Public Defender "Loyalty"
30min | Crime, Drama | TV Series (1954– )
Bart Matthews defends the poor and others who cannot afford an attorney. All episodes are based on actual cases from across the country.
Creators: Mort R. Lewis, Sam Shayon
Stars: Reed Hadley, Herschel Graham, John Close
30min | Crime, Drama | TV Series (1954– )
Bart Matthews defends the poor and others who cannot afford an attorney. All episodes are based on actual cases from across the country.
Creators: Mort R. Lewis, Sam Shayon
Stars: Reed Hadley, Herschel Graham, John Close
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00A public defender is an attorney employed by the community and responsible for giving
00:20legal aid without cost to any person who seeks it and is financially unable to employ private
00:26counsel.
00:28It is his duty to defend those accused of crime until the issue is decided in the court
00:32of law.
00:34The first public defender's office in the United States was opened in January 1913.
00:40Over the years, other offices were opened, and today that handful has grown to a network,
00:46a network of lawyers cooperating to protect the rights of our clients.
00:52The work of a public defender often takes peculiar turns.
00:57This case is about a young, confused boy whose loyalties were leading him along a dangerous
01:02road.
01:08Raul Carr, 37A, had been instructed to proceed to the industrial section to investigate two
01:14suspicious characters who had been loitering around the warehouse.
01:18I'll cover this side and you take the other.
01:46Hold it!
01:48The other door.
01:49They travel in pairs.
01:50Come on.
02:07All right, freeze.
02:08Come on, you guys.
02:18One more wallop.
02:19You coming up?
02:20Come on.
02:29Come on, we gotta make a run for it.
02:31Come on.
02:32OK, chicken out of me now.
02:48Come on.
02:49Come on.
02:50Come on.
02:51Come on.
02:52Come on.
02:53Come on.
02:54Come on.
02:55Come on.
02:56Come on.
02:57Come on.
02:58Come on.
02:59Come on.
03:00Come on.
03:01Come on.
03:02Come on.
03:03Come on.
03:04Come on.
03:05Come on.
03:06Come on.
03:07Come on.
03:08Come on.
03:09Come on.
03:10Come on.
03:11Come on.
03:12Come on.
03:13Come on.
03:14Come on.
03:15Come on.
03:16Come on.
03:17Johnny!
03:18Come on, kid, hurry up!
03:20Come on!
03:25Bill.
03:26Now, uh, give me some cartridges and stuff
03:28to clean my gun.
03:29Yeah, but come on, do what I say!
03:35What you want, you feel?
03:36Suntory Chomp.
03:37Who told you Bill?
03:39Some dirty cop.
03:48What's the idea Bill?
03:53There's something that comes around here asking a lot of questions.
03:57I've been right here at home all evening.
03:59Just sitting here minding my own business.
04:02With my kid brother.
04:03Just chewing the fat.
04:04That's all.
04:05That's our story, see?
04:06I don't get it, Bill.
04:08Look.
04:10You seen me pick up my gun and start to clean it.
04:13Well, I didn't know it was loaded.
04:15All of a sudden off it went.
04:18That's how I got this little souvenir.
04:20Catch on now?
04:21Yeah.
04:22Yeah.
04:24Okay.
04:26How's about fixing up the arm, Doc?
04:28Sure.
04:36Ah, that Spike is a real load.
04:40He didn't even try to fight back.
04:42Just stood there shivering like a leaf and let the cops plug him.
04:45You're big time, Bill.
04:46Spike never was.
04:47You can say that again, kid.
04:50How'd the cops get on to you?
04:52I don't know.
04:54But this is what happened.
04:56Me and Spike were going into the warehouse, see?
04:58And these two cops come sneaking up in back of us.
05:01Their guns drawn.
05:03Ready to shoot us in the back in cold blood.
05:05Brave guys, huh?
05:07What else can you expect from a couple of cops?
05:09Yeah.
05:10Oh, they got Spike right off.
05:12But not me.
05:14I was too fast for them.
05:15I took them both on.
05:17Yeah, I got the first one, knocked him cold.
05:20The second one?
05:21Yeah, he's even colder.
05:23I got him with a slug of lead.
05:26Bill Carson.
05:28Bill Carson.
05:30Unlock your door.
05:32And come out with your hands up.
05:34It's the cops, Bill.
05:35What are we going to do?
05:36Just stay loose, kid.
05:38We'll beat this rap.
05:40Open up.
05:41Open up.
05:46All right, get him up and turn around.
05:47And if I don't?
05:48I'll drop you right where you stand.
05:49Get him up.
05:52Get going.
05:53Maybe I don't feel like going.
05:54Get moving.
05:55Bill didn't do a thing.
05:56This is a frame up.
05:57It is.
05:58What about that arm?
05:59He was right here with me, cleaning his gun.
06:00Yeah.
06:01That's where he died.
06:02Try the alibi out of that one.
06:06He was cleaning his gun.
06:07Look.
06:08Look, I'll show you.
06:09Look.
06:11As I took over the case, the arrest of Carson for the murder of police sergeant White was headline news.
06:17And Johnny was experiencing a thrill, seeing his brother's picture on every front page.
06:28Yeah?
06:29You Johnny Carson?
06:30Yeah, that's me.
06:31Who are you?
06:32Well, I'm Bart Matthews, the public defender.
06:36What's this public defender stuff?
06:38I'm your brother's lawyer.
06:40Oh, the mouthpiece.
06:41Come on in.
06:43Just throwing away some groceries.
06:44Pull up a chair.
06:45Cut yourself in.
06:48I thought maybe it was one of those newspaper guys.
06:50They've been coming around here all day.
06:53I guess if you're Bill's mouthpiece, you must be OK.
07:00Boy, wait till I get on that witness stand.
07:02I'm going to make a monkey out of the DA.
07:06Say, isn't this Spider Kelly?
07:08Yeah.
07:09Boy, he can really handle himself.
07:10Yeah, I'm a great fan of his.
07:12Yeah, so am I.
07:14He's a real champ.
07:16Tell me about yourself, Johnny.
07:18Did you go to school?
07:19School?
07:20Nah, not me.
07:21Why?
07:22Do you have a job?
07:23Well, me and Rick have left your plant in one scene.
07:26Small potatoes.
07:27No, I'm for the big time stuff.
07:28You know, even Bill says I'm good.
07:30He's a great guy.
07:32You don't find many like Bill.
07:34No, no, you sure don't.
07:36But he has a rough road ahead of him, Johnny.
07:38That's a pipe.
07:40Listen, Bill says my story's going to spring him.
07:42He was right here with me all evening.
07:44Yeah, so Bill's told me.
07:46But it's got to be your word against the police, son.
07:49Ah, don't worry about that, Matthews.
07:51We got to get Bill out of this, don't we?
07:53I'll do everything for him I can.
07:55Then we're in.
07:57Then we're in.
08:03I didn't share Johnny's optimism,
08:05nor did I get any encouragement
08:07when I talked to his brother Bill.
08:09So how did things stack up?
08:11I'll give it to you, Colville, not to encourage.
08:13When Sergeant Doyle gets on the stand,
08:15his testimony will be entirely different from Johnny's.
08:18Who's Doyle?
08:20The other police officer.
08:21He says he winged you.
08:23And I say I got shot when I was cleaning my gun.
08:24And then there's the ballistics report.
08:26The DA will try to prove
08:28that the slugs in White's body came from your gun.
08:30Let him try.
08:32Those ballistic experts ain't always right, you know.
08:34So if the kid tells his story straight,
08:37it looks to me like we got the jury hooked, don't we?
08:45I'd been thinking a lot about Johnny.
08:47Something drew me to him.
08:49Maybe it was that misplaced loyalty to his brother.
08:51So I asked Sergeant Doyle to come up and see me.
08:54I didn't know you so well, Bart.
08:56I'd think you were crazy.
08:59I was never more serious, Lou.
09:01If Johnny's loyalties can be diverted into healthy channels,
09:04he might become a pretty fair citizen.
09:06Look what you're asking me to do.
09:08Do we want this boy to become a carbon copy of his brother?
09:11Do you want me to have to defend him three years from now?
09:16Okay.
09:18When do I have to defend him?
09:20When do I meet this dead-end kid?
09:22I'll let you know.
09:24How's Mrs. White? Have you seen her since the funeral?
09:27That woman's made of real stuff, Bart.
09:30I'm taking a boy, Danny, down to the recreation center.
09:33Teaching him how to box.
09:35Help him keep his mind off things.
09:37You know, I'd like Johnny Carson to meet him.
09:39But Johnny must know that you wear a badge.
09:42You know, I wouldn't do this for anybody else, Bart.
09:45You're a real persuasive sort of a guy.
09:47I have to be.
09:49Or I wouldn't be worth a plug nickel as public defender.
09:52Thanks, Lou.
09:55And the trial's all set.
09:57Three weeks from Tuesday.
09:59That's soon, huh?
10:01Hey, listen.
10:03Why don't you shoot some questions at me?
10:05See, I ain't never been in court before.
10:07I don't want to get tripped up.
10:09Why should you, Johnny?
10:11Just get on the stand and tell the truth.
10:13Well, I'm due over at the recreation center to meet a friend.
10:16Spider Kelly comes over there once in a while.
10:17Yeah?
10:19Hey, uh...
10:21Uh, you mind if I tag along?
10:23Oh, come on.
10:31Tough luck, Johnny.
10:33I guess Spider Kelly didn't show up today.
10:36Hi, Bart. Be with you in just a second.
10:38That's the way to go, kids.
10:40Keep your guard up, Jerry.
10:42That's it. Come on now, Danny.
10:44That's the way to go, Danny. That's right.
10:45Keep your hands up, boys. That's it. Good one. Good one.
10:47That's the way. Keep your hands up, boys.
10:49Good. That's it.
10:51There you go.
10:53What do those two guys think they're doing?
10:55They call that fighting?
10:57Oh, they're just sparring.
10:59Don't they ever deliver a punch?
11:01Head lick both of them together.
11:03Want me to arrange it for you?
11:05Way to go, John. Come on, Danny.
11:08I'll take the guy in the fancy pants first.
11:10The locker room's right over here.
11:12That's the way. Nice.
11:13The guy in the fancy pants was Dan,
11:15the son of the dead policeman.
11:17And as I helped Johnny prepare for the fight,
11:19he was hostile to both Dan and Doyle.
11:21Hey, I think that referee's on the kid's side.
11:23He'll give fancy pants all the breaks.
11:25Oh, Doyle's a square shooter, Johnny.
11:27Well, if the match is on the level, like you say,
11:29then one good punch in fancy pants
11:31ought to be in his back.
11:33Hey, listen, why don't you sucker your friend
11:35into making a little side bet?
11:37You'll make yourself some quick dough.
11:39Ready, John?
11:41All right, center of the ring.
11:43Touch gloves and go.
11:48All right, let's go.
12:01One, two, three, four...
12:06It's okay, it's okay. I don't have to count.
12:08I just slipped.
12:10All right, let's go.
12:14Come on.
12:23All right, hold it, hold it, hold it.
12:25That's enough. That's enough.
12:27You were pretty good, Danny.
12:29I just happened to get in a couple of hard punches.
12:31I just didn't get going. I could have knocked you flat.
12:34You need a little more practice, John,
12:36before you'll be able to do that.
12:38Better get dressed, Johnny.
12:40Then we get something to eat. You like spaghetti?
12:41Boy, I eat it up.
12:43That's what it's for. Come on.
12:50Hey, what happened to your eye?
12:52Danny leave his calling card?
12:54No, no, just itches.
12:56You know, you pack a pretty good wallop,
12:58in that right-hand kid.
13:00A little shot in the nub, you know,
13:02you'd be pretty tough to beat.
13:04Why don't you drop around for a few pointers?
13:06You couldn't get a better coach.
13:08He was Golden Glove Jan for three years.
13:09I've got some fancy tricks,
13:11so maybe I can have another go at this guy?
13:13Gladly, John. When do we start?
13:15How about tomorrow?
13:19That defeat had deflated Johnny's ego.
13:22He was out to even the score.
13:24He trained diligently for the rematch,
13:27and I hoped to eventually get to the boy,
13:29through his pride.
13:31Doyle knew his stuff all right,
13:33and when he would compliment the kid,
13:35Johnny would swell up with pride.
13:37Even Johnny had to admit to himself
13:39that Doyle was a great guy.
13:41Of course, he didn't know that Doyle
13:43was a police officer.
13:45We were holding that out until the proper time.
13:47Finally, Doyle told Johnny
13:49he was ready for that rematch.
13:58That's the way.
14:00That's the way.
14:02Nice.
14:04That's the way to go, John.
14:06Come on, Danny.
14:08All right.
14:10That's the way, kid.
14:12That's the way.
14:14All right, time.
14:16Guess I'm going to have to call this one a draw.
14:18I think Johnny had the edge, sir.
14:20Where do you get that? We were both pretty good.
14:24We had left Dan in on our little plan at the beginning.
14:27Now, we enlisted his mother
14:29as a fellow conspirator on Johnny's birthday.
14:32Boy, you sure can cook, Mrs. White.
14:34This is the best meal I ever ate.
14:35Then I hope you'll come again, Johnny.
14:37I'll have to make it soon.
14:39Mom and I are moving to Meadville.
14:41What do you want to live in a hick town like that for?
14:43Because my family lives there.
14:45It'll be less lonesome.
14:47You see, Dan's father died just a short time ago.
14:52Oh, I, uh...
14:54I guess I put my foot in it.
14:56I thought your old man was out of town or something.
15:01Isn't it time for the big surprise, Dan?
15:03Can I bring it in?
15:05Hey, what's up?
15:07Oh, I'm not allowed to tell.
15:13Hey, a birthday cake.
15:15Uh-huh. For me?
15:17You must blow out all the candles and make a wish.
15:19I've got another surprise for you.
15:21A present.
15:23One of Spider Kelly's boxing gloves.
15:25And it's autographed.
15:27Oh, gee, thanks.
15:29I was just waiting till I showed this to the gang.
15:32To my friend, Sergeant White.
15:33Spider.
15:35Hey, how'd you get this?
15:37Sergeant White was my dad.
15:39A GI, huh?
15:41No, Johnny. He was a police sergeant.
15:46You mean your old man was a cop?
15:49He was killed in a hold-up.
15:51He was shot in the back.
15:53Didn't have a chance.
15:58I'll get it.
16:03Well, look who's here.
16:05Hello, Denny. I brought along a friend of mine.
16:07I hope there's plenty of cake.
16:09Hi, Dan. How's the old lad?
16:13Happy birthday, Johnny.
16:15I brought a present for you.
16:17I'm sorry you couldn't make it for dinner,
16:19but you're in time for some birthday cake.
16:21Brought you something, too, John.
16:23Give it.
16:27What is this, a frame-up?
16:34Well, Bart, looks like your little scheme backfired.
16:45Have you gone off your rocker, Johnny?
16:47You're letting this Matthews make a sap out of you.
16:49Can't you see what he's doing to you?
16:51He's playing up to you.
16:53To get you against me.
16:55You, my own kid brother.
16:57Why would he do that, Bill? He's your mouthpiece.
16:59Because there's double dealing going on.
17:00Look, this public defender stuff is just a decoy.
17:03He's not on our side.
17:05He's with the law.
17:07Look, kid, any guy that chums around with the cops,
17:10you can't trust him.
17:12Now, you can see that, can't you, kid?
17:14I'm all mixed up, Bill.
17:16I'll say you're mixed up.
17:18Look, who are you going to believe?
17:20The wife of a copper or me?
17:24Look, kid, Matthews is trying to get you to crack.
17:26He don't want you to tell your story.
17:28He'd like to see you stool on me.
17:31I'm no stoolie, Bill.
17:33All right.
17:35Then get wise to yourself.
17:37Tell this Mr. Public Defender
17:39to go take a run and jump in the lake for himself.
17:42Look, kid, you're my one hope.
17:47Look, if you sell your story to them,
17:50you'll get me out of here.
17:52You'll get me out of here.
17:53Or do you want me to burn?
17:55No, I don't, Bill.
17:57You know it.
17:59Okay.
18:01All right.
18:03Now you're talking like a real brother.
18:05Hello, Johnny.
18:07What do you want?
18:09I haven't seen you for almost a week.
18:11I guess you're right.
18:13It's getting pretty close to the trial.
18:15Yeah, I know.
18:17I know.
18:19I know.
18:21I know.
18:23I know.
18:25I know.
18:27I know.
18:29I know.
18:31I know.
18:32Yeah, I know.
18:34I'm going to see Bill this afternoon.
18:36Anything you want me to tell him?
18:38No.
18:40What's wrong, Johnny?
18:42Look, why don't you leave me alone?
18:44You must have been talking to your brother.
18:47Maybe.
18:50Look, Johnny, I don't know what's going through your head,
18:52but anything I've done, I've done to help you.
18:55Yeah.
18:57Look, I gotta help Bill.
18:59See, he's my brother.
19:00The courts are all on the side of the cops.
19:02They don't care if a couple of them were ready to shoot Bill in the back.
19:04You're pretty confused, Johnny.
19:06I was, but I ain't now.
19:08I'm going to tell my story in court,
19:10and you ain't going to make me crack.
19:12That was never my intention, Johnny.
19:14I was just hoping that you might find yourself
19:16before it was too late.
19:26Still determined to do something about Johnny,
19:28I took a long shot chance
19:30and laid the whole thing right in Bill's lap.
19:32You're wasting your breath, Matthews.
19:34Johnny's on my side.
19:36Sure, that's because you sold him
19:38a phony bill of goods about yourself.
19:40He thinks you're a big shot.
19:42I know your record, Bill.
19:44State reformatory, a series of cheap stick-ups.
19:46So?
19:48You've never done a decent thing in your life,
19:50but now's your chance.
19:52Why not give Johnny a break, put the cards on the table,
19:54and show him that the deck is marked?
19:56I don't go for that psalm singing,
19:58Bill, what have you got to lose?
20:00You made a mess out of your life,
20:02but you can make a man out of Johnny.
20:04Look, mister, I've done all right so far.
20:06Why don't you let Johnny decide that?
20:08Why don't you let Johnny see you for what you really are?
20:10That you've double-crossed your pals,
20:12and they've double-crossed you.
20:14And that deep down, you're such a coward
20:16that you never leave the house
20:18without looking over your shoulder.
20:20Shut up. And you get this, Matthews,
20:22Johnny's okay just exactly the way he is.
20:24And when I get out of here,
20:26him and me are going places together.
20:28Okay, Bill.
20:30If that's the way you want it.
20:32That's the way I want it.
20:34Anyway, what kind of a mouthpiece are you?
20:36You're not working for me.
20:38What is your real job?
20:40Assistant DA?
20:42Now, look, Bill,
20:44you'll be defended in every legitimate way.
20:46Your rights will be protected.
20:48But I didn't take my oath of office
20:50to see how many crooks and murderers
20:52I could get off the hook.
20:54Oh, that's a fine speech.
20:56But I don't buy any of it.
20:58I'm giving you the gate, see?
21:00I don't want no part of you.
21:02I'm going to be my own mouthpiece,
21:04so why don't you blow out of here?
21:06Come on, open up here. Let me out.
21:12Having decided to conduct his own defense,
21:14Bill Carson had relieved me of any responsibility.
21:17And I attended the trial as a spectator only.
21:22The state called a ballistics expert
21:24who identified six bullets,
21:25all fired from Bill's gun.
21:32Officer Doyle took the stand
21:34and described in detail
21:36the gunfight in the warehouse.
21:38He told the court how Bill,
21:40in a frenzy of fear,
21:42had fired three shots into the body of Sergeant White
21:44as he struggled to rise.
21:46The state rested its case.
21:52And the defense called its own defense,
21:53and the defense called its only witness.
22:08We watched Johnny's face
22:10as the oath was administered to him.
22:12Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
22:14the whole truth,
22:16and nothing but the truth?
22:18So help you God.
22:24I can't tell the court your name.
22:27Johnny Carson.
22:29Now, Johnny,
22:31on the night White was killed, where was you?
22:34I was at home.
22:36With you.
22:38Yeah, and what happened?
22:40Well, we just
22:42sat around chewing the fat,
22:44and then...
22:48and then...
22:50and then...
22:52And we were sitting around chewing the fat,
22:54and then...
22:56I ain't gonna lie, Bill.
22:58I gotta tell my story straight.
23:00I ain't gonna protect a coward.
23:02It's you that shelled, not the cop.
23:04She wasn't home that night.
23:06She was out on the job.
23:08Johnny, baby, you killed Dan's old man.
23:10He was a good guy, and you killed him.
23:12You killed him in cold blood.
23:14Johnny, you can't do this to me.
23:16Johnny, look, you're my brother.
23:18You can't...
23:19Johnny!
23:21Johnny, you gotta tell him.
23:23Johnny!
23:25Johnny, please!
23:27Johnny!
23:29Johnny!
23:31Johnny!
23:33Bill got the penalty prescribed by law.
23:35We had better luck with Johnny
23:37because we got to him in time.
23:39I spent last weekend at Meadville
23:41where Johnny is living with Mrs. White
23:43and Dan.
23:45Now, the case you have just seen
23:47was brought to a fair and just conclusion
23:49by a public defender.
23:51Tonight, Philip Morris salutes
23:53James C. Cooper, Indianapolis, Indiana,
23:57public defender for the state of Indiana
23:59and his staff
24:01for outstanding achievement in the cause of justice.
24:19© BF-WATCH TV 2021
24:49© BF-WATCH TV 2021