The charge was murder, but before deciding its judgment, the Army wanted to have a report from the French woman of the village, who was the victim. Roy was detained and restricted to wait in jail, but the villagers visited him three times every day. They brought Roy delicious food, meats, bread, and desserts. Often he could not eat it all and shared his bounty with the soldiers in charge of his care. The general issued orders requesting that the villagers bring no more wine to the jail. They reluctantly obliged but forwarded their bottles to the general instead.
Roy was despondent. He was responsible for taking a man's life. Horrible thoughts disrupted his sleep and his dreams frequently centered on Two-gun Smitty's hanging that Roy witnessed when he was younger. He would awaken sweating profusely and breathing hard every time he heard the executioner cry out the word pull. Grotesque images of Smitty's death tormented Roy. Several times the guards could hear Roy talking to a person named Stanley; which convinced them he was going crazy. Between this current situation and Roy's actions on the battlefield, the Army had enough evidence to declare him insane. He would not blame them if they did.
When the victim of the rape, Michelle Dubois, entered the hearing, Roy recognized the woman immediately. Every villager stood to their feet; the men removed their hats standing in silence gazing at the floor while she walked to her seat. The American's mimicked the French villagers standing and looking to the floor out of respect. Once she made herself comfortable, everyone in the room sat down and remained quiet.
Some man of importance stood and walked the length of the room giving a long dissertation. Periodically he would pause at which point the translator would announce the message in English. The same dialog continued for over an hour. Several times, Roy stared at Michelle. She, in turn, would notice, smile, and softly wave at Roy. Roy flushed beet red. The general observed this behavior, then leaned over to his assistant and requested him to make some notes. The general's actions made Roy more nervous.
After a one-hour break for lunch, proceedings continued until five in the evening. An elderly gentleman sat at a small table scribbling very fast each time someone spoke. By the end of the day, the gentleman looked exhausted and carried a ream of paper under his arms as he left for home. The meeting adjourned until the following day.
Details of the events leading up to the attack on Sergeant Fassbender and Roy's efforts to intervene were discussed in great detail. Although respectful toward Michelle Dubois, the villagers ensured the American's understood the immense displeasure they felt toward Sergeant Fassbender and his disgusting actions. When the third day of the testimony ended, just after lunch, the proceedings took a break. Slowly, the room emptied with the same solemn demeanor it began with on day one. Roy was worn out and his brain hurt from trying to sort through the constant translating of the French being spoken. Roy was convinced, nothing good, would come from the proceedings. After retiring to his cell, he was surprised by new visitors. Michelle Dubois and the translator appeared before Roy. His cell door was left open during their visit.