Question: It was revealed at the end what Rachel Weiss and John Cusack had planned all along, why did they ask Dustin Hoffman for 10 million? They never intended for him to lose, they were out to get Gene Hackman and the gun makers.
Gawdsmakk
11th Mar 2004
Runaway Jury (2003)
Answer: The short answer is because the viewers did not yet know their intentions so, from the viewers point of view, they should be asking both sides for money. Also, even though it was revealed much later they were on the side of the planting, it doesn't mean they were not greedy, and they would have taken money from either side or both sides.
Chosen answer: Hackman's team was closely monitoring what Hoffman was doing in regards to the tampering, as evidenced by their taping of his conversation with Weiss when he decides not to pay. Cusack and Weiss probably anticipated this so were forced to offer the deal to Hoffman to keep up the illusion.