Original subtitles

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Hey, what are you doing?

None of your business!

You remember me?

You were looking for Eddie. Yeah, and you're

the guy who led me down the primrose path.

This time you're going to talk.

That paper's five days old.

So who's going to notice?

That guy over there might.

Hi.

What the hell do you think you're doing

running like that?

I had to. My gun was used to shoot Joseph Chan.

The police would've thought I did it.

They still think you did it.

Yeah, but at least this way, I'm not in jail.

Now I know who stole the gun.

I know who shot

Mr. Chan and probably killed the mayor.

Is there a name?

Eddie Lomax.

He flew by charter plane to a little

hick town in Texas this morning.

How'd you find out? I went to his hotel.

I gave the desk clerk a twenty

to let me, uh, look at his phone bill.

Oh, good.

Now, maybe you better turn yourself in.

I'm going to Texas.

No, no, you're not.

I have to.

You're a fugitive.

Every policeman in this town is looking for you.

I need some cash.

Forget it! Oh, forget it.

I'm not helping you flee across state lines.

I'm not fleeing. Forget it!

I know what I'm doing.

I'll do it if I have to walk.

Given any thought to what you're going to do

when you find this fella?

Call you.

The police have probably questioned

everybody around here who has a view of Chan's house.

Oh, they think Paul O'Neill's their man.

They're not going to ask him any questions though.

Blow their case.

Well, I am.

Nobody's going to railroad him,

if I can help it.

He likes you, too.

I know.

I think he's got a crush on you.

I know.

How do you know?

I just know.

The way he looks at you?

Yeah. Yeah.

Hey, look.

Nobody knows what goes on in a neighborhood

better than somebody who never leaves it.

Mrs. Luzinsky.

Thank you so much.

You're such a dear. You're welcome.

This smells wonderful! Good.

Thank you.

Hello.

My name is Ben Matlock

and this is Michelle Thomas.

I wonder if we might ask you a few questions?

Why, certainly! Come on right in.

There we are. Just come right in there.

Oh, thank you.

Please, sit down.

Thank you. Okay.

My name is Sarah Luzinsky.

Good day.

Please, eat your dinner while it's hot.

Oh, thank you.

Are you a police officer too, dear?

Uh, no, no, I'm an attorney.

We're both attorneys.

You know that the man

across the street was murdered

last night? I know.

Terrible! A terrible thing!

And Mr. Chan, such a sweet man.

The yard look always so nice.

Of course, he had a gardener.

Nice-looking young man.

Very strong.

Very particular.

Pruning all the time.

Well, did you, uh, did you notice anything...

out of the ordinary last night?

You do... spend a... a good bit of time

in front of that window.

That's why you thought we were police officers.

You saw me go in Mr. Chan's house with them

last night, didn't you?

Yes.

What else did you see?

Maybe if I would have some time to think about it.

Mrs. Luzinsky, it's all right

to get involved.

But that's not what I'm afraid of.

If anybody, for one second...

thought you were in danger,

you'd be protected.

You mean people will stay with me?

Sarah, you tell us what you saw,

I guarantee people will stay with you,

talk with you, visit with you.

Well, first, I saw a kind of tall man

with long, brown hair, wearing cowboy boots.

He went into Mr. Chan's house.

Then, a little bit later,

another man I didn't know went in. Uh, this man

with the long, brown hair and cowboy boots,

did you get a good look at his face?

Yup.

Look.

See?

Oh...

Why, look at that!

He looks just like Lee Arthur Greenway.

Oh? I dated him once.

Oh, Lee Arthur?

Yes, when I was in high school. - Oh...

How's it going?

Oh, well, fine, Sergeant; thank you.

And this one looks like Floyd Dinkleman.

Floyd Dinkleman went to my high school, too.

He threw up a lot.

Oh... Oh, yeah, here.

Yes, sir?

What the hell is taking her so long?

Well, she doesn't get out much

and it's kind of fun for her to...

You kill me.

The only guy she saw running

from the scene of the crime was O'Neill,

and that's the guy I want to talk to.

There he is! Now, here!

Eddie Lomax.

Eddie Lomax.

That verifies Paul O'Neill's story.

And in any court of law, he's off the hook.

Thank you very much, Mrs. Luzinsky.

You're very welcome, Sergeant.

Well, well, if it weren't for Chris,

we could be done now. Yeah.

But let's see if Eddie Lomax has ever

had dealings with our other suspects.

That is, after we take Sarah here

for a sarsaparilla and hear a little more about

Lee Arthur Greenway.

Well, that will take a double vodka martini.

Oh, my...

Next time, we're sitting where I can smoke.

There won't be a next time.

Good Lord... What?

Oh, yeah.

Judge Franklin, Mr. Brennert.

Your secretary told me you'd be here.

I told her it was a matter of life or death.

But since I've got you

both here, this man's

name is Eddie Lomax... You recognize him?

Can't help you.

He ever work in one of your factories?

How would I know?

Ask my personnel manager.

Uh-huh.

How about you, Judge? Did he ever appear

before you? Not as far as I know.

Ah. Hey, we're trying to have

dinner here, do you mind?

Oh.

Oh... Janice, please come sit down.

Uh, Mr. Matlock was just leaving.

Well, perhaps you care to join us for a drink?

Oh, no thank you. I have to be going.

I'm sure you all have a lot to discuss,

so I'll just...

Well, what was he doing here?

Nothing for you to concern yourself with.

We, uh... we haven't

seen you since the funeral, Janice.

We were worried about you.

I'm holding up.

Janice, you know

we were Brian's good friends, and...

so if there's anything that we can do,

anything that you need...

Thank you. That's very sweet.

Actually, there is something you can do for me.

I don't know what the two of you have been up to,

but I'm pretty sure that it

cost my husband his life.

And Joseph Chan his.

I'm also pretty sure that if I took what I do know

to someone like Ben Matlock,

he just might be able to put it

all together.

So this is what you can do for me, gentlemen.

You can cut me in.

Mr. Reardon! Here he is!

If you're convicted,

do you think it'll lead to tighter laws?

How did you plan the murder? How do you feel

about spending the rest of your life in prison?

Have you sold your story to TV? Chris!

What do you think your chances are of parole?

Get away from me!

Are you crazy?!

Now, you come unglued out there

and you don't have a prayer.

I don't have a prayer anyway.

The whole world's got me tried,

convicted and sentenced.

You lose your temper with those people,

it's going to be in the newspaper,

it's going to be on television.

And you're going to make it real easy

for people to believe that you are

some kind of raving maniac

who could very well have shot the mayor.

Now, I'm going to tell you

something: if there's one thing I hate,

it's losing a case before I ever walk in the courtroom.

Now, that's going to be the longest

20 yards you ever walked.

But you got to walk it.

And you got to keep your cool.

You got that?!

Now, turn around and face

that mirror, and repeat after me.

Here he is!

No comments.

We'll have a statement later.

Excuse us, please.

Mr. Reardon, are you changing your plea?

Do you think you could kill somebody again?

Do you own many handguns?

Why'd you do it?

Who'd you vote for in the last election?

Do you plan to plead insanity?

One more question!

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Look what you just did, pinhead!

Now... Whoa!

Hit him!

Is that it? Is that it?

Sit down. Yes, sir.

That's right, I was Mayor Barelli's press aid.

It was my job to deal with the news media.

Not only did I organize

the press conference that morning,

but I was at Mayor Barelli's side

when he was shot.

You were standing there, yes, but did you actually

see the person who shot him, Miss Landis?

Yes.

As the mayor began his speech, I-I looked around.

You know, to gauge people's reactions.

I happened to look toward the mezzanine,

and I saw someone standing there

pointing a gun right at Brian.

A split second later, the man fired.

Is that man here in this courtroom today? Yes.

He's right there.

That's the man who killed Mayor Barelli!

That's a lie! No, Chris, please!

The defendant will refrain from making any comments.

This is nuts! Am I really supposed to sit here

while people lie about me? This is nuts!

Sit down immediately! Why the hell

don't you make her tell the truth?! Your Honor,

Order! if I might just have a word with my client?

It's a conspiracy! I will have order! Mr. Matlock...

You're all part of it! Sit down!

Control your client.

Are you or are you not going

to yield to the authority of this court,

and comport yourself properly

from here on out? No, I will not!

Yes, yes, yes! I will not! Stop!

I have no choice but

to deal with you the way I've always dealt

with people like you.

Bailiff!

Prosecution may continue.

Let the record show that Miss Landis

has identified the defendant as the man

she saw shoot Mayor Brian Barelli.

I have no further questions.

Defense wish to cross?

Yes, Your Honor.

Before I cross, I feel compelled to say that while His Honor

is within his rights,

in over 30 years of practice,

I have never seen anything to equal this.

Mr. Matlock, I've dealt with your client.

Don't force me to deal with you.

Of course, Your Honor.

Having made my statement that in 30 years I've never seen

anything to equal this

and knowing it's on the record, I will move on.

Mr. Matlock!

With the court's permission,

I would like to re-create some of the conditions

that existed in the rotunda that morning.

Theatrics, Mr. Matlock?

Theatrics?

Mr. Matlock...

Your Honor, I need to make a point here,

and I need these theatrics to make that point.

Proceed.

Uh, Miss Landis, uh, what's a press conference like?

It's very hectic.

Reporters running around all over the place,

cameras, microphones, cables.

Lights?

Oh, yes, you can't have TV and film coverage without lights.

Let me, let me explain what I've done here.

I've asked these gentlemen from the TV station

to come down and set up lights

the way they were at the rotunda that morning.

Now, uh, you were by the mayor

while he was making his speech,

so let's pretend he's making his speech, all right?

All right.

Now, the lights were on you as they are now...

Uh, well... Approximately.

You had about this much light on you.

Well, yes, I guess it was about this much.

Of course, uh... conditions are not exactly as they were

in the rotunda that morning.

The man you saw fire the shot was

much farther away from you than I am now.

And you had to look

above the lights rather than below them, is that right?

Uh, yes. Yes, that's right.

But you can still see me?

Yes.

Can you see me well enough to point to me?

Sure.

Give me a good strong point.

You didn't really get a good look

at the man who fired the shot, did you?

No.

You saw someone dressed like Chris Reardon.

And in your desire to see someone punished

for bringing Brian Barelli's life

to such a sudden and tragic end,

you rushed to a judgment, didn't you?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Hiya. Uh, my name's Paul O'Neill.

Listen, there's a guy in the bar over there

who's wanted for questioning

in a murder investigation in Illinois.

The hell you say? Who?

Eddie Lomax.

I find that kind of hard to believe.

Eddie, uh... I've known Eddie for years.

Catching his fair share of scraps but, uh, murder?

Are you a cop?

No.

You got a writ of extradition?

I thought you might call.

I'm afraid I can't do that.

Not on your word.

You can't just let him go free.

Until he breaks a law in my jurisdiction,

I sure as hell can.

Hi. Brenda, isn't it?

You know you almost got me fired the last time you were here,

did you know that, Mr. Matlock? Oh, I'm sorry,

but you must be doing something right, if you're still here.

Mr. Brennert is busy.

I just want to ask him a couple questions

about Judge Franklin.

Where the hell did he go?!

When I see him, I'll ask him.

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Howdy.

Hey.

You remember me?

What the hell are you doing here?

Well, I just wanted to thank you.

You know, for cracking my head open in that alley,

stealing my gun,

framing me for Chan's murder, shooting Mayor Barelli.

Actually, uh... I'm doing a poll of killers

and I thought I should start with you.

What did you call me?

A murderer. You should be sent to the chair.

That's gotta hurt.

I'm gonna rip your heart out.

Oh, it's about time.

Arrest this man... Assault and battery.

Hey, it was self-defense.

He hit me first.

Come on... who do you think hit whom?

Coming! I'm coming!

Mr. Montero?

Yeah.

Good morning. Here's your paper.

Interesting article

on page two about that warehouse that blew up a couple days ago.

Who are you?

My name's Ben Matlock. I'm a lawyer.

I went to see your boss

Jack Brennert the other day,

but he didn't want to see me, so he slipped out.

But my associate followed him.

And guess what?

What?

My associate saw him slip you an attaché case.

He figured there was some money in it...

A payoff or something, so he followed you.

He did what?

Yeah.

Followed you to that warehouse,

watched you put the attaché case down on a desk,

and then watched you leave.

And then you know what happened?

Damn thing blew up.

Big explosion.

Startled Tyler.

So what do you want?

I want you in court today.

Forget it.

Get your foot out of my door before I call the cops.

Please, call 'em.

I'll show them this subpoena...

They'll put your heinie in the back seat of that patrol car

and you'll be in court.

Ready?

Yeah.

Mr. Brennert, you have widespread real estate holdings

in Chicago, don't you?

That's true.

According to the official deed

recorded at the courthouse,

you have purchased ten... uh, industrial parcels

in the last six months, is that right?

Quite true.

Why all this rush to buy

West Side industrial properties?

Real estate speculation, Mr., Matlock.

By low, sell high. It's very simple.

You wouldn't by any chance be pressuring these businessmen

into selling would you?

I always offer a high market value.

Huh.

And this, uh, rash of fires

on the West Side recently,

you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

In business,

you take advantage of the breaks.

Or make your own.

Now, what is that, an accusation?

Your Honor, I have subpoenaed another witness

to testify this morning and I'd like him removed

from the courtroom at this time,

so that he won't be influenced by anything

Mr. Brennert may or may not say.

Very well.

Where is this witness? He's right back there.

Mr. Thomas Montero.

Bailiff.

Tom Montero works for you, doesn't he?

Yes.

He's an arsonist, isn't he?

Objection! Relevancy, no foundation.

He torches building so that you can go in

later and buy 'em up cheaply, doesn't he?

That's a lie.

Objection! Relevancy!

Mr. Matlock...

Your Honor, in a moment, I'll show relevancy.

Proceed.

Now, Mr. Brennert, the penalty for perjury

in this state is severe, so I'm going to give you a chance

to reconsider your testimony.

And I remind you

that Mr. Montero is just outside that door.

Now we'll get the truth out of you,

or we'll get it out of him.

Now did you or did you not provide him

with incendiary devices that he used to burn

one or more buildings on the West Side?

I did not.

And if he says I did, he's a liar.

Why did you want those properties so badly?

Just tell us.

Read my lips, will ya?

Real estate speculation.

Speculation.

That's when you buy property without knowing

whether its value will go up or down.

But you knew, didn't you?

And I know something, too.

You're not going to get away with this.

I'm gonna break your heart.

There was no real speculation, was there?

You had inside information

from Mayor Barelli.

Which properties on the West Side

would be condemned by the city

for the purpose of building

the new inner city expressway, didn't you?

Yes, it's true, but I didn't kill anybody.

One thing at a time.

You knew the route of the expressway?

Yes, I did.

And that's why

you were so anxious to get those properties,

because you knew the city would then have to buy them from you.

That's right.

And the mayor found out about what you were doing,

and that's when he accused you of betraying him,

and that's why he had to be killed.

I didn't kill anybody.

Stuart Franklin and Janice Barelli...

They were my partners.

Don't ask me who killed Brian, ask them.

Maybe I will.

Uh, a moment, Your Honor.

Eddie Lomax is now in the custody

of the Chicago police department.

Uh, Your Honor, may counsel approach the bench?

Mr. Price.

You must have really given them an earful, huh, Chris?

Your Honor, I'd like to request an adjournment

until tomorrow morning.

I need time to interview a new and possibly vital witness.

Who hired you to kill Joseph Chan?

I don't know what you're talking about.

The same person who hired you to kill Mayor Barelli?

I still don't know what you're talking about.

We can place you at Joseph Chan's murder.

Big deal.

A smart man

would make it easy on himself, Eddie.

This is boring.

And I'm missing dinner.

So, when you've got something...

you give me a call.

Guard.

Hello, Eddie.

Jimmy.

What's going on?

Nothing much.

You're the one killed Eddie Lomax?

It was self-defense.

Tell me what happened.

They put me in a cell with him.

Next thing I know, he's starting to swing at me.

So I duck... he keeps coming after me.

So, I, uh, I swing at him.

Only I connect.

Then I see he's got a shiv in his hand.

He comes at me.

I grab it.

He knocks me around.

We roll around the floor wrestling,

and, uh... the next thing I know, it's, uh,

sticking out of his chest.

He started it? You bet.

Did you know one another?

Never saw him before in my life.

Stand up.

Eddie's right hand was broken in two places.

His arm was in a sling.

But he started a fight with a total stranger

who was a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier than him,

is that it?

That's what happened.

There's nothing in here on Jimmy Dolan.

Mm. And so much for the clippings on Jack Brennert.

Eh, now what?

I don't know.

But I am starving.

You know, it's taken everything I have

not to make a pass at you.

I'll take that as a compliment.

Maybe you'll stick around after the case?

That could be tomorrow, if we don't find something.

Hey, look at this.

What is it?

Jimmy Dolan's rap sheet.

That's a lot of arrests.

37. There's no convictions.

Doesn't even look like he's ever been to trial.

Tell you anything?

Your Honor, before we begin and before the jury enters,

my client would like to make a brief personal statement.

Very well.

Bailiff?

I'm sorry I behaved so disrespectfully.

It's something I regret,

and it won't happen again.

Bailiff, remove the restraints,

and then bring in the jury.

I hope that wasn't just a speech

your attorneys had you memorize, Mr. Reardon.

If you disrupt these proceedings again,

I'll throw all of you in jail for contempt of court.

Yes, sir.

At this time, defense would like to call...

Judge Stuart Franklin to the stand.

I understand you and Mayor Barelli

were old friends.

His ghetto was across the alley from mine.

We grew up together.

Did you go to school together?

Uh, through high school,

and then he went on to college and I joined the police force.

And that gave you the opportunity

to go to night school and eventually earn a law degree.

That's correct.

You're a real bootstrapped man, Judge Franklin.

Voters like that.

It's no wonder that you were elected to the city council

by such a landslide.

And Brian Barelli was on the council with you, wasn't he?

Yes, he was.

Two old friends serving side by side.

Must've been quite a shock when he stabbed you in the back.

He did no such thing.

But, Judge Franklin, it's-it's common knowledge

that Brian Barelli convinced you

to take the judgeship which you now hold.

And with you out of the running,

the leaders of the political party at the time

turned to him as the candidate.

That's warmed-over, backroom gossip.

He destroyed your chances of ever being mayor of this city,

and you never forgave him, did you?

That is not true.

Oh, I know you said over and over again,

what old and dear friends you were.

And, uh, you didn't hesitate

to use that friendship, did you?

For inside information.

Information that could do two things:

make you a lot of money,

and maybe, somewhere down the line,

destroy the political career of your old friend.

What you've said is not true.

Do you deny...

that... you were a member of a plan

to buy up industrial West Side property?

The only property I own in this city

is my home. Judge Franklin,

as a jurist, you know full well you did not answer my question.

And you, sir, have not introduced any evidence

to prove I was a member of this conspiracy.

A simple yes or no will do.

Were you a member of a conspiracy

to purchase West Side property?

No, I was not. But you did know

of the plan the city had to build a new road.

Of course.

And you discussed the route with the mayor.

I may have; I don't recall.

I fail to see the point of all this, Your Honor.

Your Honor, I'll make the point right now.

Please do.

Immediately. Thanks. Mm-hmm.

Please tell the court what this is.

A check.

Made out in what amount?

$150,000.

Made out to whom?

Janice Barelli.

Made up by whom?

Me.

Yeah. Yeah.

Now, you may wonder what I'm doing with this check.

Well, I'll tell you.

Janice Barelli gave it to me...

right after she convinced you

that a three-way conspiracy

would be better than going to jail.

'Cause, you see, she was actually conspiring with me.

You remember that, uh, meeting you had

in that fancy restaurant?

If you don't, I'm sure she'll come up here on the stand

and remind you.

I remember it.

So... you do not deny...

you were a member of Mr. Brennert's scheme.

No.

Actually,

it was Joseph Chan's scheme, wasn't it?

He came to you first.

He needed you...

to help persuade the mayor the new expressway

should go through the industrial section

of the West Side, rather than

through the predominantly black residential section

on the South Side.

At least...

that's what you told Mrs. Barelli.

Yes, but none of this has anything whatsoever to do

with the matter before this court,

which is whether or not your client is guilty of murder.

I have to concur, Your Honor.

This line of questioning is irrational and distracting.

Uh, Your Honor, may I just take a different approach?

Proceed. Thank you.

Do you know a fella named Eddie Lomax?

Only through conversations I've had with you.

The police extradited him

from Texas to charge him with Joseph Chan's murder

and to question him about the mayor's murder.

And knowing how fast news travels around the courthouse,

I figured you had heard about it. Mr. Matlock,

I am too busy to listen to gossip.

All right, let's forget about Eddie Lomax

for the moment.

Do you know who Jimmy Dolan is?

I'm sorry, I've never heard of him.

Before you were a judge,

before you were on the city council,

before you were a public defender,

you were a what?

A police officer. A police officer.

And back when you were a police officer,

there was a young man named Jimmy Dolan...

who was arrested on crimes ranging from assault

to grand theft,

37 times, and never went to trial.

Never prosecuted.

Now do you remember?

No.

Well, let me read you...

what some of the arresting officers

had to say back then.

This one, uh, is by Detective Ted Withers.

May 17, 1974.

"Released Jimmy Dolan, dropped grand theft auto charge

at Stuart Franklin's request."

Detective Sergeant Arthur Weingarten, November 14,

1976.

"Surefire case against Jimmy Dolan dropped,

re: Sergeant Stuart Franklin."

Sergeant Stuart Franklin.

That was you, wasn't it?

Yes.

Jimmy Dolan was your snitch, wasn't he?

Yes.

He did favors for you, you did favors for him.

It was so long ago.

He recruited Eddie Lomax for you, didn't he?

No. Mayor Barelli was about

to expose you as the Judas you are,

not only for betraying him,

but for betraying members of the black community

who would have benefited

had that expressway been built through their district.

So you had Jimmy Dolan

hire someone to assassinate the mayor

and Joseph Chan, didn't he? No!

And that man was Eddie Lomax. None of this

is true! Once the police

got hold of Eddie Lomax,

you asked Jimmy Dolan to do one last favor for you,

didn't you? No.

You had him stab

Eddie Lomax to death in his cell.

That's right.

Eddie Lomax is dead... and he was killed...

by a man... who was hired... by this man.

Coincidence.

It's mere coincidence!

You have not proved one thing.

Maybe not.

And I don't really have to.

But I'm pretty sure I have demonstrated

that someone other

than my client had a damn good reason

to kill Mayor Barelli.

That someone hired... someone else...

to actually commit the crime,

so the first someone

might escape detection.

As far as my client's concerned,

it's called... "reasonable doubt."

And so far as proof, I met Jimmy Dolan.

Tall drink of water.

And I'm sure, when the good officers

of the Chicago police department talk with him for awhile,

he'll get a little shorter.

Nothing further.

We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

This court is adjourned.

Pretty good system, huh?

Better than I thought.

Thank you. Okay.

- Congratulations. - Hey, listen,

if you ever find yourself in this situation again,

don't yell at the judge.

See ya.

Dinner tonight?

Oh... I have to pack.

Oh.

I have a story to write.

Oh...

Well.

Well what?

I owe you title to my house.

Oh.

Well, that's okay.

It's probably somewhere I wouldn't want to live, anyway.