Matlock (1986–1995): Season 4, Episode 9 - The Prisoner: Part 1 - full transcript
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Come on, move your
feet, move your feet!
You two over there.
Weakling fool.
Says who?
Says me.
Man your size should be
lifting more weight than that.
Chambers, you got a visitor.
In a minute.
Come on, Rudy.
Jam it!
I said you got a visitor.
Look, I told everybody
your buddy would make it.
He'll make it, no problem.
Okay.
Now, I've got a
friend, name of Lesser.
You keep an eye out for him.
Second level lockup secure!
Sweet dreams, baby cakes!
Sorry.
Let's go.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.
Let's go.
Forget it.
You're not going
without me, man.
We're not going with you.
If the warden doesn't
get here pretty soon,
there's going to
be a real problem.
Come on, take it easy! Sorry,
it doesn't even look s-sprained.
What's so important it
couldn't wait until morning?
Take a hike, Lenny.
You, too.
What I have to say could
shorten my life expectancy.
What do you want?
A transfer to
Greenwood Prison Camp.
What have you got?
Val Delaney, Billy
Costello, and Art Spring
are on their way
to the wood shop,
then out of your
institution right now.
Let's go.
Come on.
Ready?
Nobody move!
You heard him, Delaney!
Yell when you're through.
I know who snitched.
I, uh...
I don't know, I figured, you
know, if you're interested,
maybe we could
work something out.
What do you need?
Protection.
No problem.
It was Rudy Chambers.
I don't think so.
He wasn't hurt.
His ankle was fine.
Two minutes after he
gets into the infirmary,
the warden shows up.
Now, I couldn't hear
what they said, but
the next thing you know,
the warden runs out
and you guys get nailed.
I'm telling you...
it was Chambers.
Hey, Lenny, what's
the big hurry?
I'm busy.
That's not very nice,
Lenny, we have to talk.
I'm out of pills.
I'll get you some later, okay?
Hey, what's...
what's the problem?
You seem, uh, anxious.
I am.
Just leave me alone, all right?
Man, what did you...?
I'll kill you.
Get off him! Get off him!
Code seven,
infirmary, code seven,
code seven!
What'd you do to Rudy?!
Hey, man, he kill Rudy, man.
I didn't kill nobody.
Hey, hey, hey...
You can't kill him. They'll
send in the National Guard
and kill all of us.
Maybe we can use him to get
things changed around here.
He's right!
Think about it.
Get back, get out of here!
No! No!
No!
It's 6:22 a.m.
We go live now to Steve Morris.
The inmates have taken over
the prison, and are
holding 15 guards hostage.
Two pool reporters were allowed
inside the prison this morning
where they heard
the inmates' demands.
According to prison leaders,
the riot began after an inmate
was murdered by a guard.
Though a large part
of the population was
for executing the guard,
instead, the prisoners have
announced an unprecedented plan
to put him on trail for
murder inside the prison.
All names have been
withheld at this time,
and no further
information is available.
As soon as we get more
information, In a minute.
We'll pass it along to you.
At the state
prison in Atlanta...
Huh.
Oh, Pete, come on in.
You look awful.
Sit down. You want some coffee?
No, thanks.
I appreciate you seeing me
on such short notice, Ben.
Well, when the attorney general
of the state of Georgia
says he wants to
see me immediately,
you gotta figure something's up.
I've been up at the
prison negotiating,
trying to get the hostages out.
Yeah, I was
listening to that on TV.
Any luck?
Well, we might've had a minor
breakthrough this morning.
You've heard about this
trial the prisoners want?
A kangaroo court.
Well...
You think this
guard's got a chance?
I don't know.
The prisoners want to use
this to get their demands.
They know the media's watching,
they promise a fair trial,
and they want an
outside defense lawyer.
Oh. Oh.
Well, uh... call Sam White.
He's the best
around, just ask him.
Ben, they want you.
No, no.
No, no, no, no, no. They saw
your name in the
paper just last week.
You live here.
What's that got to
do with anything?
Ben, they're positive
the guard is guilty.
Well, what the hell can I do?
They know you'll try.
Oh, come on, Pete.
They're willing to trade
half the hostages
when you go in.
This was your idea, wasn't it?
The governor is getting
all kinds of pressure to
send in the National Guard
and retake the prison by force.
The best estimate is
that all the hostages
and 70 to 80 prisoners will die.
I need a way to buy time.
And you want me to be the clock.
Well...
No.
No.
The prisoners
will guarantee your safety.
Guarantee?
Some drunk or dopehead
blows somebody's head off,
but he says, "I
guarantee it won't kill ya."
Why do you think these
people are in prison?
♪ ♪
Matlock. MAN: Mr. Matlock...
Mr. Matlock, have you
had any discussions
with the attorney general? Sir?
Ah.
Well, gentlemen.
Ben Matlock, this is the
warden, Paul Branden.
Yes, sir. Matlock.
I really respect
what you're doing, sir.
Well...
Oh, that's just for your
own protection. Oh.
Uh, how are things
in there? Quiet.
They're waiting for you.
Do you think, uh,
John Jackson committed
this murder? No.
I mean, he's tough and very
often hard to get along with,
but he's not a killer.
There are others who had
good reason to
go after Chambers.
Yeah, Peter told me this
Chambers fella snitched.
On Art Spring, Billy
Costello and Val Delaney.
All sociopaths.
Art Spring is here for murder.
I'll need their files.
Ben, they're ready.
Mr. Matlock, good luck.
I hope you can make it work.
Oh... I'd like that, too.
What was it the fella said?
"A better thing
I've never done."
I think a dumber
thing I've never done.
Well...
Somebody will always be
here if you want anything.
And, Ben...
good luck.
Thanks.
He's coming.
Yeah, it's him.
All right, bring 'em in.
Get them out of here.
Come on.
Come on. Hurry.
There's the dude.
Mr. Matlock? Yeah.
I'm Steve Mazarowski.
This is Deacon Holmes. Hello.
Peter Garner said you boys
would make sure everything was...
all right. You have our word.
Okay. Right this way.
Hey, get lost!
You get lost, man!
What are you talkin' about?
Come on, man. Hey.
Not everybody here
wants to have this trial.
Some think we should just
strap Jackson into the chair,
and watch him fry.
Move it out the way, man.
It's gettin' crowded
around here.
Well, whose... Move
along, move along.
Whose bright
idea was this trial?
Mine. Hey, keep
back. Hey, Deacon.
See, if we kill that guard,
this prison goes all the
way back to the Dark Ages.
Come on, keep it
to yourself, man.
I'd like to see some
improvements around here.
I'd like to have some say-so
on how this place is run.
Estas loco, man. You heard
of, uh, jailhouse lawyers?
Jailhouse lawyers? What?
Why don't you go back in town.
I learned the law
after I came in here.
And, uh, I learned
it pretty good.
You're gonna prosecute?
With a vengeance.
And with everything I know.
Like my daddy used to say,
"I'm gonna whoop
your butt," Mr. Matlock.
What if I whoop yours?
You won't.
Right here.
You can go anyplace you want to,
talk to anybody you want to.
Call any witness I want?
Uh-huh.
And, uh, oh, yeah,
you stay here at night.
That wasn't part of the deal.
Well, it is now.
That was not part of the deal!
Well, look at it this way,
some of us here are taking
this trial very seriously.
We're gambling everything on it
to improve some of the
conditions in this sewer.
Uh, look, if anything
happens you don't like,
you talk to me.
I'm a hostage.
Harsh word.
You're a visitor who can't leave
unless I say so.
You'll be all right.
Nothing'll happen to you.
All right, all right.
Think of it as a-a...
an experience. Yeah.
Here's-here's my
part of the deal.
I'll stay,
but I've got to have
privacy once in a while.
I'll have clean clothes
sent in every day,
and you've got to
let anybody I need
in and out of this prison.
Okay.
I want to see my client
right now in private.
I want to see the hostages
to be sure they're okay.
I want Rudy Chambers'
body taken out of this prison,
and a full autopsy performed.
And all inmates informed
that they have to
answer my questions.
Anything else? Yeah.
If you know they're lying,
you've got to step
forward and say so,
otherwise this whole
thing means nothing.
Okay.
Anything else?
You're damn right.
I want a bodyguard.
Say hello to Tiny.
Hi.
Your client's right over here.
John Jackson, meet Ben Matlock.
Open it up,
Deacon.
Yell when you're ready to leave.
Tiny will let you out.
This trial is a joke.
It might be.
Well, let's get started.
Did, uh, did you have a
fight with Rudy Chambers?
No. Did you kill him?
What difference does it make?
Answer the question.
Did you kill him?
No! I didn't kill anybody.
Why were you in the infirmary?
Somebody hit me in the
head and they drug me in there.
Mmm.
Somebody went to a
lot of trouble. Yeah, right.
Somebody went to a
lot of trouble to frame me.
They got the perfect case
and they're gonna convict me.
Maybe.
They can convict
you in 15 minutes
or 15 days.
The longer it takes,
the better it is for you.
It's gonna take me
a month of Sunday's
to get any kind of
truth out of these birds.
They all lie and steal
and kill for a living.
You're gonna have to help me.
Okay.
Now, you knew
Rudy Chambers.
Did he do anything different
in the last two, three months?
No.
Maybe one thing...
He had visitors.
He never had them before.
Check the visitors log.
Oh, yeah.
And, um...
Val Delaney, Art
Spring, Billy Costello?
Did they have a beef with you?
No, not particularly.
Probably one of them
killed Rudy Chambers
and then framed you.
Hey, take it easy!
That hurt.
How'd it go with your client?
Went fine.
Did it ever occur to you to
seal off the scene of the crime?
All the evidence is destroyed.
We had a riot here, Mr. Matlock.
Lenny.
Ben Matlock,
this is Lenny Marcus.
Hi.
He's one of my eyewitnesses.
You got a minute?
Yeah.
Billy Ray and Paul
can handle this.
Come on.
You know, I wasn't the
only one who walked in
and saw John Jackson.
Who else was there?
Jerry Stone and
some bull I don't know.
Looked like Jerry hurt
his knee or something.
Well...
now...
you said you left the infirmary
for about 20 minutes that night.
Uh-huh.
Where did you go?
D block, death row.
I got a call.
They said someone got cut.
When I got there,
no one was hurt,
so I went to dinner.
I hear Rudy
Chambers was a snitch.
You got that right.
How'd you know?
I was the one who
taped his ankle
the night of the break.
He wasn't hurt, and I saw
him talking to the warden.
I mean, it doesn't take a genius
to figure out what he was doing.
You tell that to anybody else?
What, now you're
asking me to snitch?
You're a witness.
Either you tell me the truth,
or you tell it in the courtroom
in front of all of your friends.
Look, Mr. Matlock,
I come up for
parole in six months.
If you could put in a
good word, you know?
Let 'em know that I helped?
I could do that.
I told Val Delaney.
I want to go see the hostages.
Okay, let's go.
You don't talk much, do you?
Uh-uh.
That's good.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Who the hell is that?
Chet Webber.
Chet Webber?!
You know him?
I put him away!
All right, that's it.
I want to see Steve right now.
Come on, let's go.
Yeah, bring it on
over there, will you?
Put two in this corner.
All right, that's it.
I'm going home. No.
You can't have
a fair trial in here.
Every single one of these
people wants John Jackson dead.
I can't even conduct
an investigation.
I was just jumped!
Tiny's not doing his job?
If it weren't for Tiny,
I'd probably be dead.
- I'm going home.
- Not going home
until this thing is over.
Here. The warden
wanted you to have these.
Where do you want me to go?
Just over here.
All right.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Hi. Can we sit down?
Ben Matlock, this
is Val Delaney.
I'm Billy C.
I guess this means
we're suspects, huh?
That's the theory.
We are not violent men.
I rob banks, Mr. Matlock.
You haven't robbed
a bank in ten years.
Your specialty now is
breaking out of prison.
Five attempts, three successes.
After planning a
break for six months,
don't you get a
little aggravated
when one of the fellows
you're breaking out
with turns you in?
Aggravated doesn't cover it.
How do you feel about Rudy?
Rudy?
He got what he deserved.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, hey. Hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
You don't like it?
No.
What is it?
Lunch.
Food stinks.
We want better.
You have my support.
Let's get back to what
we were talking about.
Ben, let me give
you a word of advice.
You're barking
up the wrong tree.
Well, I don't know.
It says here
that you were convicted
of three counts of armed
robbery, Mr. Costello.
Two counts of felony assault
for pistol whipping
security guards.
Now, some people
might call that, uh, violent.
I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.
Let me ask you two
gentlemen a question
you've probably answered
many times before.
Start with you, Mr. Delaney.
Where were you at
the time of the murder?
Dinner.
Anybody see you?
About 400, 500 people.
Mr. Costello?
I never miss a meal.
So, you each have 400
or 500 convicted felons
that will corroborate
your alibi?
Ah.
You got a visitor, man.
Ben?
Yeah, yeah.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
So, how is it in there, huh?
I got to tell you the truth...
I'd rather be someplace else.
I'm starving, and
the food here is...
Oh.
Listen, I mean, I'm...
What...?
Oh, oh!
Thanks. Daggone.
How you feel?
You look great. Thanks.
You know anything?
Some. Hmm.
You? Well, Lenny Marcus,
the orderly?
He said that Rudy...
faked an injury.
Now, why would somebody
escaping from prison
fake an injury?
I got that one.
The warden apologizes.
He said things were happening
so fast when he came in.
He made a deal.
Rudy Chambers
wanted to be transferred
to Greenwood Prison Camp,
so he thought he'd
feel safe in the infirmary
till his papers
came through. Yeah.
That didn't work out, did it?
So you got a look
at the visitor log?
Yeah.
Okay, Rudy
Chambers had two visits
in four years.
Both of them last month.
Guy named Ed Harper.
No record.
But the police
intelligence has him on file.
Say he runs with a
pretty rough crowd,
so I'll keep an eye on him.
Yeah.
Would you spend
the afternoon with me?
I'll fill you in on what I
know about the case.
Inside? Yeah.
You can get out.
You can't get out.
No, I know, but you can.
Will you?
Yeah.
Yeah. I've got to
go see the, uh...
the, uh, prosecutor
for a few minutes.
I'll meet you back here.
Whoa. Why the
hell did you do this?
Conrad, it's just
one of those deals.
I'm damned if I do, and
I'm damned if I don't.
Tiny, you go with him.
I'll be okay.
Can you take me
to see Art Spring?
Mr. Spring, how you doing?
I'm Conrad McMasters.
I'm working for Ben Matlock.
I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.
Somebody beat me to it.
But you would have?
Oh, yeah.
The creep needed to be dead.
Wish I could take the bounce,
but wasn't at the right
place at the right time.
Mind telling me the place
you were at that right time?
Playing bridge.
Don't be funny.
What's your problem?
I was watching the Braves
play the Mets in the TV room.
What's that about?
Something to do.
Relax, man.
Who the hell are you?
Uh...
What, another lawyer?
Almost.
Uh, why were those
guys yelling at you?
It's just my cellmate.
Cellmate.
Well, why were
they beating him up?
How should I know, man?
Would it have something to
do with Rudy Chambers' death?
Look, I-I got to get to
the infirmary, all right?
It's okay.
That's okay. Let him go.
Tell you anything?
No.
Well, we better go to D block.
D block's empty.
They over there.
Hi. Ben Matlock.
Glad to know you.
Donnie Osmond.
Hi.
Oh, Georgia v. Sherwood.
Interesting case.
Working on an appeal?
Pretty complicated
stuff in there.
Maybe some time
I could help you.
Ben Matlock.
I want to know
if you saw Lenny Marcus
the night Rudy
Chambers was killed.
He said he was in cell block D.
Writing a motion
is very difficult.
You'd help?
Yup.
Oh, come on, man.
Hey, man, what's happening?
If Lenny came to
D block that night,
I would have seen him.
I didn't see him.
You see that old guy over there?
Uh-huh.
The one coughing?
He can barely walk.
He's got emphysema so
bad. That's Charlie Hauk.
Best safecracker south
of the Mason-Dixon.
Taught Rudy Chambers
everything he knew.
Yeah? CONRAD: Think
I'm gonna have a conversation
with Mr. Hauk about Rudy.
Well, it's getting pretty late.
You better go.
Yeah, I was...
I was thinking I'd
spend the night.
Oh, Conrad, you
don't have to do that.
No, I know, I know.
It's all right?
Well...
Well, I...
All right.
All right, I'll... I'll, uh...
I'll get us some blankets.
All right.
Yeah, Tiny-Tiny
will watch-watch...
Hey, Tiny?
Right down here, man.
Second cell.
Hi.
Conrad McMasters.
Yeah?
Where's Lenny?
Lenny doesn't live here anymore.
What happened?
Lenny got himself some muscle.
Those guys who were hassling
you in the yard yesterday?
Uh-huh.
How long did you and
Lenny live together?
Four years.
So, why are those
guys helping him now?
What changed?
Lenny deals drugs.
Around here, that
makes a difference.
Uh-uh.
Them guys don't do drugs.
What do I know?
This court is in session.
Mr. Mazarowski,
are you ready to question
the prospective jurors?
I am, Your Honor.
Order!
Order!
Now, we're here to judge
whether John Jackson
murdered Rudy Chambers.
Now, we're doing this
because we believe,
if Mr. Jackson were
tried on the outside,
the powers that be
would insure that he walk.
But...
but...
if we are to be viewed
as a serious alternative,
we must do this in an
honest and orderly fashion.
Order!
Order!
Order!
Even if it means
clearing this whole damn room.
Uh, Your Honor,
uh, could counsel
approach the bench?
Come on.
Did you say, "Mother, may I?"
Uh...
um...
Your Honor, uh,
excuse me for asking,
but, uh, what are
your qualifications
for running this court?
I used to be a lawyer.
He killed one of his clients.
You satisfied now?
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you don't
mind, now we'll begin.
Mr. Davis, are you aware of
the murder of Rudy Chambers,
or have you discussed his
death with anyone here in prison?
Of course.
Have you formed an opinion
on the guilt or innocence
of the defendant?
No, I haven't.
Do you honestly believe
that you could put
aside all personal opinion
and judge John Jackson strictly
on the basis of the facts
presented in this court?
Absolutely. Thank you.
Mr. Matlock.
Mr. Davis, do you believe
that you could
judge John Jackson
solely on the basis of fact,
in spite of the
fact that he put you
in solitary confinement
three times?
He was only doing his job.
Challenge for cause.
I'll take it under submission.
How do you feel about
the guards in this prison?
I hate their guts.
Challenge for cause.
I'll take it under submission.
What were you convicted of?
Murder.
I figure this will
be a true jury
of peers.
One murderer judging another.
Challenge for cause.
Under submission.
Your Honor!
Mr. Matlock, somehow, someway,
we're going to have
to settle on a jury.
Now, is there any
reason to believe
we can improve on this
group we have here now?
No reason
whatsoever, Your Honor.
So far as I can tell, every man
in this institution
wants to convict my client.
View it as a
challenge, Mr. Matlock.
Current panel will stand.
I object.
So noted.
This court is in
recess till after lunch.
All right, let's eat!
May I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see my client.
Your name, please.
Uh, Ron Wallace.
I'm Rudy Chambers'
attorney. Hmm.
Your name isn't on the list.
That's odd.
I called. Only visitors
that make arrangements
before are allowed in.
I told you... I called.
Look, I don't want to
cause any problems.
Uh, my client was supposed to
be transferred in here last week.
If you just let me
know that he's here,
I'll spend the night and
come back in the morning.
I'm sorry.
I can't release
that information.
Hey, I just drove
four hours to get...
I can't release
that information.
Well, just before dinner,
I got a call from D Block.
They said someone had gotten cut
and that I should go up.
Did you recognize the
voice on the phone?
It sounded like John Jackson.
But you're not sure?
No, I'm not.
Then, what happened?
Well, when I got to D Block,
it turned out it
was a false alarm.
No one was hurt.
So, I went to dinner, and...
when I was finished eating, I
got a meal for Rudy Chambers,
and I headed back.
Did you see anybody
along the way? Yeah.
Uh, some guard was
bringing Jerry Stone
to the infirmary.
It looked like Jerry
had twisted his knee.
So, the three of you went
back to the infirmary together?
That's right.
And what did you see?
First, I saw Rudy
Chambers on his bed.
He was covered with
blood, and John Jackson
was standing over him,
and it looked like they
had been in a horrible fight.
Was anybody else there?
No.
Nothing further.
Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir.
Uh...
it must be...
difficult staying here.
Small person like yourself.
Do, uh, people pick on you?
Yeah.
Did your cellmate,
uh, Dick Henderson
pick on you, beat you up?
Yeah.
What did he want?
Drugs.
He... he wanted
me to steal drugs
for him from the infirmary.
Uh, you don't share
a cell with, uh, Dick
Henderson anymore, do you?
No, I... I don't.
Someone stronger and
more powerful than Dick
must have taken
care of that for you.
Some friends took
care of it, yeah.
You know, since I've stayed
here the last couple of days, I...
I can't help but notice
you got a lot of new friends.
People who, uh, protect you.
People who beat
up Dick Henderson,
tell him to leave you alone.
They must be the
ones who arranged
for your new cell, weren't they?
But why now?
What have you
done or agreed to do
for these new friends?
Nothing.
Did you lie?
Are you protecting a killer?
No.
No?
Now, you've testified...
that you went to D Block
on the night of the murder.
Yes.
Why didn't anybody see you?
I don't... How do I know?
You were told to go to
D Block, weren't you?
You were told to say you got
a phone call to go to D Block,
because some
people wanted you out
of that infirmary so that they
could kill Rudy Chambers
and set up this whole thing.
And then, those people
became your new best friends.
Isn't that the deal, Lenny?
No... no way.
Protection from Dick Henderson
in return for looking
the other way.
No, that's a lie.
Only you didn't go
to D Block, did you?
Did you stay around,
watch a while?
Who's paying you off?
Your Honor, instruct the
witness to answer the question.
Lenny, answer the man.
Get lost.
Who killed Rudy Chambers?
I'm warning you, Lenny.
Why, what are you going to do?
You going to cite
me for contempt?
What, you going
to throw me in jail?
Your Honor, may we
approach the witness?
Come on.
Look, you can't
protect me on this.
They'll wait.
They'll wait till
my guard is down
and you're tired of
watching, and they'll get me.
And I'm not going to
die for John Jackson
or for your stupid trial.
Answer the question.
Forget it.
I'm alive.
I'm going to stay alive.
Your Honor, defense would like
to request a brief recess.
How long?
Half hour, tops.
This court is
adjourned till 1:25.
I need to speak with the warden.
Yeah.
I believe we're making progress.
I think that Lenny Marcus
knows who killed Rudy Chambers.
I had him on the stand,
but he wouldn't talk.
Afraid, if he does,
he'll get killed.
He told me the other day
that he's coming up for parole.
He asked me if I
could say a good word.
I believe, if you'll give
him an early parole
and put him somewhere
now that's safe,
we can wrap this thing up
and you can get
your prison back.
Hurry.
Now, where's Lenny?
Courtroom. Come on.
Wait here.
He's up in his cell.
I've got a feeling.
Too late.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Come on, move your
feet, move your feet!
You two over there.
Weakling fool.
Says who?
Says me.
Man your size should be
lifting more weight than that.
Chambers, you got a visitor.
In a minute.
Come on, Rudy.
Jam it!
I said you got a visitor.
Look, I told everybody
your buddy would make it.
He'll make it, no problem.
Okay.
Now, I've got a
friend, name of Lesser.
You keep an eye out for him.
Second level lockup secure!
Sweet dreams, baby cakes!
Sorry.
Let's go.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.
Let's go.
Forget it.
You're not going
without me, man.
We're not going with you.
If the warden doesn't
get here pretty soon,
there's going to
be a real problem.
Come on, take it easy! Sorry,
it doesn't even look s-sprained.
What's so important it
couldn't wait until morning?
Take a hike, Lenny.
You, too.
What I have to say could
shorten my life expectancy.
What do you want?
A transfer to
Greenwood Prison Camp.
What have you got?
Val Delaney, Billy
Costello, and Art Spring
are on their way
to the wood shop,
then out of your
institution right now.
Let's go.
Come on.
Ready?
Nobody move!
You heard him, Delaney!
Yell when you're through.
I know who snitched.
I, uh...
I don't know, I figured, you
know, if you're interested,
maybe we could
work something out.
What do you need?
Protection.
No problem.
It was Rudy Chambers.
I don't think so.
He wasn't hurt.
His ankle was fine.
Two minutes after he
gets into the infirmary,
the warden shows up.
Now, I couldn't hear
what they said, but
the next thing you know,
the warden runs out
and you guys get nailed.
I'm telling you...
it was Chambers.
Hey, Lenny, what's
the big hurry?
I'm busy.
That's not very nice,
Lenny, we have to talk.
I'm out of pills.
I'll get you some later, okay?
Hey, what's...
what's the problem?
You seem, uh, anxious.
I am.
Just leave me alone, all right?
Man, what did you...?
I'll kill you.
Get off him! Get off him!
Code seven,
infirmary, code seven,
code seven!
What'd you do to Rudy?!
Hey, man, he kill Rudy, man.
I didn't kill nobody.
Hey, hey, hey...
You can't kill him. They'll
send in the National Guard
and kill all of us.
Maybe we can use him to get
things changed around here.
He's right!
Think about it.
Get back, get out of here!
No! No!
No!
It's 6:22 a.m.
We go live now to Steve Morris.
The inmates have taken over
the prison, and are
holding 15 guards hostage.
Two pool reporters were allowed
inside the prison this morning
where they heard
the inmates' demands.
According to prison leaders,
the riot began after an inmate
was murdered by a guard.
Though a large part
of the population was
for executing the guard,
instead, the prisoners have
announced an unprecedented plan
to put him on trail for
murder inside the prison.
All names have been
withheld at this time,
and no further
information is available.
As soon as we get more
information, In a minute.
We'll pass it along to you.
At the state
prison in Atlanta...
Huh.
Oh, Pete, come on in.
You look awful.
Sit down. You want some coffee?
No, thanks.
I appreciate you seeing me
on such short notice, Ben.
Well, when the attorney general
of the state of Georgia
says he wants to
see me immediately,
you gotta figure something's up.
I've been up at the
prison negotiating,
trying to get the hostages out.
Yeah, I was
listening to that on TV.
Any luck?
Well, we might've had a minor
breakthrough this morning.
You've heard about this
trial the prisoners want?
A kangaroo court.
Well...
You think this
guard's got a chance?
I don't know.
The prisoners want to use
this to get their demands.
They know the media's watching,
they promise a fair trial,
and they want an
outside defense lawyer.
Oh. Oh.
Well, uh... call Sam White.
He's the best
around, just ask him.
Ben, they want you.
No, no.
No, no, no, no, no. They saw
your name in the
paper just last week.
You live here.
What's that got to
do with anything?
Ben, they're positive
the guard is guilty.
Well, what the hell can I do?
They know you'll try.
Oh, come on, Pete.
They're willing to trade
half the hostages
when you go in.
This was your idea, wasn't it?
The governor is getting
all kinds of pressure to
send in the National Guard
and retake the prison by force.
The best estimate is
that all the hostages
and 70 to 80 prisoners will die.
I need a way to buy time.
And you want me to be the clock.
Well...
No.
No.
The prisoners
will guarantee your safety.
Guarantee?
Some drunk or dopehead
blows somebody's head off,
but he says, "I
guarantee it won't kill ya."
Why do you think these
people are in prison?
♪ ♪
Matlock. MAN: Mr. Matlock...
Mr. Matlock, have you
had any discussions
with the attorney general? Sir?
Ah.
Well, gentlemen.
Ben Matlock, this is the
warden, Paul Branden.
Yes, sir. Matlock.
I really respect
what you're doing, sir.
Well...
Oh, that's just for your
own protection. Oh.
Uh, how are things
in there? Quiet.
They're waiting for you.
Do you think, uh,
John Jackson committed
this murder? No.
I mean, he's tough and very
often hard to get along with,
but he's not a killer.
There are others who had
good reason to
go after Chambers.
Yeah, Peter told me this
Chambers fella snitched.
On Art Spring, Billy
Costello and Val Delaney.
All sociopaths.
Art Spring is here for murder.
I'll need their files.
Ben, they're ready.
Mr. Matlock, good luck.
I hope you can make it work.
Oh... I'd like that, too.
What was it the fella said?
"A better thing
I've never done."
I think a dumber
thing I've never done.
Well...
Somebody will always be
here if you want anything.
And, Ben...
good luck.
Thanks.
He's coming.
Yeah, it's him.
All right, bring 'em in.
Get them out of here.
Come on.
Come on. Hurry.
There's the dude.
Mr. Matlock? Yeah.
I'm Steve Mazarowski.
This is Deacon Holmes. Hello.
Peter Garner said you boys
would make sure everything was...
all right. You have our word.
Okay. Right this way.
Hey, get lost!
You get lost, man!
What are you talkin' about?
Come on, man. Hey.
Not everybody here
wants to have this trial.
Some think we should just
strap Jackson into the chair,
and watch him fry.
Move it out the way, man.
It's gettin' crowded
around here.
Well, whose... Move
along, move along.
Whose bright
idea was this trial?
Mine. Hey, keep
back. Hey, Deacon.
See, if we kill that guard,
this prison goes all the
way back to the Dark Ages.
Come on, keep it
to yourself, man.
I'd like to see some
improvements around here.
I'd like to have some say-so
on how this place is run.
Estas loco, man. You heard
of, uh, jailhouse lawyers?
Jailhouse lawyers? What?
Why don't you go back in town.
I learned the law
after I came in here.
And, uh, I learned
it pretty good.
You're gonna prosecute?
With a vengeance.
And with everything I know.
Like my daddy used to say,
"I'm gonna whoop
your butt," Mr. Matlock.
What if I whoop yours?
You won't.
Right here.
You can go anyplace you want to,
talk to anybody you want to.
Call any witness I want?
Uh-huh.
And, uh, oh, yeah,
you stay here at night.
That wasn't part of the deal.
Well, it is now.
That was not part of the deal!
Well, look at it this way,
some of us here are taking
this trial very seriously.
We're gambling everything on it
to improve some of the
conditions in this sewer.
Uh, look, if anything
happens you don't like,
you talk to me.
I'm a hostage.
Harsh word.
You're a visitor who can't leave
unless I say so.
You'll be all right.
Nothing'll happen to you.
All right, all right.
Think of it as a-a...
an experience. Yeah.
Here's-here's my
part of the deal.
I'll stay,
but I've got to have
privacy once in a while.
I'll have clean clothes
sent in every day,
and you've got to
let anybody I need
in and out of this prison.
Okay.
I want to see my client
right now in private.
I want to see the hostages
to be sure they're okay.
I want Rudy Chambers'
body taken out of this prison,
and a full autopsy performed.
And all inmates informed
that they have to
answer my questions.
Anything else? Yeah.
If you know they're lying,
you've got to step
forward and say so,
otherwise this whole
thing means nothing.
Okay.
Anything else?
You're damn right.
I want a bodyguard.
Say hello to Tiny.
Hi.
Your client's right over here.
John Jackson, meet Ben Matlock.
Open it up,
Deacon.
Yell when you're ready to leave.
Tiny will let you out.
This trial is a joke.
It might be.
Well, let's get started.
Did, uh, did you have a
fight with Rudy Chambers?
No. Did you kill him?
What difference does it make?
Answer the question.
Did you kill him?
No! I didn't kill anybody.
Why were you in the infirmary?
Somebody hit me in the
head and they drug me in there.
Mmm.
Somebody went to a
lot of trouble. Yeah, right.
Somebody went to a
lot of trouble to frame me.
They got the perfect case
and they're gonna convict me.
Maybe.
They can convict
you in 15 minutes
or 15 days.
The longer it takes,
the better it is for you.
It's gonna take me
a month of Sunday's
to get any kind of
truth out of these birds.
They all lie and steal
and kill for a living.
You're gonna have to help me.
Okay.
Now, you knew
Rudy Chambers.
Did he do anything different
in the last two, three months?
No.
Maybe one thing...
He had visitors.
He never had them before.
Check the visitors log.
Oh, yeah.
And, um...
Val Delaney, Art
Spring, Billy Costello?
Did they have a beef with you?
No, not particularly.
Probably one of them
killed Rudy Chambers
and then framed you.
Hey, take it easy!
That hurt.
How'd it go with your client?
Went fine.
Did it ever occur to you to
seal off the scene of the crime?
All the evidence is destroyed.
We had a riot here, Mr. Matlock.
Lenny.
Ben Matlock,
this is Lenny Marcus.
Hi.
He's one of my eyewitnesses.
You got a minute?
Yeah.
Billy Ray and Paul
can handle this.
Come on.
You know, I wasn't the
only one who walked in
and saw John Jackson.
Who else was there?
Jerry Stone and
some bull I don't know.
Looked like Jerry hurt
his knee or something.
Well...
now...
you said you left the infirmary
for about 20 minutes that night.
Uh-huh.
Where did you go?
D block, death row.
I got a call.
They said someone got cut.
When I got there,
no one was hurt,
so I went to dinner.
I hear Rudy
Chambers was a snitch.
You got that right.
How'd you know?
I was the one who
taped his ankle
the night of the break.
He wasn't hurt, and I saw
him talking to the warden.
I mean, it doesn't take a genius
to figure out what he was doing.
You tell that to anybody else?
What, now you're
asking me to snitch?
You're a witness.
Either you tell me the truth,
or you tell it in the courtroom
in front of all of your friends.
Look, Mr. Matlock,
I come up for
parole in six months.
If you could put in a
good word, you know?
Let 'em know that I helped?
I could do that.
I told Val Delaney.
I want to go see the hostages.
Okay, let's go.
You don't talk much, do you?
Uh-uh.
That's good.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Who the hell is that?
Chet Webber.
Chet Webber?!
You know him?
I put him away!
All right, that's it.
I want to see Steve right now.
Come on, let's go.
Yeah, bring it on
over there, will you?
Put two in this corner.
All right, that's it.
I'm going home. No.
You can't have
a fair trial in here.
Every single one of these
people wants John Jackson dead.
I can't even conduct
an investigation.
I was just jumped!
Tiny's not doing his job?
If it weren't for Tiny,
I'd probably be dead.
- I'm going home.
- Not going home
until this thing is over.
Here. The warden
wanted you to have these.
Where do you want me to go?
Just over here.
All right.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Hi. Can we sit down?
Ben Matlock, this
is Val Delaney.
I'm Billy C.
I guess this means
we're suspects, huh?
That's the theory.
We are not violent men.
I rob banks, Mr. Matlock.
You haven't robbed
a bank in ten years.
Your specialty now is
breaking out of prison.
Five attempts, three successes.
After planning a
break for six months,
don't you get a
little aggravated
when one of the fellows
you're breaking out
with turns you in?
Aggravated doesn't cover it.
How do you feel about Rudy?
Rudy?
He got what he deserved.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, hey. Hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
You don't like it?
No.
What is it?
Lunch.
Food stinks.
We want better.
You have my support.
Let's get back to what
we were talking about.
Ben, let me give
you a word of advice.
You're barking
up the wrong tree.
Well, I don't know.
It says here
that you were convicted
of three counts of armed
robbery, Mr. Costello.
Two counts of felony assault
for pistol whipping
security guards.
Now, some people
might call that, uh, violent.
I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.
Let me ask you two
gentlemen a question
you've probably answered
many times before.
Start with you, Mr. Delaney.
Where were you at
the time of the murder?
Dinner.
Anybody see you?
About 400, 500 people.
Mr. Costello?
I never miss a meal.
So, you each have 400
or 500 convicted felons
that will corroborate
your alibi?
Ah.
You got a visitor, man.
Ben?
Yeah, yeah.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
So, how is it in there, huh?
I got to tell you the truth...
I'd rather be someplace else.
I'm starving, and
the food here is...
Oh.
Listen, I mean, I'm...
What...?
Oh, oh!
Thanks. Daggone.
How you feel?
You look great. Thanks.
You know anything?
Some. Hmm.
You? Well, Lenny Marcus,
the orderly?
He said that Rudy...
faked an injury.
Now, why would somebody
escaping from prison
fake an injury?
I got that one.
The warden apologizes.
He said things were happening
so fast when he came in.
He made a deal.
Rudy Chambers
wanted to be transferred
to Greenwood Prison Camp,
so he thought he'd
feel safe in the infirmary
till his papers
came through. Yeah.
That didn't work out, did it?
So you got a look
at the visitor log?
Yeah.
Okay, Rudy
Chambers had two visits
in four years.
Both of them last month.
Guy named Ed Harper.
No record.
But the police
intelligence has him on file.
Say he runs with a
pretty rough crowd,
so I'll keep an eye on him.
Yeah.
Would you spend
the afternoon with me?
I'll fill you in on what I
know about the case.
Inside? Yeah.
You can get out.
You can't get out.
No, I know, but you can.
Will you?
Yeah.
Yeah. I've got to
go see the, uh...
the, uh, prosecutor
for a few minutes.
I'll meet you back here.
Whoa. Why the
hell did you do this?
Conrad, it's just
one of those deals.
I'm damned if I do, and
I'm damned if I don't.
Tiny, you go with him.
I'll be okay.
Can you take me
to see Art Spring?
Mr. Spring, how you doing?
I'm Conrad McMasters.
I'm working for Ben Matlock.
I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.
Somebody beat me to it.
But you would have?
Oh, yeah.
The creep needed to be dead.
Wish I could take the bounce,
but wasn't at the right
place at the right time.
Mind telling me the place
you were at that right time?
Playing bridge.
Don't be funny.
What's your problem?
I was watching the Braves
play the Mets in the TV room.
What's that about?
Something to do.
Relax, man.
Who the hell are you?
Uh...
What, another lawyer?
Almost.
Uh, why were those
guys yelling at you?
It's just my cellmate.
Cellmate.
Well, why were
they beating him up?
How should I know, man?
Would it have something to
do with Rudy Chambers' death?
Look, I-I got to get to
the infirmary, all right?
It's okay.
That's okay. Let him go.
Tell you anything?
No.
Well, we better go to D block.
D block's empty.
They over there.
Hi. Ben Matlock.
Glad to know you.
Donnie Osmond.
Hi.
Oh, Georgia v. Sherwood.
Interesting case.
Working on an appeal?
Pretty complicated
stuff in there.
Maybe some time
I could help you.
Ben Matlock.
I want to know
if you saw Lenny Marcus
the night Rudy
Chambers was killed.
He said he was in cell block D.
Writing a motion
is very difficult.
You'd help?
Yup.
Oh, come on, man.
Hey, man, what's happening?
If Lenny came to
D block that night,
I would have seen him.
I didn't see him.
You see that old guy over there?
Uh-huh.
The one coughing?
He can barely walk.
He's got emphysema so
bad. That's Charlie Hauk.
Best safecracker south
of the Mason-Dixon.
Taught Rudy Chambers
everything he knew.
Yeah? CONRAD: Think
I'm gonna have a conversation
with Mr. Hauk about Rudy.
Well, it's getting pretty late.
You better go.
Yeah, I was...
I was thinking I'd
spend the night.
Oh, Conrad, you
don't have to do that.
No, I know, I know.
It's all right?
Well...
Well, I...
All right.
All right, I'll... I'll, uh...
I'll get us some blankets.
All right.
Yeah, Tiny-Tiny
will watch-watch...
Hey, Tiny?
Right down here, man.
Second cell.
Hi.
Conrad McMasters.
Yeah?
Where's Lenny?
Lenny doesn't live here anymore.
What happened?
Lenny got himself some muscle.
Those guys who were hassling
you in the yard yesterday?
Uh-huh.
How long did you and
Lenny live together?
Four years.
So, why are those
guys helping him now?
What changed?
Lenny deals drugs.
Around here, that
makes a difference.
Uh-uh.
Them guys don't do drugs.
What do I know?
This court is in session.
Mr. Mazarowski,
are you ready to question
the prospective jurors?
I am, Your Honor.
Order!
Order!
Now, we're here to judge
whether John Jackson
murdered Rudy Chambers.
Now, we're doing this
because we believe,
if Mr. Jackson were
tried on the outside,
the powers that be
would insure that he walk.
But...
but...
if we are to be viewed
as a serious alternative,
we must do this in an
honest and orderly fashion.
Order!
Order!
Order!
Even if it means
clearing this whole damn room.
Uh, Your Honor,
uh, could counsel
approach the bench?
Come on.
Did you say, "Mother, may I?"
Uh...
um...
Your Honor, uh,
excuse me for asking,
but, uh, what are
your qualifications
for running this court?
I used to be a lawyer.
He killed one of his clients.
You satisfied now?
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you don't
mind, now we'll begin.
Mr. Davis, are you aware of
the murder of Rudy Chambers,
or have you discussed his
death with anyone here in prison?
Of course.
Have you formed an opinion
on the guilt or innocence
of the defendant?
No, I haven't.
Do you honestly believe
that you could put
aside all personal opinion
and judge John Jackson strictly
on the basis of the facts
presented in this court?
Absolutely. Thank you.
Mr. Matlock.
Mr. Davis, do you believe
that you could
judge John Jackson
solely on the basis of fact,
in spite of the
fact that he put you
in solitary confinement
three times?
He was only doing his job.
Challenge for cause.
I'll take it under submission.
How do you feel about
the guards in this prison?
I hate their guts.
Challenge for cause.
I'll take it under submission.
What were you convicted of?
Murder.
I figure this will
be a true jury
of peers.
One murderer judging another.
Challenge for cause.
Under submission.
Your Honor!
Mr. Matlock, somehow, someway,
we're going to have
to settle on a jury.
Now, is there any
reason to believe
we can improve on this
group we have here now?
No reason
whatsoever, Your Honor.
So far as I can tell, every man
in this institution
wants to convict my client.
View it as a
challenge, Mr. Matlock.
Current panel will stand.
I object.
So noted.
This court is in
recess till after lunch.
All right, let's eat!
May I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see my client.
Your name, please.
Uh, Ron Wallace.
I'm Rudy Chambers'
attorney. Hmm.
Your name isn't on the list.
That's odd.
I called. Only visitors
that make arrangements
before are allowed in.
I told you... I called.
Look, I don't want to
cause any problems.
Uh, my client was supposed to
be transferred in here last week.
If you just let me
know that he's here,
I'll spend the night and
come back in the morning.
I'm sorry.
I can't release
that information.
Hey, I just drove
four hours to get...
I can't release
that information.
Well, just before dinner,
I got a call from D Block.
They said someone had gotten cut
and that I should go up.
Did you recognize the
voice on the phone?
It sounded like John Jackson.
But you're not sure?
No, I'm not.
Then, what happened?
Well, when I got to D Block,
it turned out it
was a false alarm.
No one was hurt.
So, I went to dinner, and...
when I was finished eating, I
got a meal for Rudy Chambers,
and I headed back.
Did you see anybody
along the way? Yeah.
Uh, some guard was
bringing Jerry Stone
to the infirmary.
It looked like Jerry
had twisted his knee.
So, the three of you went
back to the infirmary together?
That's right.
And what did you see?
First, I saw Rudy
Chambers on his bed.
He was covered with
blood, and John Jackson
was standing over him,
and it looked like they
had been in a horrible fight.
Was anybody else there?
No.
Nothing further.
Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir.
Uh...
it must be...
difficult staying here.
Small person like yourself.
Do, uh, people pick on you?
Yeah.
Did your cellmate,
uh, Dick Henderson
pick on you, beat you up?
Yeah.
What did he want?
Drugs.
He... he wanted
me to steal drugs
for him from the infirmary.
Uh, you don't share
a cell with, uh, Dick
Henderson anymore, do you?
No, I... I don't.
Someone stronger and
more powerful than Dick
must have taken
care of that for you.
Some friends took
care of it, yeah.
You know, since I've stayed
here the last couple of days, I...
I can't help but notice
you got a lot of new friends.
People who, uh, protect you.
People who beat
up Dick Henderson,
tell him to leave you alone.
They must be the
ones who arranged
for your new cell, weren't they?
But why now?
What have you
done or agreed to do
for these new friends?
Nothing.
Did you lie?
Are you protecting a killer?
No.
No?
Now, you've testified...
that you went to D Block
on the night of the murder.
Yes.
Why didn't anybody see you?
I don't... How do I know?
You were told to go to
D Block, weren't you?
You were told to say you got
a phone call to go to D Block,
because some
people wanted you out
of that infirmary so that they
could kill Rudy Chambers
and set up this whole thing.
And then, those people
became your new best friends.
Isn't that the deal, Lenny?
No... no way.
Protection from Dick Henderson
in return for looking
the other way.
No, that's a lie.
Only you didn't go
to D Block, did you?
Did you stay around,
watch a while?
Who's paying you off?
Your Honor, instruct the
witness to answer the question.
Lenny, answer the man.
Get lost.
Who killed Rudy Chambers?
I'm warning you, Lenny.
Why, what are you going to do?
You going to cite
me for contempt?
What, you going
to throw me in jail?
Your Honor, may we
approach the witness?
Come on.
Look, you can't
protect me on this.
They'll wait.
They'll wait till
my guard is down
and you're tired of
watching, and they'll get me.
And I'm not going to
die for John Jackson
or for your stupid trial.
Answer the question.
Forget it.
I'm alive.
I'm going to stay alive.
Your Honor, defense would like
to request a brief recess.
How long?
Half hour, tops.
This court is
adjourned till 1:25.
I need to speak with the warden.
Yeah.
I believe we're making progress.
I think that Lenny Marcus
knows who killed Rudy Chambers.
I had him on the stand,
but he wouldn't talk.
Afraid, if he does,
he'll get killed.
He told me the other day
that he's coming up for parole.
He asked me if I
could say a good word.
I believe, if you'll give
him an early parole
and put him somewhere
now that's safe,
we can wrap this thing up
and you can get
your prison back.
Hurry.
Now, where's Lenny?
Courtroom. Come on.
Wait here.
He's up in his cell.
I've got a feeling.
Too late.