've spent in
prison is not going to waste,
783
00:46:45,014 --> 00:46:49,626
but is working in a positive
sense to educate Asian people
784
00:46:49,893 --> 00:46:52,589
that we can work together
when we want to.
785
00:46:54,648 --> 00:46:57,558
I had become
an attorney by that time
786
00:46:57,735 --> 00:47:00,180
and I joined the legal team.
787
00:47:02,156 --> 00:47:06,848
And we retained Tony Serra
and Stuart Hanlon.
788
00:47:07,119 --> 00:47:08,958
I was worried.
789
00:47:09,079 --> 00:47:14,247
I think I didn't meet Tony
Serra until almost trial time.
790
00:47:14,543 --> 00:47:20,503
This man, who does not look
like your image of a lawyer...
791
00:47:20,841 --> 00:47:23,076
I didn't know how
he would get on board
792
00:47:23,218 --> 00:47:27,062
if he had not been
to these meetings.
793
00:47:27,431 --> 00:47:29,278
And then he appears!
794
00:47:31,189 --> 00:47:32,990
It's like fiction.
795
00:47:38,734 --> 00:47:43,110
When I go into court,
I'll look at the jury.
796
00:47:43,364 --> 00:47:46,629
I won't say a word
and they're starting to wonder.
797
00:47:46,825 --> 00:47:48,372
Then I'd clap.
798
00:47:54,416 --> 00:47:56,335
I call that the ''zen slap''
799
00:47:56,460 --> 00:47:58,617
because it'll change
their focus.
800
00:47:58,754 --> 00:48:01,108
They've just heard
a different argument.
801
00:48:01,256 --> 00:48:03,294
That kind of cleanses them,
802
00:48:03,425 --> 00:48:06,121
it opens their mind,
it purifies them.
803
00:48:09,056 --> 00:48:13,947
We started opening arguments by
taking a picture of a mug book.
804
00:48:14,228 --> 00:48:15,640
The San Francisco
Police Department
805
00:48:15,729 --> 00:48:17,807
had a book back in 1973
806
00:48:17,940 --> 00:48:20,730
called the
''Chinatown Gang Mug Book.''
807
00:48:20,901 --> 00:48:26,109
And the cover of the book
had a cartoon that was a cross
808
00:48:26,407 --> 00:48:28,880
in my mind between
a Fu Manchu character
809
00:48:29,034 --> 00:48:30,319
and a Ho Chi Minh character.
810
00:48:30,411 --> 00:48:32,409
A total racist caricature.
811
00:48:32,538 --> 00:48:34,813
And we argued to the jury
this case started
812
00:48:34,957 --> 00:48:36,479
in this kind of racism.
813
00:48:36,583 --> 00:48:40,008
What that picture says
to these white witnesses,
814
00:48:40,212 --> 00:48:44,105
''It's only an Asian,
it's only a chink.''
815
00:48:50,222 --> 00:48:51,763
The killing occurred
816
00:48:51,849 --> 00:48:53,767
on the corner of
Grant and Pacific
817
00:48:53,892 --> 00:48:56,388
on a crowded Sunday
in Chinatown.
818
00:49:01,942 --> 00:49:05,536
The killer went east
on Pacific Street.
819
00:49:06,905 --> 00:49:09,701
He threw his gun down the alley.
820
00:49:14,580 --> 00:49:16,697
And they find out that
Chol Soo Lee had been involved
821
00:49:16,832 --> 00:49:19,306
in a gun going off in his
hotel room incident
822
00:49:19,331 --> 00:49:20,906
two days earlier.
823
00:49:22,504 --> 00:49:24,622
The police ran
a ballistics check.
824
00:49:24,757 --> 00:49:28,102
And lo and behold, the gun
that fired the murder bullets
825
00:49:28,302 --> 00:49:31,052
also fired the bullet
found in that hotel room.
826
00:49:31,221 --> 00:49:34,615
Okay, if that's true,
Chol Soo Lee is guilty.
827
00:49:34,850 --> 00:49:39,067
But the class characteristics of
the two bullets were different.
828
00:49:39,313 --> 00:49:44,639
Class characteristics have to do
with the lands and grooves
829
00:49:44,943 --> 00:49:48,130
that are carved into the bullet
830
00:49:48,322 --> 00:49:51,067
by its passage
through the barrel.
831
00:49:51,909 --> 00:49:55,294
The class characteristics
didn't match.
832
00:49:55,496 --> 00:49:57,454
That's enough to throw out
the test right there.
833
00:49:57,581 --> 00:49:58,945
You don't have
to go any further.
834
00:49:59,041 --> 00:50:00,840
Now whether he did it
on purpose,
835
00:50:00,959 --> 00:50:02,641
whether he did it
'cause he's sloppy,
836
00:50:02,753 --> 00:50:04,314
whether he did it because
they had to get somebody,
837
00:50:04,338 --> 00:50:05,535
none of us ever knows.
838
00:50:06,298 --> 00:50:10,396
We were aware of that error
early in the investigation.
839
00:50:10,636 --> 00:50:13,901
And that error
was made known in discovery
840
00:50:14,097 --> 00:50:16,769
to defense counsel
way before the first trial.
841
00:50:16,934 --> 00:50:20,516
But the key was that that locked
the police into Chol Soo Lee.
842
00:50:20,729 --> 00:50:22,767
Once they realized
in their mind that
843
00:50:22,898 --> 00:50:24,936
his gun had killed this person,
844
00:50:25,067 --> 00:50:26,470
they didn't care
about anybody else.
845
00:50:26,568 --> 00:50:28,964
They assumed he was guilty.
846
00:50:29,863 --> 00:50:33,407
I saw how they had gone off
in the wrong direction
847
00:50:33,617 --> 00:50:35,298
because of the ballistics.
848
00:50:35,410 --> 00:50:39,271
I saw that their eyewitnesses
were very fallible,
849
00:50:39,498 --> 00:50:43,341
very easy to discredit.
850
00:50:45,754 --> 00:50:49,456
The main prosecution witnesses,
Lennon and Mill...
851
00:50:49,675 --> 00:50:53,518
were at this corner, 45 feet
away from the shooting.
852
00:50:54,346 --> 00:50:57,572
One factor that never
came out in the first trial:
853
00:50:57,766 --> 00:51:01,111
Dave Lennon in 1969
happened to be a guard
854
00:51:01,311 --> 00:51:04,270
at Youth Guidance Center
in San Francisco.
855
00:51:04,439 --> 00:51:06,596
There was a 17-year-old
Asian kid
856
00:51:06,733 --> 00:51:09,365
who was the only Asian kid
when Lennon was there.
857
00:51:09,528 --> 00:51:12,517
It so happened that Asian kid
was Chol Soo Lee.
858
00:51:12,698 --> 00:51:15,251
And it so happened the picture
that David Lennon picked out
859
00:51:15,409 --> 00:51:18,555
the night of the killing,
as a possible suspect,
860
00:51:18,745 --> 00:51:21,740
was a picture taken in 1969.
861
00:51:22,332 --> 00:51:25,361
As soon as that was brought
to his attention,
862
00:51:25,544 --> 00:51:28,493
he backed off his ID,
and he didn't remember that
863
00:51:28,672 --> 00:51:32,572
he had seen him and interacted
with him at a past time.
864
00:51:32,801 --> 00:51:34,760
So there went Witness No. 1.
865
00:51:34,887 --> 00:51:37,004
Witness No. 2 was Andy Mill.
866
00:51:37,139 --> 00:51:39,034
He was a world-class skier.
867
00:51:39,141 --> 00:51:40,861
At that point,
he was 20 years old.
868
00:51:40,976 --> 00:51:43,687
He thought he was the greatest
thing in the world.
869
00:51:43,854 --> 00:51:44,880
And he was so sure
870
00:51:44,938 --> 00:51:47,412
that his initial description
of the killer had to be right.
871
00:51:47,566 --> 00:51:50,594
It's a guy
with no mustache who's 5-10 who
872
00:51:50,777 --> 00:51:54,083
I saw for a second and a half
from 45 feet away.
873
00:51:54,281 --> 00:51:58,022
He identified a person that
in no way could be Chol Soo Lee.
874
00:51:58,243 --> 00:52:01,311
Chol Soo Lee is short,
he was 5-2.
875
00:52:01,496 --> 00:52:05,041
They identified a person
who was 5-10.
876
00:52:05,375 --> 00:52:07,690
Their witnesses were
white tourists
877
00:52:07,836 --> 00:52:11,538
that were diagonally
across the street.
878
00:52:11,757 --> 00:52:13,002
This was a classic case,
879
00:52:13,091 --> 00:52:15,089
it's called
cross-racial identification.
880
00:52:15,218 --> 00:52:18,880
You don't distinguish facial
features of other racial groups.
881
00:52:19,097 --> 00:52:21,690
But we finally got
an Asian witness
882
00:52:21,850 --> 00:52:25,943
who'd been at the scene
to come forward and testify.
883
00:52:27,064 --> 00:52:31,994
After the shooting, the killer
went east on Pacific Street.
884
00:52:32,277 --> 00:52:35,503
We ended up approximately
here in Beckett Alley.
885
00:52:35,697 --> 00:52:38,686
Stephen Low was walking
up the street,
886
00:52:38,867 --> 00:52:40,786
and the killer went
right past him here,
887
00:52:40,911 --> 00:52:42,957
at the corner of Beckett Alley.
888
00:52:43,288 --> 00:52:45,388
Low was really
the closest witness.
889
00:52:45,443 --> 00:52:46,638
STEPHEN LOW
KILLER
890
00:52:47,042 --> 00:52:48,454
He said, ''I was there.''
891
00:52:48,543 --> 00:52:50,661
''I didn't go to the police
because I was afraid.''
892
00:52:50,796 --> 00:52:52,440
''And I'm willing to come
forward now 'cause''
893
00:52:52,464 --> 00:52:55,057
''I'm separated from
the Chinatown scene.''
894
00:52:55,217 --> 00:52:56,800
Stephen Low was a key witness
895
00:52:56,885 --> 00:52:58,408
'cause he was the only
Asian eyewitness
896
00:52:58,512 --> 00:53:00,827
who would say,
''I know it isn't this man.''
897
00:53:00,973 --> 00:53:05,981
It was an easy case
to see transparently
898
00:53:06,269 --> 00:53:08,545
that they had the wrong person.
899
00:53:08,689 --> 00:53:11,479
If the system really was honest,
900
00:53:11,650 --> 00:53:15,629
they would have just dumped
the case instead of trying
901
00:53:15,862 --> 00:53:18,851
a second time to convict
an innocent person.
902
00:53:19,055 --> 00:53:21,849
And that really is
the heart of the outrage.
903
00:53:22,349 --> 00:53:25,708
GANG MURDER RETRIAL GOES TO JURY
904
00:53:27,299 --> 00:53:29,434
SEPTEMBER 3, 1982
905
00:53:29,459 --> 00:53:32,685
We were waiting
and pacing outside,
906
00:53:32,879 --> 00:53:34,957
and one of my friends had gone
to Jack in the Box.
907
00:53:35,090 --> 00:53:36,256
I just happened to be there.
908
00:53:36,341 --> 00:53:40,084
And so I went into court when
they said they had a verdict.
909
00:53:41,638 --> 00:53:43,517
So the courtroom fills up,
910
00:53:43,640 --> 00:53:45,718
but we have to wait
20 minutes to have about
911
00:53:45,851 --> 00:53:47,434
30 armed sheriffs brought down
912
00:53:47,519 --> 00:53:49,993
because the judge
is really afraid that,
913
00:53:50,147 --> 00:53:53,096
if it's a guilty verdict,
there's going to be
914
00:53:53,275 --> 00:53:54,822
pandemonium in the court.
915
00:53:55,110 --> 00:53:57,549
So they rise.
It's very formal.
916
00:53:57,696 --> 00:53:59,575
And everything is very quiet.
917
00:53:59,698 --> 00:54:02,409
If the jury looks at you,
that's good.
918
00:54:02,576 --> 00:54:04,930
If the jury comes out
and won't look at you,
919
00:54:05,078 --> 00:54:06,426
that's horrible!
920
00:54:07,706 --> 00:54:09,744
I didn't know
who was going to win.
921
00:54:09,875 --> 00:54:12,232
I warned my people,
922
00:54:12,377 --> 00:54:16,753
''Even if we win,
don't shout loud. Be quiet.''
923
00:54:17,007 --> 00:54:18,276
The judge said,
''Do you have a verdict?''
924
00:54:18,300 --> 00:54:19,360
And the jury foreman
says, ''Yes.''
925
00:54:19,384 --> 00:54:20,754
And they give it to this clerk.
926
00:54:20,844 --> 00:54:22,384
She reads the verdict form,
927
00:54:22,471 --> 00:54:24,230
which seemed like
it took forever.
928
00:54:24,347 --> 00:54:25,931
''People of
the state of California,''
929
00:54:26,016 --> 00:54:27,815
''Superior Court
of San Francisco,''
930
00:54:27,934 --> 00:54:32,077
''People vs. Chol Soo Lee,
case number blah blah blah...''
931
00:54:33,523 --> 00:54:36,393
And then it goes to the part,
''We the jury find the defendant''
932
00:54:36,568 --> 00:54:38,215
And she stops.
933
00:54:40,947 --> 00:54:44,391
I only remember hearing
the words...
934
00:54:44,868 --> 00:54:45,894
''Not.''
935
00:54:45,952 --> 00:54:47,000
Yeah!
936
00:54:47,079 --> 00:54:48,284
We won!
937
00:54:48,371 --> 00:54:49,619
Won!
938
00:54:49,748 --> 00:54:51,395
We won!
939
00:54:52,084 --> 00:54:53,931
I can't control myself.
940
00:55:01,468 --> 00:55:04,338
Innocent until proven guilty
and reasonable doubt.
941
00:55:04,513 --> 00:55:06,708
And we discussed that
and brought it up, and used it,
942
00:55:06,848 --> 00:55:08,695
and tried to keep it
in our minds.
943
00:55:08,975 --> 00:55:14,896
Well, after almost five years
on the scene,
944
00:55:15,232 --> 00:55:17,727
I just feel very numb.
945
00:55:18,235 --> 00:55:20,827
But I am exhilarated,
946
00:55:20,987 --> 00:55:22,235
obviously.
947
00:55:22,322 --> 00:55:27,813
This is the outcome that
any reporter would be proud of.
948
00:55:29,079 --> 00:55:32,543
You have just achieved
the impossible.
949
00:55:32,749 --> 00:55:36,213
People just jump up and yell!
950
00:55:36,419 --> 00:55:38,814
It's chaos in the courtroom.
951
00:55:38,964 --> 00:55:41,360
It was so thrilling.
952
00:55:44,292 --> 00:55:48,286
''MY VICTORY IS YOURS''
953
00:55:48,723 --> 00:55:51,989
When he was acquitted,
he wanted us to know
954
00:55:52,185 --> 00:55:55,650
that the case was more
than just about him.
955
00:55:55,856 --> 00:55:59,240
Chol addressed everybody
in the court
956
00:55:59,442 --> 00:56:01,560
and said what was
really obvious,
957
00:56:01,695 --> 00:56:03,256
that this was a victory for
the Asian community
958
00:56:03,280 --> 00:56:04,477
and not just for him.
959
00:56:04,573 --> 00:56:07,068
And he says, ''Thank you.''
960
00:56:08,201 --> 00:56:09,486
He thanks everyone.
961
00:56:09,578 --> 00:56:12,288
Then his arm goes out
right under my nose.
962
00:56:12,455 --> 00:56:14,573
He pointed at the prosecutor,
963
00:56:14,708 --> 00:56:16,468
started screaming at him,
964
00:56:16,585 --> 00:56:19,019
''You knew all along
I was innocent!''
965
00:56:19,171 --> 00:56:20,693
''You know you're at fault!''
966
00:56:20,797 --> 00:56:22,716
Oh boy, I forget
his exact words but
967
00:56:22,841 --> 00:56:25,037
they were loud and
they were accusatory.
968
00:56:25,177 --> 00:56:28,086
So far none of them
has admitted that...
969
00:56:28,263 --> 00:56:31,410
the wrongful imprisonment
of these years.
970
00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:34,073
Not the police department,
not the prosecutor.
971
00:56:34,227 --> 00:56:37,849
I think for me to feel a little
bit of justice out of this line,
972
00:56:38,064 --> 00:56:40,419
that the people responsible for
putting me in this prison
973
00:56:40,567 --> 00:56:42,514
admit to their wrongdoing.
974
00:56:42,694 --> 00:56:44,533
I just hope and pray
975
00:56:44,654 --> 00:56:47,445
that the Korean community and
the Oriental people
976
00:56:47,616 --> 00:56:50,802
that have come out in his
support and believe in him,
977
00:56:50,994 --> 00:56:53,903
will support him
once he is released
978
00:56:54,080 --> 00:56:56,990
and hopefully lead him in
the right direction this time.
979
00:56:57,167 --> 00:56:59,640
Your story is definitely
public outcry.
980
00:56:59,794 --> 00:57:02,426
How do you feel about
being a cause or a symbol?
981
00:57:02,589 --> 00:57:05,815
For too long a time, I think
Asians have been subjected to
982
00:57:06,009 --> 00:57:10,002
racial injustice
in the history of America and...
983
00:57:10,347 --> 00:57:13,493
I think this time, the Asian
community came forth and said,
984
00:57:13,683 --> 00:57:15,181
''Enough is enough.''
985
00:57:15,958 --> 00:57:18,333
MARCH 28, 1983
986
00:57:22,150 --> 00:57:24,663
Moments before
he walked into freedom,
987
00:57:24,819 --> 00:57:27,689
he felt that he couldn't live up
to the Chol Soo Lee
988
00:57:27,714 --> 00:57:28,935
that people expected.
989
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:30,285
VOICE OF STUART HANLON
990
00:57:30,310 --> 00:57:33,219
I remember standing up
with him, going to the door,
991
00:57:33,411 --> 00:57:37,055
and saying,
''Well, let's go find out.''
992
00:57:38,375 --> 00:57:39,541
Stuart told me,
993
00:57:39,626 --> 00:57:42,376
''There are a lot of news media
people waiting for you.''
994
00:57:42,545 --> 00:57:44,385
''If you're not ready
to face them,''
995
00:57:44,506 --> 00:57:47,151
''we can go out
through the back door.''
996
00:57:47,384 --> 00:57:48,747
And I told him,
997
00:57:48,843 --> 00:57:50,040
''No...''
998
00:57:50,303 --> 00:57:52,749
''I will walk through
the front door.''
999
00:58:01,147 --> 00:58:03,943
Chol Soo Lee,
can we talk to you for a minute?
1000
00:58:04,234 --> 00:58:05,917
It's been 10 years,
how do you feel today?
1001
00:58:06,027 --> 00:58:07,986
I feel very great
and very thankful
1002
00:58:08,113 --> 00:58:10,071
for all of the support
people have given me,
1003
00:58:10,198 --> 00:58:12,672
especially to Mr. Jay Kun Yoo
out of Sacramento,
1004
00:58:12,826 --> 00:58:14,824
and I'm very grateful
for the support and trust
1005
00:58:14,953 --> 00:58:17,538
that people have given me
to free me on this day today.
1006
00:58:30,802 --> 00:58:32,848
Hi, Chol Soo!
1007
00:58:36,182 --> 00:58:38,678
Oh, that's wonderful,
that's wonderful!
1008
00:58:45,608 --> 00:58:49,003
I told him, ''This is your life.''
1009
00:58:49,237 --> 00:58:52,881
''This is just your life.
It's not charmed.''
1010
00:58:53,616 --> 00:58:56,605
''It's not burdened.
It's not cursed.''
1011
00:58:56,786 --> 00:59:00,132
''This is the life
you get to have.''
1012
00:59:00,332 --> 00:59:02,278
And that's...
1013
00:59:04,252 --> 00:59:06,549
You know, it's a big deal.
1014
00:59:08,506 --> 00:59:10,752
Can you make ''V'' sign for us?
1015
00:59:40,830 --> 00:59:43,541
By the way, Chol Soo,
how old are you now?
1016
00:59:43,708 --> 00:59:46,222
- I'm 50 years old.
- I'll be damned.
1017
00:59:46,378 --> 00:59:51,070
And I've been out of prison
for 20 years, almost...
1018
00:59:51,341 --> 00:59:53,337
- Now.
- I'll be damned.
1019
00:59:53,510 --> 00:59:55,756
Time flies fast, isn't it?
1020
00:59:56,679 --> 00:59:59,325
And when you look back...
1021
00:59:59,557 --> 01:00:03,451
You were in prison,
how many years total?
1022
01:00:05,855 --> 01:00:07,396
- 10 years.
- Yeah, 10 years.
1023
01:00:07,482 --> 01:00:10,867
When you came out, was it
really difficult in many ways?
1024
01:00:11,069 --> 01:00:13,914
- Yes, it was because...
- Why?
1025
01:00:14,114 --> 01:00:17,407
Nobody told me
that I was this famous guy.
1026
01:00:23,039 --> 01:00:25,671
He went on, like a tour,
1027
01:00:25,834 --> 01:00:27,681
like a celebrity.
1028
01:00:29,212 --> 01:00:32,357
All these people recognize me.
1029
01:00:33,007 --> 01:00:36,352
These young girls were coming up
asking for autographs.
1030
01:00:39,222 --> 01:00:41,169
We went to Hawaii with Chol Soo.
1031
01:00:41,599 --> 01:00:43,645
We met
Hawaiian supporters there.
1032
01:00:44,060 --> 01:00:47,104
Everyone welcomed us
and it was joyous.
1033
01:00:51,943 --> 01:00:56,912
He was asked to go
to a jazz festival event.
1034
01:00:57,198 --> 01:01:01,455
You know, so they're playing
their jazz thing, right?
1035
01:01:01,703 --> 01:01:04,771
Chol Soo said, ''This is
worse than being in prison.''
1036
01:01:04,956 --> 01:01:08,792
''We got to go,
get me out of here.''
1037
01:01:09,002 --> 01:01:13,145
So, you know, that's hard work.
He had to do things like that.
1038
01:01:19,708 --> 01:01:23,091
5 MONTHS AFTER RELEASE
1039
01:01:24,875 --> 01:01:28,907
PROSECUTORS OFFER CHOL SOO A
PLEA DEAL IN THE PRISON-YARD CASE.
1040
01:01:29,898 --> 01:01:33,718
And they said, to remain free,
let us compromise...
1041
01:01:33,943 --> 01:01:36,218
Plead guilty
to second-degree murder,
1042
01:01:36,362 --> 01:01:40,302
and there'd be no probation,
no parole.
1043
01:01:40,533 --> 01:01:42,412
It'd be unconditional.
1044
01:01:42,535 --> 01:01:46,079
So I plead guilty instead of
facing another challenge
1045
01:01:46,289 --> 01:01:48,136
in the legal system.
1046
01:01:50,293 --> 01:01:53,044
Lee acted in self-defense.
He never should have been there.
1047
01:01:53,213 --> 01:01:55,766
And this is the clearest example
of the system not working
1048
01:01:55,924 --> 01:01:58,516
'cause what it took was
10 years in prison,
1049
01:01:58,676 --> 01:02:00,951
an entire community of people
1050
01:02:01,095 --> 01:02:04,361
fighting years and years,
going through many courts,
1051
01:02:04,557 --> 01:02:07,031
getting the best lawyers
in our country to fight for him.
1052
01:02:07,185 --> 01:02:08,832
That's what it took
to get him out.
1053
01:02:08,873 --> 01:02:11,122
THE MULTI-SERVICES CENTER FOR KOREANS
1054
01:02:11,856 --> 01:02:14,567
Multi-Service Center
for Koreans, may I help you?
1055
01:02:14,734 --> 01:02:15,662
These days,
1056
01:02:15,735 --> 01:02:18,764
Chol Soo Lee can be found
in a conventional work setting.
1057
01:02:18,947 --> 01:02:21,104
As a staff member of
the Multi-Service Center
1058
01:02:21,241 --> 01:02:22,653
for Koreans in San Francisco,
1059
01:02:22,742 --> 01:02:25,928
he continues to keep his ties
with the Asian community.
1060
01:02:26,120 --> 01:02:29,743
During the weekends, I usually
try to visit senior citizens
1061
01:02:29,958 --> 01:02:32,827
to show my respect
and thanks to them.
1062
01:02:33,002 --> 01:02:36,109
I feel real great to see them
and thank them in person
1063
01:02:36,297 --> 01:02:39,791
and to receive
their warm welcome.
1064
01:02:40,426 --> 01:02:44,470
Just type your name.
Just as if you were typing.
1065
01:02:45,640 --> 01:02:47,638
See now, when you write this,
I can tell
1066
01:02:47,767 --> 01:02:50,201
where your English is bad.
1067
01:02:50,353 --> 01:02:54,696
Keep pushing until you've
erased what you don't want, see?
1068
01:02:55,066 --> 01:03:01,660
I got him a job as a salesman
at a computer retailer.
1069
01:03:02,031 --> 01:03:05,773
It went well for a few months,
but then he quit.
1070
01:03:05,994 --> 01:03:08,348
I asked the boss why he quit.
1071
01:03:08,496 --> 01:03:09,820
He said he overslept
1072
01:03:09,914 --> 01:03:12,659
and couldn't show up on time
in the morning.
1073
01:03:17,380 --> 01:03:20,824
There was a movie
that was made...
1074
01:03:21,050 --> 01:03:23,207
James Woods with a ponytail,
1075
01:03:23,344 --> 01:03:25,699
that was supposed
to be Tony Serra.
1076
01:03:25,847 --> 01:03:31,537
They really portrayed
the community as sort of props.
1077
01:03:36,441 --> 01:03:40,734
Ah, it looks like you've become
a symbol for your community.
1078
01:03:42,113 --> 01:03:43,910
May I get a ride with you guys?
1079
01:03:44,240 --> 01:03:45,787
Go ahead, Shu.
1080
01:03:46,117 --> 01:03:47,864
Be important.
1081
01:03:48,536 --> 01:03:51,683
I was so furious.
1082
01:03:51,873 --> 01:03:58,269
This victory came about because
of a grassroots movement.
1083
01:03:58,630 --> 01:04:01,624
So many, many people
were involved.
1084
01:04:02,592 --> 01:04:04,638
We went to UC Berkeley.
1085
01:04:04,969 --> 01:04:07,680
I had a couple of Defense
Committee people with me.
1086
01:04:07,847 --> 01:04:09,964
They asked me to go up
and say something.
1087
01:04:10,099 --> 01:04:13,286
I never been in front of nobody
to speak, anything like that.
1088
01:04:13,478 --> 01:04:15,175
So what should I say?
1089
01:04:15,605 --> 01:04:18,633
They said just go up there,
tell 'em to be good and
1090
01:04:18,816 --> 01:04:20,014
that's it.
1091
01:04:20,735 --> 01:04:22,218
I went up there... ''Well'',
1092
01:04:22,320 --> 01:04:24,635
''Do good, study hard,
thank you.''
1093
01:04:24,781 --> 01:04:26,620
I'm walking back
and all the students
1094
01:04:26,741 --> 01:04:29,137
looking at me, what an idiot!
1095
01:04:29,911 --> 01:04:33,097
After all the fanfare,
another friend,
1096
01:04:33,289 --> 01:04:34,772
who was also
in the Defense Committee,
1097
01:04:34,874 --> 01:04:36,885
was able to get him a job
as a janitor.
1098
01:04:37,001 --> 01:04:38,328
But for Chol Soo,
1099
01:04:38,419 --> 01:04:44,110
going from being
this leader of a movement
1100
01:04:44,425 --> 01:04:47,969
to suddenly being told
to clean offices up.
1101
01:04:48,179 --> 01:04:49,527
It was hard for him.
1102
01:04:50,515 --> 01:04:52,553
I think I was very, very lonely.
1103
01:04:52,684 --> 01:04:55,949
Whenever I go out with people,
I have a good time.
1104
01:04:56,145 --> 01:04:58,381
But after it's over...
1105
01:04:58,523 --> 01:05:02,117
I'm by myself, you know,
like I'm back in prison.
1106
01:05:04,737 --> 01:05:06,419
I think that there were
a few people trying
1107
01:05:06,531 --> 01:05:08,071
to give him advice.
1108
01:05:08,157 --> 01:05:09,839
He's got to live
the square life.
1109
01:05:09,951 --> 01:05:11,830
He owes that to the community.
1110
01:05:11,953 --> 01:05:14,902
You're gonna really disappoint
a lot of people,
1111
01:05:15,081 --> 01:05:16,828
if you fuck up.
1112
01:05:20,128 --> 01:05:22,522
He was really,
really struggling.
1113
01:05:22,672 --> 01:05:26,334
He felt there was this huge
expectation from the community
1114
01:05:26,551 --> 01:05:29,500
about how he should be
after he got out.
1115
01:05:29,679 --> 01:05:31,439
And he wanted to be that.
1116
01:05:31,556 --> 01:05:34,350
But then he also had
all these demons.
1117
01:05:35,059 --> 01:05:38,484
When I came out of prison,
I think it was the expectation
1118
01:05:38,688 --> 01:05:41,438
that I could be
successful in life,
1119
01:05:41,607 --> 01:05:43,407
lead a normal life,
1120
01:05:43,526 --> 01:05:44,810
which was difficult,
1121
01:05:44,902 --> 01:05:47,813
especially when you have been
in prison for 10 years,
1122
01:05:47,989 --> 01:05:50,898
spending 4 years of that
on death row.
1123
01:05:51,075 --> 01:05:55,717
It's difficult to come out here,
to say, ''I'm normal.''
1124
01:05:58,040 --> 01:06:00,037
He also wanted to party.
1125
01:06:01,335 --> 01:06:02,937
That was a little
uncomfortable for me.
1126
01:06:03,045 --> 01:06:06,192
I mean I get it,
and at the same time,
1127
01:06:06,382 --> 01:06:10,026
I'm not sure that we should be
enabling him to do that.
1128
01:06:10,386 --> 01:06:13,811
He wanted some kind of relief.
1129
01:06:14,015 --> 01:06:17,708
He wanted drugs.
He wanted liquor.
1130
01:06:18,186 --> 01:06:20,818
And when you give
that person drugs,
1131
01:06:20,980 --> 01:06:24,923
and people unfortunately did
1132
01:06:25,443 --> 01:06:28,867
because they thought
they were being his friend,
1133
01:06:29,071 --> 01:06:31,618
you end up with a drug addict.
1134
01:06:34,452 --> 01:06:37,322
Drugs was everywhere.
The cocaine.
1135
01:06:37,497 --> 01:06:40,327
I started smoking it,
I was smoking
1136
01:06:40,500 --> 01:06:43,250
sometimes a quarter ounce
to half ounce a day.
1137
01:06:43,419 --> 01:06:46,090
That was impossible
for any person to live.
1138
01:06:46,255 --> 01:06:48,015
Use that much cocaine.
1139
01:06:48,132 --> 01:06:52,924
I don't know how my body
could tolerate that much drugs.
1140
01:06:54,430 --> 01:06:57,325
And it got worse and worse...
1141
01:06:57,850 --> 01:07:00,496
And I was back on the streets.
1142
01:07:02,021 --> 01:07:05,643
He comes to our law office,
and he begs for money.
1143
01:07:05,858 --> 01:07:08,632
And I said,
''No, it's not right.''
1144
01:07:08,778 --> 01:07:11,410
Why didn't you do anything
before you ran out of money?
1145
01:07:11,572 --> 01:07:12,770
He should have worked.
1146
01:07:12,990 --> 01:07:14,750
You have to work.
1147
01:07:14,867 --> 01:07:18,062
Don't try to depend on somebody.
1148
01:07:19,163 --> 01:07:23,380
He came over one day,
and he was yelling at me.
1149
01:07:23,626 --> 01:07:26,496
He needed money, he needed
a connection to get drugs,
1150
01:07:26,671 --> 01:07:28,669
he needed cocaine.
He couldn't continue like this,
1151
01:07:28,798 --> 01:07:30,162
I owed it to him.
1152
01:07:30,258 --> 01:07:32,097
He went on and on and on,
1153
01:07:32,218 --> 01:07:35,207
and he punched the wall,
and then he pulled a knife.
1154
01:07:35,388 --> 01:07:37,108
And he started
moving towards me.
1155
01:07:37,223 --> 01:07:38,593
I pulled a gun and I said,
1156
01:07:38,683 --> 01:07:42,176
''You have to put
the knife down and leave.''
1157
01:07:42,562 --> 01:07:45,590
One night he scares me,
he comes banging on the door
1158
01:07:45,773 --> 01:07:47,870
because he wants money.
1159
01:07:48,192 --> 01:07:53,583
So I had some rolled quarters
and a change jar.
1160
01:07:54,407 --> 01:07:57,514
And I gave that to him
and I said,
1161
01:07:57,702 --> 01:08:00,846
''Don't ever come back here...''
1162
01:08:01,455 --> 01:08:04,051
''uninvited again.''
1163
01:08:06,043 --> 01:08:10,636
She warned me about Chol Soo,
deep into drugs.
1164
01:08:11,799 --> 01:08:14,906
I was acting
almost as his father.
1165
01:08:15,094 --> 01:08:20,500
And he really felt guilty
about what he was doing.
1166
01:08:20,808 --> 01:08:25,301
And I think he was trying
to avoid me at that time.
1167
01:08:30,359 --> 01:08:34,339
I went back to prison in 1990,
1168
01:08:34,572 --> 01:08:38,715
and did 18 months
on a drug possession charge.
1169
01:08:39,368 --> 01:08:45,557
I came back to San Francisco
in July of 1991.
1170
01:08:47,335 --> 01:08:49,492
I had a pretty solid reputation
1171
01:08:49,629 --> 01:08:52,736
from being in prison
and stuff like that.
1172
01:08:52,924 --> 01:08:55,714
So I started getting
involved with
1173
01:08:55,885 --> 01:08:58,231
some of the Chinatown gangs.
1174
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:01,286
For the first time in my life.
1175
01:09:01,428 --> 01:09:05,716
CHOL SOO LEE SEVERELY BURNED IN HOUSE FIRE
1176
01:09:07,521 --> 01:09:12,513
I had direct orders to do
the arson for this house.
1177
01:09:15,655 --> 01:09:17,930
What happened was that...
1178
01:09:18,074 --> 01:09:20,508
I slipped on the floor and
1179
01:09:20,660 --> 01:09:24,802
all the gasoline that was there
soaked all onto my clothes.
1180
01:09:25,957 --> 01:09:28,549
I don't know
what set the fire, but
1181
01:09:28,709 --> 01:09:32,570
I saw myself burning and
everything around me burning.
1182
01:09:32,797 --> 01:09:34,438
I was thinking to myself,
1183
01:09:34,548 --> 01:09:36,982
you got maybe
another 10, 15 seconds,
1184
01:09:37,134 --> 01:09:39,730
and I don't think
you're gonna make it after that.
1185
01:09:40,930 --> 01:09:44,751
I forced the door open,
and got myself out of there.
1186
01:09:44,976 --> 01:09:47,211
First thing I did,
I rolled over,
1187
01:09:47,353 --> 01:09:50,347
put out any fire
that may still be in me.
1188
01:09:55,736 --> 01:09:58,681
After that,
everything just went black.
1189
01:10:01,951 --> 01:10:06,942
During that first month or so,
there was nothing but pain.
1190
01:10:07,206 --> 01:10:09,640
A pain beyond endurance.
1191
01:10:09,792 --> 01:10:13,735
And I remember that
I had to scream out loud.
1192
01:10:14,338 --> 01:10:17,168
If there ever is hell,
1193
01:10:17,341 --> 01:10:19,696
then I know
what type of pain that
1194
01:10:19,844 --> 01:10:22,589
could be inflicted
upon a person.
1195
01:10:24,432 --> 01:10:27,027
Wish I had not survived.
1196
01:10:30,776 --> 01:10:33,943
FEDERAL PRISON
ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA
1197
01:10:39,488 --> 01:10:41,785
''My dear Chol Soo:''
1198
01:10:42,700 --> 01:10:46,956
''I want you to fill
this aching gap for me.''
1199
01:10:47,204 --> 01:10:52,095
''There's much confusion,
disappointment and suspicion''
1200
01:10:52,376 --> 01:10:55,920
''among those who
have supported our cause.''
1201
01:10:56,130 --> 01:11:00,822
''They want to know
what happened and why.''
1202
01:11:01,177 --> 01:11:04,126
''Those of us who have been
by your side''
1203
01:11:04,305 --> 01:11:06,800
''through all these years''
1204
01:11:07,016 --> 01:11:10,638
''are bound together
for better or worse,''
1205
01:11:10,853 --> 01:11:14,515
''if our fleeting existence
on earth''
1206
01:11:14,732 --> 01:11:17,528
''has any meaning at all.''
1207
01:11:19,292 --> 01:11:22,461
CHOL SOO AGREES TO TESTIFY AGAINST
THE GANG THAT HIRED HIM FOR THE ARSON.
1208
01:11:22,486 --> 01:11:26,578
THEN HE ENTERS FEDERAL WITNESS PROTECTION.
1209
01:11:32,750 --> 01:11:36,325
12 YEARS AFTER THE ARSON
1210
01:11:41,717 --> 01:11:43,130
How have you been living?
1211
01:11:43,219 --> 01:11:47,396
I worked as a janitor.
I worked as a car salesman.
1212
01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:48,766
How was it?
1213
01:11:48,849 --> 01:11:51,878
- That was pretty tough, I...
- Yeah, I know.
1214
01:11:52,061 --> 01:11:53,781
You are not a salesman type.
1215
01:11:53,896 --> 01:11:56,211
No, but I think
a lot of the sales people
1216
01:11:56,357 --> 01:11:58,395
got very scared of me, you know?
1217
01:11:58,526 --> 01:12:01,870
This guy is too
mean-looking now, you know?
1218
01:12:03,030 --> 01:12:05,781
Why can't they do something
with your face?
1219
01:12:05,950 --> 01:12:10,642
My doctor said they would do
a face transplant.
1220
01:12:10,913 --> 01:12:14,495
You know,
from a dead person's face?
1221
01:12:14,708 --> 01:12:15,756
I told them, no.
1222
01:12:15,835 --> 01:12:17,674
This is the face I got.
1223
01:12:17,795 --> 01:12:19,741
I die with it, I die with it.
1224
01:12:21,090 --> 01:12:23,048
When you run away
the first time,
1225
01:12:23,175 --> 01:12:25,649
what was the reason
why you run away?
1226
01:12:25,803 --> 01:12:27,365
It was my mother.
1227
01:12:27,471 --> 01:12:31,728
She beat me every time
she had a chance.
1228
01:12:31,976 --> 01:12:34,608
- Why?
- I don't know, I don't...
1229
01:12:34,770 --> 01:12:36,917
Ask Doris. She'd tell you.
1230
01:12:37,398 --> 01:12:39,245
She could tell you.
1231
01:12:42,444 --> 01:12:45,195
Chol Soo's mom talked about
her birth dream.
1232
01:12:45,364 --> 01:12:46,530
Birth dream?
1233
01:12:46,615 --> 01:12:50,317
During pregnancy,
a woman has a dream.
1234
01:12:50,536 --> 01:12:53,031
Chol Soo's mom said
1235
01:12:53,455 --> 01:12:56,602
in her dream,
a snake chased her.
1236
01:12:56,792 --> 01:13:01,884
She kept running away from it,
but it caught her and bit her.
1237
01:13:02,173 --> 01:13:06,508
It bit her, and even though
she chopped it up with a knife,
1238
01:13:06,760 --> 01:13:11,053
it wouldn't let her go.
1239
01:13:14,143 --> 01:13:18,954
She told me
Chol Soo's last name is Song.
1240
01:13:19,231 --> 01:13:22,675
- Song. His father.
- His father.
1241
01:13:23,527 --> 01:13:28,259
She said
she was raped by Mr. Song.
1242
01:13:28,532 --> 01:13:35,370
Because he was a child born
of rape, she really hated him.
1243
01:13:36,165 --> 01:13:38,797
Mrs. Lee, was Chol Soo
really a bad boy?
1244
01:13:38,959 --> 01:13:40,207
No...
1245
01:13:40,836 --> 01:13:42,832
He's a kind little boy.
1246
01:13:43,130 --> 01:13:45,176
- He's a kind boy?
- Yes.
1247
01:13:45,341 --> 01:13:46,547
Why did I come here?
1248
01:13:46,634 --> 01:13:48,275
First, I come here,
1249
01:13:48,385 --> 01:13:50,423
I like to give him
the best education
1250
01:13:50,554 --> 01:13:52,401
in the whole world...
1251
01:13:53,015 --> 01:13:57,657
Because I don't have any
education in my life, you know.
1252
01:13:58,062 --> 01:14:01,447
But some people saying things...
1253
01:14:01,649 --> 01:14:06,241
You cannot even write
what I heard sometime.
1254
01:14:06,779 --> 01:14:09,923
My sisters, brother.
1255
01:14:11,116 --> 01:14:12,916
So it hurt my insides.
1256
01:14:13,035 --> 01:14:15,825
That's why for my son
I want to give him education.
1257
01:14:15,996 --> 01:14:18,510
That's why I married
an American man.
1258
01:14:18,666 --> 01:14:20,823
That's why I bring him.
1259
01:14:20,960 --> 01:14:24,952
Then, pretty hard
for his life, my life.
1260
01:14:27,675 --> 01:14:30,420
When I was in prison,
1261
01:14:30,594 --> 01:14:32,869
when I was charged
with the death penalty,
1262
01:14:33,013 --> 01:14:34,511
the prison murder,
1263
01:14:34,598 --> 01:14:37,943
I wrote to my mom,
and she wrote back,
1264
01:14:38,644 --> 01:14:41,434
''You don't cause us
nothing but trouble.''
1265
01:14:41,605 --> 01:14:45,598
Then they don't want
to hear from me anymore.
1266
01:14:45,859 --> 01:14:48,412
- Gosh.
- Coming from my mother.
1267
01:14:48,570 --> 01:14:49,767
And...
1268
01:14:50,072 --> 01:14:53,066
That's when you came
into my life.
1269
01:14:53,659 --> 01:14:55,554
You, Peggy,
1270
01:14:55,661 --> 01:14:58,293
Ranko, David Kakishiba...
1271
01:14:58,455 --> 01:15:02,078
Like those are the real heroes.
1272
01:15:02,293 --> 01:15:04,410
Not me. You guys are.
1273
01:15:04,545 --> 01:15:06,583
Listen, you know,
listen, damnit!
1274
01:15:06,714 --> 01:15:08,126
Listen to me, young man.
1275
01:15:08,215 --> 01:15:13,107
Somebody up there gave you
a reason to live, goddamnit!
1276
01:15:27,151 --> 01:15:29,646
So when did you come back?
1277
01:15:29,820 --> 01:15:31,501
About two weeks ago.
1278
01:15:31,613 --> 01:15:34,127
I'm not in
the protection program no more.
1279
01:15:34,283 --> 01:15:36,122
So that means you're a free man?
1280
01:15:36,243 --> 01:15:37,491
Yes.
1281
01:15:42,416 --> 01:15:44,890
Getting older, I regret
1282
01:15:45,044 --> 01:15:50,806
so much of the pain that
I have put through other people.
1283
01:15:51,133 --> 01:15:54,627
I became a disappointment
and disgrace.
1284
01:15:59,808 --> 01:16:04,600
Chol, you've been really trying
to keep a low profile.
1285
01:16:04,980 --> 01:16:09,237
How has this fire accident
changed you, changed the way
1286
01:16:09,485 --> 01:16:12,553
you think about life, if at all?
1287
01:16:12,738 --> 01:16:15,483
You've been through so much.
1288
01:16:15,991 --> 01:16:17,439
I think...
1289
01:16:22,790 --> 01:16:26,055
If you examine my life
from date of my birth,
1290
01:16:26,251 --> 01:16:29,477
you're examining a person,
who's been in
1291
01:16:29,671 --> 01:16:31,947
enormous amount of pain
1292
01:16:32,091 --> 01:16:35,734
that he never asked for to be.
1293
01:16:36,512 --> 01:16:37,709
But...
1294
01:16:38,222 --> 01:16:41,091
through meeting people
like Mr. K.W. Lee
1295
01:16:41,266 --> 01:16:42,850
and through receiving support
1296
01:16:42,935 --> 01:16:45,880
from so many numerous
other people,
1297
01:16:46,063 --> 01:16:48,576
out of depths of the pain
of somebody else,
1298
01:16:48,732 --> 01:16:51,364
humanity, it grows,
1299
01:16:51,527 --> 01:16:53,684
and that humanity
is given to you,
1300
01:16:53,821 --> 01:16:56,413
pure and unconditionally.
1301
01:16:56,573 --> 01:17:00,077
You feel you owe
K.W. Lee your life?
1302
01:17:00,285 --> 01:17:05,017
I feel I owe him more than that.
Not just my life.
1303
01:17:05,290 --> 01:17:07,011
You reflect back on me,
1304
01:17:07,126 --> 01:17:10,154
you're not just
some guy off the street,
1305
01:17:10,337 --> 01:17:11,664
not just some prisoner,
1306
01:17:11,755 --> 01:17:14,237
but you're a Korean American,
an immigrant,
1307
01:17:14,383 --> 01:17:20,122
whose rights been so violated,
and that needs to be corrected.
1308
01:17:20,597 --> 01:17:24,695
I would give anything for
Mr. K.W. Lee, I think that...
1309
01:17:24,935 --> 01:17:27,979
Mr. K.W. has given me life.
1310
01:17:29,064 --> 01:17:33,482
And he has given me
a conscience.
1311
01:17:35,779 --> 01:17:41,660
And allowed me to have
humanity to give to others,
1312
01:17:41,994 --> 01:17:43,794
when they are in pain.
1313
01:17:50,878 --> 01:17:53,272
Chol, thank you so much.
1314
01:17:53,422 --> 01:17:54,619
Thank you.
1315
01:17:57,375 --> 01:17:59,237
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
FEBRUARY 22, 2006
1316
01:17:59,261 --> 01:18:01,893
Chol Soo Lee is
an ex-death row inmate.
1317
01:18:02,055 --> 01:18:04,806
This is his first public
speaking engagement
1318
01:18:04,975 --> 01:18:06,622
since his release from prison.
1319
01:18:12,799 --> 01:18:14,479
JUSTICE FOR CHOL SOO LEE
1320
01:18:20,991 --> 01:18:24,217
I feel very honored
to be invited here today,
1321
01:18:24,411 --> 01:18:29,352
among all of these
distinguished guests here.
1322
01:18:30,083 --> 01:18:32,161
I feel like
a bit of a grain of sand
1323
01:18:32,294 --> 01:18:35,139
just trying to mix into life.
1324
01:18:35,631 --> 01:18:38,625
Thank you very much
for your invitation.
1325
01:18:39,968 --> 01:18:44,145
I'd like to start with
something Mr. Gandhi said.
1326
01:18:44,389 --> 01:18:45,317
He said:
1327
01:18:45,390 --> 01:18:52,144
''Evil, injustice, hatred exist
only insofar as we support them.''
1328
01:18:52,523 --> 01:18:55,233
''They have no existence
of their own''
1329
01:18:55,400 --> 01:18:57,796
''without our cooperation.''
1330
01:18:59,988 --> 01:19:02,739
The first time he came,
he was very nervous
1331
01:19:02,908 --> 01:19:05,104
and he'd written out a speech.
1332
01:19:05,244 --> 01:19:07,558
It was very stiff and formal.
1333
01:19:07,704 --> 01:19:08,871
And he knew it.
1334
01:19:08,956 --> 01:19:11,231
And he just crumpled up
the paper and said, ''Fuck it,''
1335
01:19:11,375 --> 01:19:12,659
and threw it to the ground and
1336
01:19:12,751 --> 01:19:14,714
then just started speaking
from the heart.
1337
01:19:14,962 --> 01:19:16,246
The prison is evil.
1338
01:19:16,338 --> 01:19:21,862
It destroys every human dignity
and humanity has in a person.
1339
01:19:22,177 --> 01:19:23,675
It destroys you.
1340
01:19:23,762 --> 01:19:27,406
It destroys your spirit,
it destroys your mind.
1341
01:19:28,600 --> 01:19:32,644
And it has destroyed mine,
and I'm trying to rebuild it.
1342
01:19:33,855 --> 01:19:39,855
I want to live a life that
would enhance the life of others
1343
01:19:40,195 --> 01:19:43,224
as the defense committee and
supporters have done for me,
1344
01:19:43,407 --> 01:19:47,250
that are continuing
to still do for me today.
1345
01:19:47,619 --> 01:19:51,562
Maybe I get a little lost
in the shuffle sometimes.
1346
01:19:52,833 --> 01:19:56,526
But I'm not a hero.
I'm just a human being.
1347
01:19:57,296 --> 01:20:00,403
I'm so glad still you're alive!
1348
01:20:00,591 --> 01:20:02,708
Your appearance is different.
1349
01:20:02,843 --> 01:20:05,554
But you are more intelligent.
1350
01:20:05,721 --> 01:20:08,353
You are mature.
You are loving.
1351
01:20:08,515 --> 01:20:13,656
And he's talking about
taking care of other people.
1352
01:20:18,317 --> 01:20:21,027
Chol Soo saw me and he said,
1353
01:20:21,194 --> 01:20:25,886
''Mrs. Yoo, I'm doing so well.
Are you proud of me now?''
1354
01:20:26,825 --> 01:20:33,023
I think Chol Soo returned
from undiscovered country.
1355
01:20:33,373 --> 01:20:35,569
And he is with us.
1356
01:20:36,084 --> 01:20:39,379
And that is cause
of celebration.
1357
01:20:39,880 --> 01:20:41,335
Somebody up there,
1358
01:20:41,423 --> 01:20:45,640
those departed, the ghosts
of Chinese Americans,
1359
01:20:45,886 --> 01:20:51,177
Japanese, Filipinos and Koreans
who built this country...
1360
01:20:51,558 --> 01:20:54,151
I think
they are telling Chol Soo,
1361
01:20:54,311 --> 01:20:56,071
who was caged in San Quentin,
1362
01:20:56,188 --> 01:21:00,929
''Hey, Chol Soo, Chol Soo,
keep alive for us.''
1363
01:21:13,246 --> 01:21:15,492
I don't know
what was going on with him
1364
01:21:15,832 --> 01:21:20,366
in the last few months
before he died.
1365
01:21:20,629 --> 01:21:22,548
But I do know that he was
in a lot of pain.
1366
01:21:22,673 --> 01:21:24,269
I could tell by his voice.
1367
01:21:26,176 --> 01:21:28,491
The struggle to just
1368
01:21:28,637 --> 01:21:33,963
live and then the emotional
and mental hole that he had.
1369
01:21:34,267 --> 01:21:36,713
Yeah, I think he was
probably just getting tired.
1370
01:21:47,781 --> 01:21:50,726
He chose to die.
1371
01:21:51,493 --> 01:21:56,424
He was offered surgery
for his intestinal problems.
1372
01:21:56,707 --> 01:22:01,897
But he said,
''I am going to die.''
1373
01:22:06,717 --> 01:22:10,261
He endured so many years.
1374
01:22:10,512 --> 01:22:14,405
I think he just run out of gas.
1375
01:22:16,059 --> 01:22:18,555
When I look back,
1376
01:22:19,020 --> 01:22:24,069
he died a hundred deaths
in that goddamned living hell
1377
01:22:24,359 --> 01:22:27,454
called the California
prison system!
1378
01:22:30,323 --> 01:22:33,392
And even in freedom,
in the free world,
1379
01:22:33,577 --> 01:22:37,121
he suffered a thousand deaths!
1380
01:22:41,293 --> 01:22:46,144
Sixty-two years seems
too young to die.
1381
01:22:46,423 --> 01:22:51,614
But Chol Soo lived so many
lifetimes in those short years.
1382
01:22:52,971 --> 01:22:57,464
We benefited so much
from his hardship.
1383
01:22:57,893 --> 01:23:01,436
The horror of his case honed
1384
01:23:01,646 --> 01:23:05,490
our politics
and our consciousness.
1385
01:23:06,526 --> 01:23:09,356
His remarkable life
1386
01:23:09,529 --> 01:23:12,573
inspired our own.
1387
01:23:17,621 --> 01:23:21,521
I want the people to feel good
about what they did for me.
1388
01:23:21,750 --> 01:23:25,729
I want the people who have
helped me to be able to say,
1389
01:23:25,962 --> 01:23:28,958
''At least he has put
his life together.''
1390
01:23:29,132 --> 01:23:32,042
Hopefully I can come back
with my head high and
1391
01:23:32,219 --> 01:23:36,361
make them feel like,
''We did the right thing.''
1392
01:25:14,154 --> 01:25:18,396
Closed Captioning:
Mistral Artist-New York