Matlock (1986–1995): Season 7, Episode 7 - The Juror - full transcript
Ms. Spalding?
Ms. Spalding, it's just
me. Forgot my watch.
Ms. Spalding?
Ms. Spalding, you want me
to bring your dinner upstairs?
[RAPID FOOTSTEPS NEARBY]
Ms. Spalding?
Ms. Spalding?
[GASPS]
- Oh! Oh, mail, huh? Ha-ha-ha.
- Mm-hm.
Occupant. Occupant.
Occupant. Occupant.
[LAUGHING]
What's funny?
Conrad sent me a birthday card.
Yeah? Oh, he sent it here, huh?
[LAUGHING]
Happy birthday.
Oh, Dad, you didn't have
to buy me a birthday gift.
But if you hadn't, I
would've killed you.
Oh.
A cap. How fun.
I thought you could use it.
Next time we go
fishing, of course.
- Yeah, that'll be great.
- Yeah.
If we do, you might
need a new fly rod.
Oh, Dad.
Oh, it's beautiful. I love it.
Well, we have to go fishing
now. How about next weekend?
It's all set. Meyers
Lake, you and me.
Oh!
You are the greatest. Whoo!
- Oh, no.
- What?
I've been called for jury duty.
You don't suppose...?
- Our trip.
- Oh, come on, Dad.
What prosecutor in his right
mind would want you on his jury?
You're right. You're right.
There's not a snowball's
chance in hell I'll ever be on a jury.
McGONlGAL: As you are aware,
Mrs. O'Malley, this is a murder case.
Which means that if the state
proves beyond a reasonable doubt
that Travis Spalding, with
premeditation, murdered his wife,
it'd be your duty
to find him guilty.
Now, conceivably, he could
receive the death penalty.
Now, knowing that, do you believe
you could render a guilty verdict?
Yes, I believe I could.
So do I. Thank
you Mrs. O'Malley.
BAILIFF: Juror six, Ben Matlock.
CLAGETT: Mr. Whiteman.
WHITEMAN: Your Honor.
Defense is very well-acquainted
with Mr. Matlock's qualifications.
I have no reservations that he
could render a fair and just verdict.
I gladly accept him
as a juror on this case.
Mr. McGonigal.
Afternoon, Mr. Matlock.
How's it feel to be
sitting over there?
- Strange. McGONlGAL:
I can imagine.
Bet you think I'm
gonna dismiss you.
Well, I'd understand if you did.
[CHUCKLES]
Can you imagine the shrieks of
prosecutors all over this country?
"McGonigal, you
idiot," they'd say.
"Why, Ben Matlock
is one of the greatest
criminal defense
lawyers in the nation."
The truth is, any other case, I'd
probably bounce you like a bad check.
This case against
Travis Spalding's different.
It's air tight. No holes.
Got it all:
Motive, direct irrefutable
evidence, opportunity.
Now all I need to win this
case are 12 sensible people
who understand the
notion of reasonable doubt.
Now, I figure who
better than Ben Matlock
understands the meaning
of reasonable doubt?
Well, I have a pretty good
idea of what it is and what it isn't.
So should the state prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that Travis Spalding
murdered his wife,
could you act reasonably
and find him guilty?
Well, I suppose, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, if you
got the evidence and...
Ms. Carpenter, you were the Spalding
housekeeper for how many years?
CARPENTER: Three and a half.
McGONlGAL: Quite
a bit of time with them.
How would you characterize
their relationship, their marriage?
Well, the first year
or two, it was okay.
Not like newlyweds or
anything. They fought a lot.
McGONlGAL: About what?
CARPENTER: Not long
after they were married,
Ms. Spalding developed
a real bad back problem.
She must have had five surgeries.
Couldn't even walk without her cane.
Anyway, she spent a
lot of time at home in bed.
She just wanted Mr. Spalding to
spend more time with her, that's all.
Where did Mr. Spalding
spend his time, at work?
Oh, no, Mr. Spalding don't work.
He lives off Ms. Spalding's money.
He does play a lot of golf.
Recently had they
fought more frequently?
Yes, sir.
Ms. Spalding suspected that
Mr. Spalding was having an affair.
So she hired a private investigator
to find out whether he was or not.
Was he?
Oh, yes, sir.
- Then what happened?
- Well, they had a huge fight.
McGONlGAL: When was this?
CARPENTER: Ten days
before Ms. Spalding died.
McGONlGAL: Did you hear this fight?
- Oh, yes, sir. It was very loud.
What was said?
Well, Ms. Spalding told him
that she was filing for divorce.
Then she kicked him
right out of the house.
McGONlGAL: And how did
Mr. Spalding react to this news?
CARPENTER: Well, he was
as angry as I've ever seen him.
Said he didn't care about any prenuptial
agreements that they had signed
and that he was not leaving that
marriage without his fair share.
McGONlGAL: Did
Mr. Spalding threaten his wife?
Yes, sir. He said he would kill her
before he would let her divorce him.
Nothing further.
CLAGETT: Your
witness, Mr. Whiteman.
Ms. Carpenter, you dislike
Mr. Spalding, now, don't you?
Uh...
I think Mr. Spalding married
Mrs. Spalding for her money.
He didn't really love her.
And you'd love to see him go to
prison for Mrs. Spalding's murder.
Now, wouldn't you?
- Well, I think he did
it. WHITEMAN: Really?
Well, why don't you
tell us what happened
the night you found
Mrs. Spalding's body,
so that we can all understand why
you're so convinced that he did it?
Now, it was your day off.
And you had come back home
because you had forgotten your watch?
That's right. And I was
on my way to my room
when I went through
the dining room.
And that was strange, because
Ms. Spalding had made herself dinner,
but it was still sitting on the
table. She hadn't touched it.
And that's when I called
upstairs on the intercom
to see if she wanted
me to bring it up to her.
WHITEMAN: And when she didn't
answer, is that when you went upstairs?
CARPENTER: Yes, sir.
And that's when I heard the footsteps
running down the back stairway.
And you thought
that was Mr. Spalding.
- Yes, sir. WHITEMAN: I see.
Did you see him?
CARPENTER: No.
- Did you hear his voice?
See his car drive away?
Smell his aftershave?
No, sir.
So, what you're trying to tell us
is that on the night of the murder,
you didn't hear a voice
or see one single thing.
Please, tell the court why
you're so convinced that he did it.
Because he threatened her life.
Ms. Carpenter, if everyone
who threatened a life went to jail,
half this courtroom would
probably be behind bars.
Nothing further.
Dr. Roberts, you're a medical
examiner for the city of Atlanta?
Yes, I am.
And you performed an
autopsy on Lenore Spalding?
- Yes.
- What was the cause of death?
Mrs. Spalding died from
a severe blow to the head,
sustained when it hit the tile
bathtub steps in her bathroom.
In your opinion, could Lenore
Spalding's death have been accidental?
I don't believe so, no.
Well, why not? She had a
bad back, had trouble walking.
I found traces of ether
on Mrs. Spalding's face.
Mrs. Spalding was
drugged before she died.
After the housekeeper, Mrs.
Carpenter, told us she heard footsteps
running down the back
stairs and into the garage,
I had my men make a
thorough check of the area.
What did your men
find, lieutenant?
In the garage, they found Travis
Spalding's monogrammed handkerchief
stuffed in the
pouch of his golf bag.
It was soaked with ether.
Wasn't ether found by the medical
examiner on Mrs. Spalding's face?
Yes. It looked like she had
probably been drugged while in bed,
taken to the bathroom,
where her head was smashed
against the tile bathtub steps
in the hope that it would appear as
though she had an accident and fell.
McGONlGAL: Did you have a
chance to talk to Mr. Spalding that night?
Yes, I did.
Lieutenant, did you
ask Mr. Spalding
when was the last time
he'd been at his wife's house?
Yes, he said that he hadn't been
inside the house for five days.
McGONlGAL: Did you later determine
that Mr. Spalding's story was untrue?
Yes, the following day,
I received a lab report
which indicated that Mr. Spalding's
fingerprints were found
both on the outside and the inside
knob of the door leading to the garage.
Couldn't those fingerprints
have been left there
from his prior visit
five days earlier?
No, as it turns out, the
door knob had been broken
and had been changed the
morning of the day Mrs. Spalding died.
So he had to have been
in the house that day.
Well, what did the defendant say
when he was confronted
with this information?
He changed his story.
He admitted that he had been
in the house earlier that day
to pick up some of his clothes.
He said that he
purposely picked that time,
because he knew his wife
was at a doctor's appointment
and he wouldn't run into her.
Lieutenant, were you able
to come up with anyone
who had seen Travis Spalding
at the house there that morning?
- No.
- Nothing further.
CLAGETT: Your
witness, Mr. Whiteman.
Lieutenant.
Can you identify this golf bag?
Yes, that's the
defendant's golf bag.
It's the one my men found
in Mrs. Spalding's garage.
And down here in this
pocket, is this where you found
Mr. Spalding's monogrammed
handkerchief soaked with ether?
Yes, that's correct.
Hmm. Well, tell me, lieutenant,
what prompted your men
to look inside the pouch
of a zippered golf bag
for a piece of evidence they
didn't even know existed?
BIGELOW: The pouch
wasn't completely zipped.
The handkerchief
was partially visible.
You mean like...?
Like this?
- Approximately, yes.
- Well.
Let me see if I understand
what you're saying.
Mr. Spalding killed his wife,
then ran down the back
stairs into his garage,
where for some
inexplicable reason,
he feels the need to
hide the handkerchief
with which he supposedly
drugged his wife.
He then puts his monogrammed
handkerchief into his own golf bag,
and not only forgets
to zip the bag up,
but leaves the white
handkerchief partially exposed
for all the world to view.
It sort of looks like a
white flag, doesn't it?
As if the bag
itself were yelling,
"Hey, lieutenant, over
here! Check this out!"
Objection.
CLAGETT: Sustained.
Mr. Whiteman.
I'm sorry, Your Honor,
but be honest, lieutenant.
Doesn't this smack just a
little of a textbook frame?
- No.
- Oh, come on.
That golf bag and handkerchief
were not sitting in plain view
for my men to find, as you are
leading these people to believe.
The truth is that golf bag
was found by my men,
hidden in the back of
a closet in the garage.
Oh, I see. Your men
just happened on it.
BIGELOW: After a thorough
search of the garage.
That's their job, Mr. Whiteman.
Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,
it is now my duty to instruct you
in the law as it pertains to this case.
It is your duty
to follow the law.
As jurors, it is your duty to determine
the effect and value of the evidence,
and to decide all
questions of fact.
You must not be influenced by
sympathy, prejudice, or passion.
The defendant is innocent
unless and until he is proven guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt.
All 12 of you must
agree upon a verdict.
Once you have reached
a verdict, signal the bailiff
and the court will be
reassembled to hear your decision.
The case is now in your hands.
[JURORS MURMURING INDISTINCTLY]
So you're an actor?
Yeah. You recognize me?
No, you told the attorney
when he was questioning you.
You're Terry the Tuna.
Terry the Tuna?
Wow! A celebrity.
Can I have your autograph?
[LAUGHING]
Hello, I'm Archie Armstrong.
Henrietta Dorsey.
So, what do you
think of this case?
Oh, I think we may be
out of here pretty fast.
That Spalding guy sure had a
smug look on his face, didn't he?
We'll see him having a
couple of beers with the guys.
- Larry Cooper.
- Jason Brady.
Good to meet you.
So you're Ben Matlock, huh?
Yeah, hi.
Lou Green.
So, what do you
think of the case?
Oh, it's interesting.
That's all? Interesting?
Maybe we should take our seats.
So, uh, what should we do first?
- Maybe we should elect a foreman.
- Yeah.
Any volunteers?
What about you? You're
sitting at the head of the table.
I'd be very happy
to be foreperson.
I think we should go with him.
Well, why? I mean, you
don't know either one of us.
Is it because he's a man?
What, are you some
kind of a feminist?
It's okay. Forget it.
I anoint you chief
executioner. Ha-ha-ha.
Well, uh...
I'm really not sure
what to do. Um...
I guess we could just
start talking about the case,
or if you like, we could
take a preliminary vote
- and see where we stand.
BRADY: I say we vote.
There might not be
anything to talk about.
All right, unless anybody objects,
why don't we do it by a show of hands?
All those in favor
of voting guilty.
Those in favor of
voting not-guilty?
Ugh. I don't believe this.
You're kidding, aren't you?
ARMSTRONG: Eleven to one.
RAMON: What's the problem?
The evidence against Travis
Spalding's pretty strong.
Strong? He lied to the police
about being in the house,
and his fingerprints were
there. What else would you like?
Do you honestly
believe he's not guilty?
No. He may very
well have done it.
It's just that there are a couple
of things I'm confused about.
They should have never
put a lawyer on the jury.
What are your
questions, Mr. Matlock?
Um... Uh...
The police think
that Travis Spalding
entered his wife's
house through the garage
and went upstairs and poured
ether on his handkerchief.
Wait, you're not gonna
start with the thing about
"why would he use
his own handkerchief"?
No, no, no.
And they think that
he held the ether
over his wife's mouth
and nose until he killed her.
Then he heard the maid
and went back downstairs
and hid the handkerchief
in his golf bag.
- So, what's the problem?
- Why'd he hide the handkerchief?
I can answer that. Because he
was in a hurry to get out of the house
and maybe he was worried
that the maid knew it was him.
And I'm sure he didn't want to
have the handkerchief on him,
- in case the police picked
him up. MATLOCK: Yeah.
But why would he hide the
handkerchief at the scene of the murder
when he knew the police were
gonna search that house for evidence?
Actually, I have to admit that that
never made a lot of sense to me either.
- It'd be the last place I'd hide
it. MATLOCK: And the ether.
I mean, why did he
hide the handkerchief
and take the ether with him?
That's why you're keeping us
here, because of a bottle of ether?
GREEN: Well, maybe
it's still in the house.
Did the police search
the house for the bottle?
No, he's right. I mean, the
easy thing, the logical thing
is to take both the handkerchief
and the bottle out of the house,
or leave them both there.
I mean, it doesn't make any sense
to take one and not take the other.
Maybe he put the ether on the
handkerchief outside the house,
- and then just left the bottle out there.
- Yeah, how about that?
Well, I say again, why would
he hide the handkerchief
and leave the ether in the car?
Could he have put the
ether on the handkerchief
before he left his apartment?
Wouldn't he worry about the
ether losing some of its potency
on the way over to the house?
Wait, what's wrong
with you people?
The guy was gonna be out 10
million bucks if she divorced him.
I mean, didn't you listen? He
told her he was gonna kill her.
Fingerprints are at the house.
And you people are talking
about some stupid bottle
that nobody gives a
damn about. I mean...
I'm sorry, I do give
a damn about it.
- I give a damn too.
- Well, then you're as stupid as he is.
You know what? I'm getting tired
of the way that you talk to people.
Okay. All right, people.
Hey, hey, hey, come on.
Hey, let's just settle down.
I really think you guys are
focusing on the small stuff.
I mean, think about the
evidence against this guy.
- Hallelujah.
- Listen, there are a lot of people here
who haven't voiced their opinion,
and I think we should hear from them.
How about you, Henrietta?
Oh, I think the man did it.
I guess I don't care very
much about this bottle thing,
or what he should've
done if he was smarter.
Fact is, he was there. And
he lied about being there.
What about you, Lionel?
Well, um, didn't he say he'd
kill her if she divorced him?
- That's exactly what he
said. JUROR 1: Oh, come on.
We've all said, "I'll kill you for
that," or, "I'll kill you if you're late."
You heard what the lawyer said. If
that was a crime, we'd all be in jail.
I know that.
It's just that, well, he was
gonna lose $10 million.
Jennifer?
Do we know if Travis
Spalding has a criminal record?
We can't consider that. It wasn't
part of what was said in court.
No one asked for your
legal opinion, Mr. Matlock.
I was just trying to tell you
that we can't consider it.
Well, just, why don't you keep your
mouth shut and let other people talk?
- Look, there's no reason to be
rude. COOPER: No. Listen to me.
Rich punks like Travis Spalding,
they think they're above the law.
Well, not here, not now.
I see guys like him at
my garage every day.
They drive in, in
their big fancy cars.
Talk to me like I don't exist.
That doesn't mean he's guilty.
I think we should
take another vote.
Fine. Anybody have
a problem with that?
Maybe this time we
should write our votes down.
Why? People should have the
guts to stand by their decision.
People should have the
right to vote the way they feel
without worrying about
having their heads bitten off.
Fine. What do I care?
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Not guilty.
That's nine guilties
and three not-guilties.
BRADY: Well, you
know what they say:
"It's a woman's prerogative
to change her mind."
Don't you dare
talk to me like that.
All right, fess up. Who was the
other person who voted not-guilty?
You don't have to answer that.
It was me.
Well, I should
have figured that.
- What does that mean?
- Forget it.
I wanna know what
you meant by that.
Ramon, it isn't worth it.
RAMON: I wanna
know what he meant.
Half your cousins
are probably in jail.
You and your people, this
country opens its arms to you.
It doesn't matter that you
crawl across the border
and steal real jobs
from real Americans.
Real Americans? Heh.
I'm a United States citizen.
I pay taxes just like
anybody else in this room.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Don't talk down to me, man.
You sit there, pretending
to be one of us.
I got news for you, amigo.
You never will be. You'll
never even get close.
ARMSTRONG: Hey, hey, come on.
- Guys.
[ALL MURMURING]
RAMON: They're real
Americans! They're real Americans!
They're real Americans!
I think we should tell the
judge what's going on in here.
- What's he gonna do?
- I don't know.
You can't tell me this is
what happens on most juries.
Why don't we just tell
him we're a hung jury?
We are not a hung
jury unless we give up.
Now, we just can't throw in the towel
because we disagree with each other.
Nobody said that this
was going to be easy.
Hey, Ben, what do you think?
- Why don't we break for lunch?
- What?
Well, aren't you hungry?
If we eat, maybe
we'll cool down.
- I second the motion.
- Is that okay with everybody else?
ALL: Yes.
So, what do we order?
[JURORS CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
- You work here in town?
- Yeah, phone company.
Well, I used to. I'm
in between jobs now.
Oh.
- You?
- Interior design.
Very good.
Wow. What a coincidence.
I drink water too.
You gonna eat that pickle?
No, it's all yours.
You know, it's none
of my beeswax,
but you might wanna
watch your salt intake.
You sound like my daughter.
- I do 40 push-ups every morning.
- Doggone.
Course, I need an
oxygen tent when I'm done.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
Ramon. Ramon.
- Hey, you okay?
- Yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry about
the fight, you know?
Hey, you don't
have to apologize.
I don't think I would've
acted any differently.
No, but he's just an
angry man, you know?
He sure is. Hey, hey, listen.
You think you're ready
to give it another shot?
- Yeah.
- Good.
Okay, people, let's go to work.
[ALL MURMURING]
Folks, folks. Everybody,
please, please.
Come on, let's get back to
the housekeeper's testimony.
What did we get from her?
JUROR 2: We get
that Lenore Spalding
couldn't stand the
sight of her own cooking.
Don't...? No, don't you
remember? This isn't a joke.
The maid said that Lenore
Spalding made herself an entire meal,
but she didn't eat a bite of it.
She couldn't stand the
sight of her own cooking.
You make jokes, but
when you think of it,
this weak woman,
hurting from a bad back,
took all the pain
and effort to walk...
What did they say?
- -twenty-three steps downstairs
to fix herself supper
and then just leaves
it there on the table
and goes back upstairs to sleep.
BRADY: This is
worth a lot of time.
Maybe we should spend
a couple of days here
to talk about Lenore
Spalding's eating habits.
Son, I wasn't rude to
you when you spoke.
I'm not asking you
to agree with me,
but I am asking you for what we've
all been decent enough to give you:
a little respect.
Henrietta, my guess is
that Lenore Spalding felt sick
when she got downstairs,
lost her appetite, and
decided to go back to her room.
It's odd though. She had the
strength to walk up 20-some steps,
but she didn't have it in her to
put the milk back in the icebox.
May I remind you, the
woman was worth $20 million.
Do you think she cared
about a carton of milk?
JUROR 1: You know, there
is another explanation for this.
But what if Lenore Spalding wasn't
drugged in her bed like the police said?
I mean, what if she made herself dinner
and was drugged before she ever ate,
and was then dragged
upstairs and killed?
- I don't believe this.
- Well, why not?
The police didn't find a trace of
ether on her bed or on her pillow.
It would explain why
the food wasn't eaten.
They didn't find any ether
in the dining room either.
You people are
losing your minds here.
You're wasting all this time
talking about how she was killed,
where she was drugged, why
she didn't eat. It doesn't matter.
What matters is who.
And we know who.
[COOPER SIGHS]
Okay, come on.
Let's just move on.
Basically didn't the housekeeper just
testify about Travis Spalding's motive?
It's not like she saw
or she heard anything
that pointed to him
as the murderer.
Did the housekeeper say she
parked in front of the house?
- Yeah.
- Well, why do you suppose
she didn't mention seeing Travis
Spalding's car parked out there?
He was committing
a murder inside.
He would have been an idiot
to park in front of the house.
Yeah, I always figured he
parked the car in the garage,
and decided to close
it from the inside.
What kind of car did he drive?
A Testarossa. It's Italian.
Tom Cruise has one, I think.
It's a Ferrari.
What kind of engine?
Twelve cylinder, 423
horsepower. What's that matter?
Must have made a bunch a racket.
So?
Especially if it was
parked in a closed garage.
Don't you see? It would've sounded
like an echo chamber in there.
If Travis Spalding
started the car,
the maid would have
recognized the sound immediately.
But she said she didn't
hear anything but footsteps.
Maybe he didn't use his own car.
Did any of you consider the possibility
that maybe he didn't park in his garage?
Maybe he parked a block
away. Maybe he took a bus.
That's certainly possible.
I wanna know why you people
are trying to let this rich boy off.
We're just considering
the evidence, Larry.
Give me a break. The facts in this case
are as plain as the nose on your face.
He had motive,
he had opportunity.
Fingerprints were there. He
knew it was the maid's day off.
I don't care where he
parked or what he drove.
I don't know you, but I'll bet that if it
was your life we were talking about,
you'd be out there praying that we'd
consider every angle, every possibility.
Well, you're just trying to twist
things so you can let him walk.
MATLOCK: The maid didn't
see him. The maid didn't hear him.
The maid didn't hear his car.
We don't even know
if he was in the house
when this murder was committed.
His fingerprints
were on the door.
That could've
happened at any time.
- Then why did he lie?
RAMON: Because he was scared.
He knew he was
suspected of murder.
Does that lie prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that this man
committed this murder?
May I interrupt? It's been a while since
we've taken a vote. Anybody object?
I say we do it by show of hands.
- Anybody have a problem
with that? ALL: Not at all. No.
All those in favor
of a guilty verdict.
One, two, three,
four, five, six. Okay.
Those in favor of
a not-guilty verdict.
One, two, three,
four, five, six.
Six guilty, six not-guilty.
You happy now?
Hey, Ben, the guy is
a sucker for a left hook.
Will you shut up?
You think I'm trying to get
the defendant off. I'm not.
Well, as Joe Friday used to
say, "Let's look at the facts."
We started with one not-guilty,
now there are six, thanks to you.
All I hope is that each person
will vote the way they believe.
No, what you hope is that each
person will vote the way you believe.
I'll give you credit. You're pretty smart.
You're probably a very good lawyer,
the way you poked holes in all
this evidence, but I think he did it.
And there's really nothing
you can do to change my mind.
- How long do juries usually stay out?
- Depends.
Capital cases take a long time. I
once waited for a verdict for 11 days.
They finish when they finish.
GREEN: Eleven days?
MATLOCK: Mm-hm.
I say we call it quits. Tell
the judge we're deadlocked.
GREEN: Got a hot date?
No, I don't have a hot date.
But let's get real.
We've been here all day,
and we're further away
than we were before.
Hey, I hope you people
understand why I voted guilty.
I don't mean to be difficult, but I just
don't see enough reasonable doubt.
You don't have to
apologize to anybody.
I know. I guess I feel guilty agreeing
with anything Larry Cooper says.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, you know what they say:
"Rich men don't go to jail for murder."
Now I know why.
You think this Ben Matlock
really cares if the guy's rich?
I don't know.
But these defense attorneys, they'll
do anything to get their clients off.
It's not his client.
You think Ben Matlock's right?
No.
But he seems honest.
Come on. We should go back.
Yeah.
ARMSTRONG: Oh, boy.
- Almost forgot to take my vitamins.
- Yeah.
What's the program?
Well, we were
discussing calling the bailiff
and having him tell the
judge that we're at an impasse.
- I say do it.
- We've only been at it six hours.
COOPER: Well, it sounds
like a good idea to me.
Will you look at that?
- Oh, here, Mr. Green.
- It's okay, I got it. I got it.
Uh, could I see the pictures
of the murder scene?
Oh, what now?
Jason, you believe Travis
Spalding killed his wife.
- Yeah, I do.
- Okay. How'd he do it?
- How'd he do it?
- Yeah, how'd he do it?
Like the police said.
She was in bed, he covered her
mouth with ether to knock her out,
and then he took
her to the bathroom
and cracked her head
on the tile bathtub steps.
How'd he get her
to the bathroom?
I don't know.
Well, he probably dragged her.
These pictures were
taken by the police...
This is Mrs. Spalding's
bedroom, you know?
That they took just after they
found her dead, right, right?
- Right.
- Okay.
There are no rug
marks on the carpet.
- What does that mean?
- Rug marks.
If he dragged his wife from
the bedroom to the bathroom
across this thick carpet,
shouldn't there be rug marks
where her feet dragged?
No, no. Come on. Wait.
Isn't it possible that Travis
Spalding put a gun to his wife's head
and forced her
into the bathroom?
The maid said Mrs. Spalding
couldn't walk without her cane.
Where's her cane?
Next to her bed.
All right, he carried her.
Larry, would you be willing
to be part of a demonstration?
- What do you mean a demonstration?
MATLOCK: A demonstration.
I'll make a deal with
you. You give me this.
And if some of you still
believe this man killed his wife,
then I'll tell the bailiff
we're a hung jury myself.
I think that's fair, Larry.
O'MALLEY: Very fair.
- That's right.
- Fine. MATLOCK: Good.
Now, how much would you
say that Mr. Spalding weighed?
A hundred and forty, 145 pounds?
- Something like
that. BRADY: Mid-40s.
- What do you weigh, Larry?
- I'm 155.
Perfect. We know from
the medical examiner that
- Mrs. Spalding weighed a
hundred... ALL: A hundred and eighty.
And eighty pounds. A
hundred and eighty pounds.
Uh, uh, ahem.
Henrietta, roughly how much...?
In your dreams, honey.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Am I in the ballpark?
I'm afraid so.
Would you be part
of the demonstration?
Doing what?
Just getting up on this table.
Ten dollars a day, 15 cents a mile,
and that grin you got on your face
ain't enough to get
me up on this table.
How about please, Henrietta?
- Please. Please?
- Mm-mm.
Okay, thanks.
There. Okay, now you go
ahead. Here you just... Here we go.
- I'll help you.
- All right. Thank you.
Now just get up there,
on your back, face up.
Oh, this is embarrassing.
It'll only take a minute.
Only take a minute.
There you go. There
you go. Okay, that's...
Oh, that's perfect for under
her head. That's right. Okay.
- You all right?
HENRIETTA: Yes, fine.
There we go. All right.
Larry, pick her up.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Excuse me?
Well, we know that Ms. Spalding
didn't walk in the bathroom.
We know that her husband
didn't drag her in there.
So that means he had to pick her
up and carry her more than 30 feet.
This is stupid.
Afraid you can't do it, Larry?
Why don't you be quiet, old man?
This isn't gonna prove anything.
One of the first things you said
when you walked into this room
was that you thought Mr. Spalding
hadn't sweated a day in his life.
Well, if Mr. Spalding was
able to pick up his wife's body,
then Larry shouldn't
have any problems doing it.
JUROR 3: Come on,
Larry. What's it gonna hurt?
If you do it, we're out of here.
- I'd like you to do it, Larry.
- So would I.
Well...
You drop me, boy, there's
gonna be another murder trial,
and you get to be
the one that's dead.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Go ahead, Larry. Pick her
up. Carry her across the room.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
[GRUNTING]
He can't lift her.
I don't believe this.
You wanna give me a minute?
- All right, come on, Larry, just...
- Take your hands off me.
You're a strong man, Larry.
You look a lot stronger
than Travis Spalding.
He couldn't have done it.
- I can do it.
- That's enough, Larry.
You're gonna hurt
yourself and Henrietta.
Here. There you go.
Well, I'm convinced.
I'm changing my vote.
Me too.
BRADY: Larry.
He couldn't have done it.
Well, I think he could.
I think you're wrong.
Larry, you don't like
me and I don't care.
This isn't about
winning or losing.
A man's life is at stake.
If you believe beyond a reasonable
doubt this man killed his wife,
then stick to your vote.
But don't stick to your
vote for the wrong reason.
Okay, you can call the bailiff.
[DOOR OPENS]
[CROWD MURMURING]
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
ARMSTRONG: We have, Your Honor.
We, the jury, in the matter of
The People v. Travis Spalding,
on the charge of
murder in the first degree,
find the defendant not guilty.
Thank you, members of
the jury. You are dismissed.
This court is adjourned.
[GAVEL POUNDS]
[CROWD CHATTERING]
Oh, Henrietta. Henrietta,
wait. Wait, wait, wait.
I wanted to say goodbye.
How very kind of you.
You were a great foreperson.
Thank you so much.
- You take care.
- You take care.
- I will.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
- Well, best of luck to both of you.
- And I'll be watching for you on TV.
- Me too.
Excuse me.
Larry? Larry?
Hey, Larry. Larry.
It, uh...
It takes a brave man
to change his mind.
Good luck.
Hey, Ramon.
You too.
Oh. That was some day.
Today we decided a man's life.
Heh. Tomorrow I go back and play gin.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
They ought to put a
lawyer on all of these juries.
Might learn something.
Oh, guys, I gotta go.
Oh, and just like that, we
never see each other again.
- It was brief. MATLOCK: Yeah.
- I'll see you around. Bye.
- Bye.
- Well, so long, Ben.
- You too.
You know, you can
be a royal pain, Ben.
Back at you.
I'd still like to
buy you a beer.
I'd like that.
Ms. Spalding, it's just
me. Forgot my watch.
Ms. Spalding?
Ms. Spalding, you want me
to bring your dinner upstairs?
[RAPID FOOTSTEPS NEARBY]
Ms. Spalding?
Ms. Spalding?
[GASPS]
- Oh! Oh, mail, huh? Ha-ha-ha.
- Mm-hm.
Occupant. Occupant.
Occupant. Occupant.
[LAUGHING]
What's funny?
Conrad sent me a birthday card.
Yeah? Oh, he sent it here, huh?
[LAUGHING]
Happy birthday.
Oh, Dad, you didn't have
to buy me a birthday gift.
But if you hadn't, I
would've killed you.
Oh.
A cap. How fun.
I thought you could use it.
Next time we go
fishing, of course.
- Yeah, that'll be great.
- Yeah.
If we do, you might
need a new fly rod.
Oh, Dad.
Oh, it's beautiful. I love it.
Well, we have to go fishing
now. How about next weekend?
It's all set. Meyers
Lake, you and me.
Oh!
You are the greatest. Whoo!
- Oh, no.
- What?
I've been called for jury duty.
You don't suppose...?
- Our trip.
- Oh, come on, Dad.
What prosecutor in his right
mind would want you on his jury?
You're right. You're right.
There's not a snowball's
chance in hell I'll ever be on a jury.
McGONlGAL: As you are aware,
Mrs. O'Malley, this is a murder case.
Which means that if the state
proves beyond a reasonable doubt
that Travis Spalding, with
premeditation, murdered his wife,
it'd be your duty
to find him guilty.
Now, conceivably, he could
receive the death penalty.
Now, knowing that, do you believe
you could render a guilty verdict?
Yes, I believe I could.
So do I. Thank
you Mrs. O'Malley.
BAILIFF: Juror six, Ben Matlock.
CLAGETT: Mr. Whiteman.
WHITEMAN: Your Honor.
Defense is very well-acquainted
with Mr. Matlock's qualifications.
I have no reservations that he
could render a fair and just verdict.
I gladly accept him
as a juror on this case.
Mr. McGonigal.
Afternoon, Mr. Matlock.
How's it feel to be
sitting over there?
- Strange. McGONlGAL:
I can imagine.
Bet you think I'm
gonna dismiss you.
Well, I'd understand if you did.
[CHUCKLES]
Can you imagine the shrieks of
prosecutors all over this country?
"McGonigal, you
idiot," they'd say.
"Why, Ben Matlock
is one of the greatest
criminal defense
lawyers in the nation."
The truth is, any other case, I'd
probably bounce you like a bad check.
This case against
Travis Spalding's different.
It's air tight. No holes.
Got it all:
Motive, direct irrefutable
evidence, opportunity.
Now all I need to win this
case are 12 sensible people
who understand the
notion of reasonable doubt.
Now, I figure who
better than Ben Matlock
understands the meaning
of reasonable doubt?
Well, I have a pretty good
idea of what it is and what it isn't.
So should the state prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that Travis Spalding
murdered his wife,
could you act reasonably
and find him guilty?
Well, I suppose, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, if you
got the evidence and...
Ms. Carpenter, you were the Spalding
housekeeper for how many years?
CARPENTER: Three and a half.
McGONlGAL: Quite
a bit of time with them.
How would you characterize
their relationship, their marriage?
Well, the first year
or two, it was okay.
Not like newlyweds or
anything. They fought a lot.
McGONlGAL: About what?
CARPENTER: Not long
after they were married,
Ms. Spalding developed
a real bad back problem.
She must have had five surgeries.
Couldn't even walk without her cane.
Anyway, she spent a
lot of time at home in bed.
She just wanted Mr. Spalding to
spend more time with her, that's all.
Where did Mr. Spalding
spend his time, at work?
Oh, no, Mr. Spalding don't work.
He lives off Ms. Spalding's money.
He does play a lot of golf.
Recently had they
fought more frequently?
Yes, sir.
Ms. Spalding suspected that
Mr. Spalding was having an affair.
So she hired a private investigator
to find out whether he was or not.
Was he?
Oh, yes, sir.
- Then what happened?
- Well, they had a huge fight.
McGONlGAL: When was this?
CARPENTER: Ten days
before Ms. Spalding died.
McGONlGAL: Did you hear this fight?
- Oh, yes, sir. It was very loud.
What was said?
Well, Ms. Spalding told him
that she was filing for divorce.
Then she kicked him
right out of the house.
McGONlGAL: And how did
Mr. Spalding react to this news?
CARPENTER: Well, he was
as angry as I've ever seen him.
Said he didn't care about any prenuptial
agreements that they had signed
and that he was not leaving that
marriage without his fair share.
McGONlGAL: Did
Mr. Spalding threaten his wife?
Yes, sir. He said he would kill her
before he would let her divorce him.
Nothing further.
CLAGETT: Your
witness, Mr. Whiteman.
Ms. Carpenter, you dislike
Mr. Spalding, now, don't you?
Uh...
I think Mr. Spalding married
Mrs. Spalding for her money.
He didn't really love her.
And you'd love to see him go to
prison for Mrs. Spalding's murder.
Now, wouldn't you?
- Well, I think he did
it. WHITEMAN: Really?
Well, why don't you
tell us what happened
the night you found
Mrs. Spalding's body,
so that we can all understand why
you're so convinced that he did it?
Now, it was your day off.
And you had come back home
because you had forgotten your watch?
That's right. And I was
on my way to my room
when I went through
the dining room.
And that was strange, because
Ms. Spalding had made herself dinner,
but it was still sitting on the
table. She hadn't touched it.
And that's when I called
upstairs on the intercom
to see if she wanted
me to bring it up to her.
WHITEMAN: And when she didn't
answer, is that when you went upstairs?
CARPENTER: Yes, sir.
And that's when I heard the footsteps
running down the back stairway.
And you thought
that was Mr. Spalding.
- Yes, sir. WHITEMAN: I see.
Did you see him?
CARPENTER: No.
- Did you hear his voice?
See his car drive away?
Smell his aftershave?
No, sir.
So, what you're trying to tell us
is that on the night of the murder,
you didn't hear a voice
or see one single thing.
Please, tell the court why
you're so convinced that he did it.
Because he threatened her life.
Ms. Carpenter, if everyone
who threatened a life went to jail,
half this courtroom would
probably be behind bars.
Nothing further.
Dr. Roberts, you're a medical
examiner for the city of Atlanta?
Yes, I am.
And you performed an
autopsy on Lenore Spalding?
- Yes.
- What was the cause of death?
Mrs. Spalding died from
a severe blow to the head,
sustained when it hit the tile
bathtub steps in her bathroom.
In your opinion, could Lenore
Spalding's death have been accidental?
I don't believe so, no.
Well, why not? She had a
bad back, had trouble walking.
I found traces of ether
on Mrs. Spalding's face.
Mrs. Spalding was
drugged before she died.
After the housekeeper, Mrs.
Carpenter, told us she heard footsteps
running down the back
stairs and into the garage,
I had my men make a
thorough check of the area.
What did your men
find, lieutenant?
In the garage, they found Travis
Spalding's monogrammed handkerchief
stuffed in the
pouch of his golf bag.
It was soaked with ether.
Wasn't ether found by the medical
examiner on Mrs. Spalding's face?
Yes. It looked like she had
probably been drugged while in bed,
taken to the bathroom,
where her head was smashed
against the tile bathtub steps
in the hope that it would appear as
though she had an accident and fell.
McGONlGAL: Did you have a
chance to talk to Mr. Spalding that night?
Yes, I did.
Lieutenant, did you
ask Mr. Spalding
when was the last time
he'd been at his wife's house?
Yes, he said that he hadn't been
inside the house for five days.
McGONlGAL: Did you later determine
that Mr. Spalding's story was untrue?
Yes, the following day,
I received a lab report
which indicated that Mr. Spalding's
fingerprints were found
both on the outside and the inside
knob of the door leading to the garage.
Couldn't those fingerprints
have been left there
from his prior visit
five days earlier?
No, as it turns out, the
door knob had been broken
and had been changed the
morning of the day Mrs. Spalding died.
So he had to have been
in the house that day.
Well, what did the defendant say
when he was confronted
with this information?
He changed his story.
He admitted that he had been
in the house earlier that day
to pick up some of his clothes.
He said that he
purposely picked that time,
because he knew his wife
was at a doctor's appointment
and he wouldn't run into her.
Lieutenant, were you able
to come up with anyone
who had seen Travis Spalding
at the house there that morning?
- No.
- Nothing further.
CLAGETT: Your
witness, Mr. Whiteman.
Lieutenant.
Can you identify this golf bag?
Yes, that's the
defendant's golf bag.
It's the one my men found
in Mrs. Spalding's garage.
And down here in this
pocket, is this where you found
Mr. Spalding's monogrammed
handkerchief soaked with ether?
Yes, that's correct.
Hmm. Well, tell me, lieutenant,
what prompted your men
to look inside the pouch
of a zippered golf bag
for a piece of evidence they
didn't even know existed?
BIGELOW: The pouch
wasn't completely zipped.
The handkerchief
was partially visible.
You mean like...?
Like this?
- Approximately, yes.
- Well.
Let me see if I understand
what you're saying.
Mr. Spalding killed his wife,
then ran down the back
stairs into his garage,
where for some
inexplicable reason,
he feels the need to
hide the handkerchief
with which he supposedly
drugged his wife.
He then puts his monogrammed
handkerchief into his own golf bag,
and not only forgets
to zip the bag up,
but leaves the white
handkerchief partially exposed
for all the world to view.
It sort of looks like a
white flag, doesn't it?
As if the bag
itself were yelling,
"Hey, lieutenant, over
here! Check this out!"
Objection.
CLAGETT: Sustained.
Mr. Whiteman.
I'm sorry, Your Honor,
but be honest, lieutenant.
Doesn't this smack just a
little of a textbook frame?
- No.
- Oh, come on.
That golf bag and handkerchief
were not sitting in plain view
for my men to find, as you are
leading these people to believe.
The truth is that golf bag
was found by my men,
hidden in the back of
a closet in the garage.
Oh, I see. Your men
just happened on it.
BIGELOW: After a thorough
search of the garage.
That's their job, Mr. Whiteman.
Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,
it is now my duty to instruct you
in the law as it pertains to this case.
It is your duty
to follow the law.
As jurors, it is your duty to determine
the effect and value of the evidence,
and to decide all
questions of fact.
You must not be influenced by
sympathy, prejudice, or passion.
The defendant is innocent
unless and until he is proven guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt.
All 12 of you must
agree upon a verdict.
Once you have reached
a verdict, signal the bailiff
and the court will be
reassembled to hear your decision.
The case is now in your hands.
[JURORS MURMURING INDISTINCTLY]
So you're an actor?
Yeah. You recognize me?
No, you told the attorney
when he was questioning you.
You're Terry the Tuna.
Terry the Tuna?
Wow! A celebrity.
Can I have your autograph?
[LAUGHING]
Hello, I'm Archie Armstrong.
Henrietta Dorsey.
So, what do you
think of this case?
Oh, I think we may be
out of here pretty fast.
That Spalding guy sure had a
smug look on his face, didn't he?
We'll see him having a
couple of beers with the guys.
- Larry Cooper.
- Jason Brady.
Good to meet you.
So you're Ben Matlock, huh?
Yeah, hi.
Lou Green.
So, what do you
think of the case?
Oh, it's interesting.
That's all? Interesting?
Maybe we should take our seats.
So, uh, what should we do first?
- Maybe we should elect a foreman.
- Yeah.
Any volunteers?
What about you? You're
sitting at the head of the table.
I'd be very happy
to be foreperson.
I think we should go with him.
Well, why? I mean, you
don't know either one of us.
Is it because he's a man?
What, are you some
kind of a feminist?
It's okay. Forget it.
I anoint you chief
executioner. Ha-ha-ha.
Well, uh...
I'm really not sure
what to do. Um...
I guess we could just
start talking about the case,
or if you like, we could
take a preliminary vote
- and see where we stand.
BRADY: I say we vote.
There might not be
anything to talk about.
All right, unless anybody objects,
why don't we do it by a show of hands?
All those in favor
of voting guilty.
Those in favor of
voting not-guilty?
Ugh. I don't believe this.
You're kidding, aren't you?
ARMSTRONG: Eleven to one.
RAMON: What's the problem?
The evidence against Travis
Spalding's pretty strong.
Strong? He lied to the police
about being in the house,
and his fingerprints were
there. What else would you like?
Do you honestly
believe he's not guilty?
No. He may very
well have done it.
It's just that there are a couple
of things I'm confused about.
They should have never
put a lawyer on the jury.
What are your
questions, Mr. Matlock?
Um... Uh...
The police think
that Travis Spalding
entered his wife's
house through the garage
and went upstairs and poured
ether on his handkerchief.
Wait, you're not gonna
start with the thing about
"why would he use
his own handkerchief"?
No, no, no.
And they think that
he held the ether
over his wife's mouth
and nose until he killed her.
Then he heard the maid
and went back downstairs
and hid the handkerchief
in his golf bag.
- So, what's the problem?
- Why'd he hide the handkerchief?
I can answer that. Because he
was in a hurry to get out of the house
and maybe he was worried
that the maid knew it was him.
And I'm sure he didn't want to
have the handkerchief on him,
- in case the police picked
him up. MATLOCK: Yeah.
But why would he hide the
handkerchief at the scene of the murder
when he knew the police were
gonna search that house for evidence?
Actually, I have to admit that that
never made a lot of sense to me either.
- It'd be the last place I'd hide
it. MATLOCK: And the ether.
I mean, why did he
hide the handkerchief
and take the ether with him?
That's why you're keeping us
here, because of a bottle of ether?
GREEN: Well, maybe
it's still in the house.
Did the police search
the house for the bottle?
No, he's right. I mean, the
easy thing, the logical thing
is to take both the handkerchief
and the bottle out of the house,
or leave them both there.
I mean, it doesn't make any sense
to take one and not take the other.
Maybe he put the ether on the
handkerchief outside the house,
- and then just left the bottle out there.
- Yeah, how about that?
Well, I say again, why would
he hide the handkerchief
and leave the ether in the car?
Could he have put the
ether on the handkerchief
before he left his apartment?
Wouldn't he worry about the
ether losing some of its potency
on the way over to the house?
Wait, what's wrong
with you people?
The guy was gonna be out 10
million bucks if she divorced him.
I mean, didn't you listen? He
told her he was gonna kill her.
Fingerprints are at the house.
And you people are talking
about some stupid bottle
that nobody gives a
damn about. I mean...
I'm sorry, I do give
a damn about it.
- I give a damn too.
- Well, then you're as stupid as he is.
You know what? I'm getting tired
of the way that you talk to people.
Okay. All right, people.
Hey, hey, hey, come on.
Hey, let's just settle down.
I really think you guys are
focusing on the small stuff.
I mean, think about the
evidence against this guy.
- Hallelujah.
- Listen, there are a lot of people here
who haven't voiced their opinion,
and I think we should hear from them.
How about you, Henrietta?
Oh, I think the man did it.
I guess I don't care very
much about this bottle thing,
or what he should've
done if he was smarter.
Fact is, he was there. And
he lied about being there.
What about you, Lionel?
Well, um, didn't he say he'd
kill her if she divorced him?
- That's exactly what he
said. JUROR 1: Oh, come on.
We've all said, "I'll kill you for
that," or, "I'll kill you if you're late."
You heard what the lawyer said. If
that was a crime, we'd all be in jail.
I know that.
It's just that, well, he was
gonna lose $10 million.
Jennifer?
Do we know if Travis
Spalding has a criminal record?
We can't consider that. It wasn't
part of what was said in court.
No one asked for your
legal opinion, Mr. Matlock.
I was just trying to tell you
that we can't consider it.
Well, just, why don't you keep your
mouth shut and let other people talk?
- Look, there's no reason to be
rude. COOPER: No. Listen to me.
Rich punks like Travis Spalding,
they think they're above the law.
Well, not here, not now.
I see guys like him at
my garage every day.
They drive in, in
their big fancy cars.
Talk to me like I don't exist.
That doesn't mean he's guilty.
I think we should
take another vote.
Fine. Anybody have
a problem with that?
Maybe this time we
should write our votes down.
Why? People should have the
guts to stand by their decision.
People should have the
right to vote the way they feel
without worrying about
having their heads bitten off.
Fine. What do I care?
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Not guilty.
That's nine guilties
and three not-guilties.
BRADY: Well, you
know what they say:
"It's a woman's prerogative
to change her mind."
Don't you dare
talk to me like that.
All right, fess up. Who was the
other person who voted not-guilty?
You don't have to answer that.
It was me.
Well, I should
have figured that.
- What does that mean?
- Forget it.
I wanna know what
you meant by that.
Ramon, it isn't worth it.
RAMON: I wanna
know what he meant.
Half your cousins
are probably in jail.
You and your people, this
country opens its arms to you.
It doesn't matter that you
crawl across the border
and steal real jobs
from real Americans.
Real Americans? Heh.
I'm a United States citizen.
I pay taxes just like
anybody else in this room.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Don't talk down to me, man.
You sit there, pretending
to be one of us.
I got news for you, amigo.
You never will be. You'll
never even get close.
ARMSTRONG: Hey, hey, come on.
- Guys.
[ALL MURMURING]
RAMON: They're real
Americans! They're real Americans!
They're real Americans!
I think we should tell the
judge what's going on in here.
- What's he gonna do?
- I don't know.
You can't tell me this is
what happens on most juries.
Why don't we just tell
him we're a hung jury?
We are not a hung
jury unless we give up.
Now, we just can't throw in the towel
because we disagree with each other.
Nobody said that this
was going to be easy.
Hey, Ben, what do you think?
- Why don't we break for lunch?
- What?
Well, aren't you hungry?
If we eat, maybe
we'll cool down.
- I second the motion.
- Is that okay with everybody else?
ALL: Yes.
So, what do we order?
[JURORS CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
- You work here in town?
- Yeah, phone company.
Well, I used to. I'm
in between jobs now.
Oh.
- You?
- Interior design.
Very good.
Wow. What a coincidence.
I drink water too.
You gonna eat that pickle?
No, it's all yours.
You know, it's none
of my beeswax,
but you might wanna
watch your salt intake.
You sound like my daughter.
- I do 40 push-ups every morning.
- Doggone.
Course, I need an
oxygen tent when I'm done.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
Ramon. Ramon.
- Hey, you okay?
- Yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry about
the fight, you know?
Hey, you don't
have to apologize.
I don't think I would've
acted any differently.
No, but he's just an
angry man, you know?
He sure is. Hey, hey, listen.
You think you're ready
to give it another shot?
- Yeah.
- Good.
Okay, people, let's go to work.
[ALL MURMURING]
Folks, folks. Everybody,
please, please.
Come on, let's get back to
the housekeeper's testimony.
What did we get from her?
JUROR 2: We get
that Lenore Spalding
couldn't stand the
sight of her own cooking.
Don't...? No, don't you
remember? This isn't a joke.
The maid said that Lenore
Spalding made herself an entire meal,
but she didn't eat a bite of it.
She couldn't stand the
sight of her own cooking.
You make jokes, but
when you think of it,
this weak woman,
hurting from a bad back,
took all the pain
and effort to walk...
What did they say?
- -twenty-three steps downstairs
to fix herself supper
and then just leaves
it there on the table
and goes back upstairs to sleep.
BRADY: This is
worth a lot of time.
Maybe we should spend
a couple of days here
to talk about Lenore
Spalding's eating habits.
Son, I wasn't rude to
you when you spoke.
I'm not asking you
to agree with me,
but I am asking you for what we've
all been decent enough to give you:
a little respect.
Henrietta, my guess is
that Lenore Spalding felt sick
when she got downstairs,
lost her appetite, and
decided to go back to her room.
It's odd though. She had the
strength to walk up 20-some steps,
but she didn't have it in her to
put the milk back in the icebox.
May I remind you, the
woman was worth $20 million.
Do you think she cared
about a carton of milk?
JUROR 1: You know, there
is another explanation for this.
But what if Lenore Spalding wasn't
drugged in her bed like the police said?
I mean, what if she made herself dinner
and was drugged before she ever ate,
and was then dragged
upstairs and killed?
- I don't believe this.
- Well, why not?
The police didn't find a trace of
ether on her bed or on her pillow.
It would explain why
the food wasn't eaten.
They didn't find any ether
in the dining room either.
You people are
losing your minds here.
You're wasting all this time
talking about how she was killed,
where she was drugged, why
she didn't eat. It doesn't matter.
What matters is who.
And we know who.
[COOPER SIGHS]
Okay, come on.
Let's just move on.
Basically didn't the housekeeper just
testify about Travis Spalding's motive?
It's not like she saw
or she heard anything
that pointed to him
as the murderer.
Did the housekeeper say she
parked in front of the house?
- Yeah.
- Well, why do you suppose
she didn't mention seeing Travis
Spalding's car parked out there?
He was committing
a murder inside.
He would have been an idiot
to park in front of the house.
Yeah, I always figured he
parked the car in the garage,
and decided to close
it from the inside.
What kind of car did he drive?
A Testarossa. It's Italian.
Tom Cruise has one, I think.
It's a Ferrari.
What kind of engine?
Twelve cylinder, 423
horsepower. What's that matter?
Must have made a bunch a racket.
So?
Especially if it was
parked in a closed garage.
Don't you see? It would've sounded
like an echo chamber in there.
If Travis Spalding
started the car,
the maid would have
recognized the sound immediately.
But she said she didn't
hear anything but footsteps.
Maybe he didn't use his own car.
Did any of you consider the possibility
that maybe he didn't park in his garage?
Maybe he parked a block
away. Maybe he took a bus.
That's certainly possible.
I wanna know why you people
are trying to let this rich boy off.
We're just considering
the evidence, Larry.
Give me a break. The facts in this case
are as plain as the nose on your face.
He had motive,
he had opportunity.
Fingerprints were there. He
knew it was the maid's day off.
I don't care where he
parked or what he drove.
I don't know you, but I'll bet that if it
was your life we were talking about,
you'd be out there praying that we'd
consider every angle, every possibility.
Well, you're just trying to twist
things so you can let him walk.
MATLOCK: The maid didn't
see him. The maid didn't hear him.
The maid didn't hear his car.
We don't even know
if he was in the house
when this murder was committed.
His fingerprints
were on the door.
That could've
happened at any time.
- Then why did he lie?
RAMON: Because he was scared.
He knew he was
suspected of murder.
Does that lie prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that this man
committed this murder?
May I interrupt? It's been a while since
we've taken a vote. Anybody object?
I say we do it by show of hands.
- Anybody have a problem
with that? ALL: Not at all. No.
All those in favor
of a guilty verdict.
One, two, three,
four, five, six. Okay.
Those in favor of
a not-guilty verdict.
One, two, three,
four, five, six.
Six guilty, six not-guilty.
You happy now?
Hey, Ben, the guy is
a sucker for a left hook.
Will you shut up?
You think I'm trying to get
the defendant off. I'm not.
Well, as Joe Friday used to
say, "Let's look at the facts."
We started with one not-guilty,
now there are six, thanks to you.
All I hope is that each person
will vote the way they believe.
No, what you hope is that each
person will vote the way you believe.
I'll give you credit. You're pretty smart.
You're probably a very good lawyer,
the way you poked holes in all
this evidence, but I think he did it.
And there's really nothing
you can do to change my mind.
- How long do juries usually stay out?
- Depends.
Capital cases take a long time. I
once waited for a verdict for 11 days.
They finish when they finish.
GREEN: Eleven days?
MATLOCK: Mm-hm.
I say we call it quits. Tell
the judge we're deadlocked.
GREEN: Got a hot date?
No, I don't have a hot date.
But let's get real.
We've been here all day,
and we're further away
than we were before.
Hey, I hope you people
understand why I voted guilty.
I don't mean to be difficult, but I just
don't see enough reasonable doubt.
You don't have to
apologize to anybody.
I know. I guess I feel guilty agreeing
with anything Larry Cooper says.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, you know what they say:
"Rich men don't go to jail for murder."
Now I know why.
You think this Ben Matlock
really cares if the guy's rich?
I don't know.
But these defense attorneys, they'll
do anything to get their clients off.
It's not his client.
You think Ben Matlock's right?
No.
But he seems honest.
Come on. We should go back.
Yeah.
ARMSTRONG: Oh, boy.
- Almost forgot to take my vitamins.
- Yeah.
What's the program?
Well, we were
discussing calling the bailiff
and having him tell the
judge that we're at an impasse.
- I say do it.
- We've only been at it six hours.
COOPER: Well, it sounds
like a good idea to me.
Will you look at that?
- Oh, here, Mr. Green.
- It's okay, I got it. I got it.
Uh, could I see the pictures
of the murder scene?
Oh, what now?
Jason, you believe Travis
Spalding killed his wife.
- Yeah, I do.
- Okay. How'd he do it?
- How'd he do it?
- Yeah, how'd he do it?
Like the police said.
She was in bed, he covered her
mouth with ether to knock her out,
and then he took
her to the bathroom
and cracked her head
on the tile bathtub steps.
How'd he get her
to the bathroom?
I don't know.
Well, he probably dragged her.
These pictures were
taken by the police...
This is Mrs. Spalding's
bedroom, you know?
That they took just after they
found her dead, right, right?
- Right.
- Okay.
There are no rug
marks on the carpet.
- What does that mean?
- Rug marks.
If he dragged his wife from
the bedroom to the bathroom
across this thick carpet,
shouldn't there be rug marks
where her feet dragged?
No, no. Come on. Wait.
Isn't it possible that Travis
Spalding put a gun to his wife's head
and forced her
into the bathroom?
The maid said Mrs. Spalding
couldn't walk without her cane.
Where's her cane?
Next to her bed.
All right, he carried her.
Larry, would you be willing
to be part of a demonstration?
- What do you mean a demonstration?
MATLOCK: A demonstration.
I'll make a deal with
you. You give me this.
And if some of you still
believe this man killed his wife,
then I'll tell the bailiff
we're a hung jury myself.
I think that's fair, Larry.
O'MALLEY: Very fair.
- That's right.
- Fine. MATLOCK: Good.
Now, how much would you
say that Mr. Spalding weighed?
A hundred and forty, 145 pounds?
- Something like
that. BRADY: Mid-40s.
- What do you weigh, Larry?
- I'm 155.
Perfect. We know from
the medical examiner that
- Mrs. Spalding weighed a
hundred... ALL: A hundred and eighty.
And eighty pounds. A
hundred and eighty pounds.
Uh, uh, ahem.
Henrietta, roughly how much...?
In your dreams, honey.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Am I in the ballpark?
I'm afraid so.
Would you be part
of the demonstration?
Doing what?
Just getting up on this table.
Ten dollars a day, 15 cents a mile,
and that grin you got on your face
ain't enough to get
me up on this table.
How about please, Henrietta?
- Please. Please?
- Mm-mm.
Okay, thanks.
There. Okay, now you go
ahead. Here you just... Here we go.
- I'll help you.
- All right. Thank you.
Now just get up there,
on your back, face up.
Oh, this is embarrassing.
It'll only take a minute.
Only take a minute.
There you go. There
you go. Okay, that's...
Oh, that's perfect for under
her head. That's right. Okay.
- You all right?
HENRIETTA: Yes, fine.
There we go. All right.
Larry, pick her up.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Excuse me?
Well, we know that Ms. Spalding
didn't walk in the bathroom.
We know that her husband
didn't drag her in there.
So that means he had to pick her
up and carry her more than 30 feet.
This is stupid.
Afraid you can't do it, Larry?
Why don't you be quiet, old man?
This isn't gonna prove anything.
One of the first things you said
when you walked into this room
was that you thought Mr. Spalding
hadn't sweated a day in his life.
Well, if Mr. Spalding was
able to pick up his wife's body,
then Larry shouldn't
have any problems doing it.
JUROR 3: Come on,
Larry. What's it gonna hurt?
If you do it, we're out of here.
- I'd like you to do it, Larry.
- So would I.
Well...
You drop me, boy, there's
gonna be another murder trial,
and you get to be
the one that's dead.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Go ahead, Larry. Pick her
up. Carry her across the room.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
[GRUNTING]
He can't lift her.
I don't believe this.
You wanna give me a minute?
- All right, come on, Larry, just...
- Take your hands off me.
You're a strong man, Larry.
You look a lot stronger
than Travis Spalding.
He couldn't have done it.
- I can do it.
- That's enough, Larry.
You're gonna hurt
yourself and Henrietta.
Here. There you go.
Well, I'm convinced.
I'm changing my vote.
Me too.
BRADY: Larry.
He couldn't have done it.
Well, I think he could.
I think you're wrong.
Larry, you don't like
me and I don't care.
This isn't about
winning or losing.
A man's life is at stake.
If you believe beyond a reasonable
doubt this man killed his wife,
then stick to your vote.
But don't stick to your
vote for the wrong reason.
Okay, you can call the bailiff.
[DOOR OPENS]
[CROWD MURMURING]
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
ARMSTRONG: We have, Your Honor.
We, the jury, in the matter of
The People v. Travis Spalding,
on the charge of
murder in the first degree,
find the defendant not guilty.
Thank you, members of
the jury. You are dismissed.
This court is adjourned.
[GAVEL POUNDS]
[CROWD CHATTERING]
Oh, Henrietta. Henrietta,
wait. Wait, wait, wait.
I wanted to say goodbye.
How very kind of you.
You were a great foreperson.
Thank you so much.
- You take care.
- You take care.
- I will.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
- Well, best of luck to both of you.
- And I'll be watching for you on TV.
- Me too.
Excuse me.
Larry? Larry?
Hey, Larry. Larry.
It, uh...
It takes a brave man
to change his mind.
Good luck.
Hey, Ramon.
You too.
Oh. That was some day.
Today we decided a man's life.
Heh. Tomorrow I go back and play gin.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
They ought to put a
lawyer on all of these juries.
Might learn something.
Oh, guys, I gotta go.
Oh, and just like that, we
never see each other again.
- It was brief. MATLOCK: Yeah.
- I'll see you around. Bye.
- Bye.
- Well, so long, Ben.
- You too.
You know, you can
be a royal pain, Ben.
Back at you.
I'd still like to
buy you a beer.
I'd like that.