In 1981, at a courthouse in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania, eight Roman Catholic peace activists, known as the Plowshares 8, stand trial for vandalizing the General Electric (GE) Re-Entry Systems Division, Operational Manufacturing Center, in the nearby community of King of Prussia on the morning of 9 September 1980. The first witness, security guard Richard Moravec, testifies that Father Carl Kabat and Sister Anne Montgomery detained him at his desk and prevented him from summoning assistance as six other demonstrators entered the Nondestructive Test Room. The group used hammers to damage two aluminum nose cones, and poured blood on stacks of pamphlets and order forms. Moravec refers to the damaged products as “funnel-shaped” aluminum structures, but defendant John Schuchardt contends that the items in question are thermonuclear warheads, and Montgomery, along with fellow defendant Father Daniel Berrigan, ask Moravec if he was ever made aware of the products’ intended use. Judge Samuel W. Salus II dismisses the question, then calls Mr. Baumann, manager of shop operations, to the witness stand. Baumann also denies any detailed knowledge of the structures, prompting defendant Philip Berrigan to ask Baumann if he is familiar with GE’s Mark 12A nuclear warhead. Despite Baumann’s long tenure with the company, he answers no. The defendants continue their questions, undaunted by objections from Prosecutor Bruce Eckel, until Judge Salus declares all discussion of nuclear weapons to be irrelevant. When the judge refers to the demonstration as “a pathetic mistake,” Daniel moves to declare a mistrial, but Salus denies the motion. Away from the courthouse, the defendants, joined by other peace activists, burn copies of their indictments, along with a draft card and a few dollar bills, then impose the ashes in the shape of a cross on each other’s foreheads. Radical pacifist David Dellinger comments on the increasing threat of nuclear war in the 1980s, and expresses doubt that the Plowshares 8 will receive a fair trial. Back in the courtroom, Daniel Berrigan notes that the group was originally charged with trespassing and criminal mischief at the time of their arrest, but eleven more charges were added later that day. Officer J. A. Bolling, of the Upper Merion Police Department, claims that other authorities, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the additional charges. John counters with the assertion that violating prisoners’ rights is a common practice in the county, and accuses the judge of being complicit. Sometime after the trial, attorney Norman Townsend explains the legal brief he wrote for the Plowshares 8, which compares nuclear weapons to a metaphorical loaded gun threatening all Americans, and justifies damaging those weapons as an act of self-defense. Townsend contends that Judge Salus’s refusal to admit the brief demonstrates a perversion of the American legal system. In the courtroom, defendant Molly Rush reads a statement describing the defense’s strategy, starting with the justification for their actions, which includes testimony by expert witnesses. Both Prosecutor Eckel and Judge Salus object to the statements, arguing that the defendants are on trial, not nuclear weapons, and the witnesses are disallowed. The defense attorney indicates that the judge is reneging on his promise to allow justification as part of their strategy, and accuses him of prejudice. Judge Salus refutes the accusation and stands by his ruling. Outside, expert witnesses including former nuclear missile-designer Robert Aldrich, international law expert Richard Falk, Nobel Prize-winning biologist George Wald, and psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton, each give a synopsis of the testimony they had prepared for the trial, focusing on the nature of thermonuclear weapons and their devastating effects on humanity. Later, Daniel testifies on the witness stand about his religious convictions and his commitment to serving humanity, resulting in his career as a political activist. He has endured the degradation of being jailed several times, but is unable to refrain from speaking out against war and injustice. Prosecutor Eckel accuses Daniel of “obeying laws selectively,” but the priest replies, “I will break a human law if it is in violation of God’s law.” Next on the stand is defendant Elmer Maas, whose testimony includes the writings of Richard Falk. Judge Salus accuses Elmer of introducing witnesses “through the back door,” then questions the defendant’s intelligence, at which point Elmer leaves the stand and refuses to speak. Philip, Elmer, John, and Carl are arrested the following day at a demonstration in front of the GE plant, and are unable to attend the trial. Molly explains their absence and calls the judge “a legalized arm for genocide,” based on his consistent rulings against the Plowshares 8. Court is adjourned, and members of the gallery sing “Kumbaya” in support of the defendants. When the trial resumes, the Plowshares 8 protest their treatment by refusing to give any further testimony, and Judge Salus threatens them with a contempt charge. He then clears the courtroom after members of the gallery accuse him of prejudice. Juror John Pizza recalls the subsequent deliberation, saying that most jurors doubted the credibility of GE’s witnesses, and all were outraged that nuclear weapons were being manufactured in their community. However, the jury also included “hardliners” who believed the group should have been convicted on all thirteen charges. Back at the courthouse, the jury delivers its verdict, convicting the Plowshares 8 of burglary and criminal mischief. Afterward, attorney Ramsey Clark reviews the sentences, which include a minimum of eighteen months to a maximum of ten years in prison, plus probation, proving “how dangerous it is to seek peace in America.”