Why does Al Capone's lawyer plead guilty?
In The Untouchables, the Judge, knowing that all the juries were paid, finally decides to switch jury with another trial going in the near room.
Al Capone's lawer first objects this decision, but when he knows he can't object he instantly decides to plead guilty, without any consultation with Capone. Why would he prefer pleading guilty over a neutral jury?
You can watch the scene here.
Best Answer
Because the lawyer knew, just as well as Capone did, that he (Capone) was guilty as sin. There's no way they'd be able to win the case without having bought off the jury, so he immediately surrendered.
Of course, this immediate reversal was probably done mostly for the benefit of the film. In reality, the lawyer did not immediately change his plea, as shown in the film - although he did write a letter to the prosecution, expressing his willingness to settle after the juries were swapped. (The jury-swap trick totally happened IRL.)
You can read a summary of the historical trial proceedings here, if you're interested. (Scroll down to the section titled "The Trial" to skip the preamble.)
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