Original subtitles

The Streets of San Francisco, a Quinn Martin production.

Starring Carl Malden. Also starring Michael Douglas.

With guest stars Michael Burns, Ward Costello,

Lynette Metty, Fred Sadoff,

Gene Hagen.

Tonight's episode, Judgment Day.

Your motion to dismiss is denied, counsel, at least for the time.

You may renew your motion prior to final argument.

We'll recess for lunch now. Court will reconvene at two.

Afternoon, Your Honor.

I'm from Education for Lawyers, the legal publishing house. We have a gift

you, Judge.

A gift?

Yes. What do I have to buy?

No, no strings.

We just feel that our new book is so important that every juror should have a

copy.

Excuse me. The phone.

Sure.

Oh, come on in. Close the door. I have only a few minutes.

Judge Matthews.

Oh, Helen, honey.

Oh, sure, if you can make it by 1 .30.

Oh, I'm so glad you finished. I can't wait to read it.

Mm -hmm.

Bye, honey.

That was my daughter. She's on her way over here. I'm sorry. I won't even have

five minutes.

30 seconds, I promise.

Disbarment proceedings?

I think I'd rather have roses.

You've never read it.

I really wouldn't have any use for it. Judges can't sit on disciplinary review,

but thanks anyway.

No, no, we want you to have it.

All right.

But you have sat on disbarment boards, haven't you?

Oh, a long time ago.

Five years ago?

That book was published then.

It tells why an attorney should be disbarred and why he shouldn't.

How could you be sure you were right if you never even read the book?

Young man, I've read a lot of books in my 20 years in legal practice.

You know, it's no accident that that woman holding the scales of justice is

blindfolded.

Just like you.

Only your blind judgments have ruined people's lives.

Well, you won't pass judgment again.

None of you will.

That makes three in less than four weeks.

Two judges and a public defender.

It's got to be the same killer, Mike. Any leads?

That depends on what you give me.

Same as the last two. 38 caliber slug, close range.

You and the print boys ought to have this report mimeographed.

No changes, no clues, no nothing.

Alan.

Steve. Oh, Steve.

I still can't believe it.

I talked to her.

Not more than an hour ago on the phone.

We were going to celebrate my finishing the law review article tonight.

So now, when you talked to her on the phone, did you notice anything in her

voice, in her tone?

Helen?

No.

She was happy.

Why would anybody do that to her? It doesn't make any sense.

Would you take Miss Matthews home, please? Oh, no, I want to stay.

There's nothing you can do.

As soon as I have anything at all, any information, I'll call you, I promise,

all right?

Okay.

Pretty clean. Mm -hmm.

Antiseptic.

What do you got?

We have one break this time.

What? You.

Now, you knew the judge's friends. Maybe you knew some of her enemies.

Well, Mike, the judge was a very special lady. On or off the bench, she was

fair. She didn't have any enemies.

Can I tell you something?

All judges have enemies.

It's an occupational hazard.

What about that public defender?

He wasn't a judge.

No, you're right.

But he was a lawyer.

And that's our common denominator so far.

That and the fact that they were all at work when they were killed.

There's nothing here. Come on.

Let's talk to Lenny.

Maybe he's got something.

What's for lunch?

Vinegar.

The recipe for salad dressing here is simple. It's vinegar, plain vinegar. Why

didn't you call me back?

I didn't have anything to say, Mike.

You didn't give me enough to go on, not even a connection.

Well, that's just what we don't have, a connection, honestly.

What we've got is two murder judges and a lawyer who never worked on the same

case together. They live in different parts of the city.

There's no financial or personal relationship.

Which leaves us with nothing but a random killer.

Well, maybe that's what he is. Oh, come on now, you don't get any bad. No?

But I can't give you a psychological profile on what you've told me either.

Look, I'm a psychiatrist, not a magician.

You guys make me feel like a first -year med student.

Feed me a couple of isolated facts and expect a full diagnosis.

I almost dropped out because of teachers like you.

You know, two of the victims did go to the same law school, Rutledge.

Why didn't you tell me that before?

Because the third victim went to the University of Arizona.

Well, two out of three. That's better odds than you're going to get out of me.

If law students have to go through the harassment I did at med school, I'd bet

on a revenge motive.

Thank you very much.

For at least 16 professors, I personally wanted a throttle.

Call me.

Let's have lunch sometime.

You want me to drive?

No, I'm okay. I was just thinking about the judge.

Four years of college, law school, 20 years of practice.

What?

You end up with a nine -cent bullet.

You and this Helen Matthews still pretty close?

No, it used to be.

I was carrying a pretty heavy schedule. I was going to school, a couple of part

-time jobs as well as doing my classes.

I used to crash on the Matthews couch.

Judge, she was good to me, you know.

She went to bat for me, got me a partial scholarship.

Maybe she was tired of you sleeping on her couch.

But you know that she was the only one that understood me going into police

rather than law.

We'll get him.

Do you think that the killer's name is on this list? Well, it's just a

possibility. You see, Judge Matthews and Judge Klein graduated in the class of

51. Maybe the murderer did, too.

At least we have this list to check through R &I.

What was the name of the third victim, the public defender?

Scott. Hazen A. Scott.

Hazen A. Scott. That's right.

Would you get me a list of the first -year students, class of 51?

Thank you.

I thought that's what we had here.

No, no.

This is the graduating class.

There's only 89 names here.

That's why I want to see the first -year list.

There's 150 started out.

Thank you.

That class only had 40 % flunk outs. It was a good class, I remember.

Judge Matthews was right at the top of the list.

That is Hazen A. Scott.

Yeah.

That's a connection.

All three of them went to the school, but Scott, he transferred to the

University of Arizona.

A connection, but no motive.

Well, there's just 147 names. Let's run them through a computer.

What computer?

Look, that list is 20 years old.

Now, I can get somebody over Alumni Records to get you some more current

addresses. Well, we'd appreciate that. May we borrow this?

Of course.

Gentlemen. I teach my students that the lawyer and the law enforcer must support

each other.

Because by the time we get to court, it certainly looks as if it works the other

way around.

This sort of balances things out, doesn't it, Dean?

Thank you.

How many are still in the Bay Area?

Well, we'll have to check them out no matter where they are. Yeah?

Is that check included per diem?

Good evening, Mr. Johnson.

I'm from Education for Lawyers, the legal publishing house.

All right.

Let's go over our computer again. The State Bar has got 59 attorneys listed

working in California who graduated from Rutledge.

And 41 of those are still in the Bay Area. Okay, so I'll go down to the Bar

Association. I'll get the addresses on those 41 names.

At this time of night? Well, I got a friend who's working down there, and she

said she'd keep the place open for us. Oh, a friend. I see.

Would you tell her that we appreciate what she's doing? Sure.

I knew you would.

Well, my friend Tanner, tomorrow morning we pick up the phone and we call every

one of these names.

Tomorrow? Why not now?

You call 41 attorneys at this time of night, we'll have another victim. You.

Homicide zone.

Yeah?

What's the address?

Brian Johnson on that Rutledge list?

Uh -uh. Why?

Well, he's on somebody's list.

He's an attorney and he's dead. Grab your coat and take the list. Come on.

The janitor called me at home.

He found Brian's body just as you see it.

I don't understand it. Is some psychopath running around knocking off

for kicks?

That's what the papers say.

Now, why Brian? That's just what we're trying to find out.

Can you tell me what law school your partner attended? Law school?

Bolt Hall. We both went to Bolt.

Just this morning, we decided to take on a new secretary, a second secretary.

Bolt. University of California? That's right.

Did either of you ever go to Rutledge? No, I said Bolt Hall.

What's that got to do with anything?

Well, that breaks the connection.

Look, there was nothing taken.

I told the officer there wasn't a robbery.

Did he have any unhappy clients?

Anyone with a grudge?

Against Brian? Yes.

Oh, I doubt it. He was a very easygoing guy.

Introverted, you know.

Me, maybe. I've got a hot temper sometimes, but not Brian.

Well, what about his personal life?

Was he married?

Well, his wife died about a year ago from cancer. He all but lived in this

office. Would you check this list carefully?

Mark off all the names of the people your partner worked with and his

friends.

Now, you don't think that the killer was another attorney, do you? Well, he knew

them well enough to get into their court chambers and their offices.

Do you know if he expected to see anyone tonight until about 9 o 'clock?

There's a mark on his calendar. Not that I know of.

Now, wait a minute. He did get a call just as I was leaving the office.

But I don't know if Brian promised to see him or not.

You said him.

Yeah, some guy. At least it sounded that way.

But then again, Eddie, well, that's the janitor. He said he never saw anybody in

the hall.

Still, it's possible.

Yeah, it's possible.

Brian did take clients on late at night sometimes. Like I said, he lived in the

office. Now, that's some help.

Yeah. At least we know we're looking for a man.

Hello?

Excuse me.

Can I help you?

Yes, is Judge Abrams in his chambers?

He won't be back until tomorrow.

Is he out playing golf?

He's on vacation.

Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

The judge has a crowded calendar all week. Anything I can do for you? No, my

business is personal with the judge.

I'll be back.

Well, that's it.

No prints, no witnesses, no connection, except for the .38 caliber slugs all

fired from the same gun.

Four murders, and that's all the lab can come up with. I'm doing much better. I

got three teams working full time. I haven't come up with any ties.

Let's look through them again. Maybe we can come up with something.

Where'd you get this?

Tanner picked it up next to Johnson's body.

Homicide zone.

Oh, yeah, he's right here.

I want Matthews for you.

Hi, how you feeling?

All right, I guess.

I called to ask a favor of you.

Sure. I'm over here in Mother's court chambers. I came to pick up her personal

things. But they won't release her books, pictures, anything without a

authorization. Hang on just a second.

Can we release Judge Matthews' personal property?

Yeah, listen, why don't you hang on? I'll come on down and help you.

Okay.

You know, Johnson might have had this in his hand when he got shot.

What are you trying to say?

I think I saw one of these on Judge Matthews' desk, too.

It isn't very much to show for a lifetime of law practice, is it? Your

left an impression on a lot of the lawyers in this town. I was getting over

court with her.

She made him a lot smarter for it.

Steve, Caleb spent two hours packing those.

I'll put it back.

What are you looking for?

This. This here was on your mother's desk the day she was killed.

She was always rechecking the statutes.

Just farm proceedings.

1971. Does this mean anything to you?

Except I don't understand.

She wouldn't care about that.

Why not?

Well, it's five years old.

There's been another revised edition.

Mother always kept up on the literature.

Well, why would a judge and a lawyer have an outdated copy on the desk the

they were shot?

You think the killer brought it with him?

Yeah.

Disbarment's a good motive.

Fifteen members sit on a disciplinary board. It changes every year.

Here, these are all of the proceedings back to 1968.

If you want to go further back, I'll have to take a look at the story. No, I

think this will be fine.

I should think you'd need a research staff.

Here comes my staff right now.

Mrs. Hewitt, this is Lieutenant Stone.

Well, I'm sure glad I brought my glasses. Yeah. Now, these are all the

disbarments between 68 and 71.

Now, the same board resides for the entire year. Is that right? Yes. Their

are on the front of the folders. Thank you. So all we got to do is match our

four names with the year.

Well, you finally made the law school pay off, huh? Maybe, yeah.

It was 71.

Matthews, Wright, Johnson, Scott, Klein, all four were murdered.

Is there anything unusual about the disbarment hearings of 71?

Any cases that stood out?

That board rendered two very close decisions in the Talmadge and Jensen

Eight, four, seven against.

Ah, yes, your four victims voted with the majority in both cases recommending

disbarment.

Ronald... Talmadge, a great deal of publicity, misappropriation of trust

He received a long prison sentence. The papers were full of it.

Both recommendations were upheld by the state Supreme Court.

The other was Elliot Jensen, jury tampering. You remember him, of course.

Sure, he's a defender of liberal causes.

Or radical causes, depending on where you sit.

Now, if Talmadge is still in prison, that just leaves Jensen.

Want to pick him up?

No, no.

I want a lot of hard facts on him before we pick him up. 8 to 7, that's a tough

decision to lose.

I wonder if he was innocent.

Or thinks he was.

Miss Hewitt.

Yes, he is.

Inspector, it's for you.

Thank you.

Yeah, go.

Yeah, it'll go ahead.

Yep.

Mm -hmm.

Right.

Yep. Nice lock.

Well, we can scratch out two more.

Carter died of a stroke in Neely. He's a U .N. advisor in India.

That's five dead, one out of the country, and two still living. What

and Judge Abrams?

Uh, Lang, he moved to Los Angeles, and Abrams, he's still living in the Bay

Area.

Matter of fact, he's due back in court today.

I think we ought to call the LAPD.

Have them put around -the -clock protection on Lang.

We ought to do the same for Judge Abrams.

Jensen's had five years to plan his revenge, and now we've got one day to

him before Judge Abrams comes back.

Not the greatest neighborhood for a big -time lawyer.

Ex -big -time lawyer.

He's on welfare now. That's how I got his address.

Jensen? Sure I know him. Three months in arrears. That's how I know my tenants

by how much they owe me.

Is he in his room?

Upstairs, front apartment.

look so bad when he moved in. Of course, he wasn't exactly the picture of

health, but lately...

I knew it. I knew it.

I should have thrown him out a long time ago.

What's he done?

Jensen?

You in there, Jensen?

Yeah.

I've been here forever.

Who wants to know?

San Francisco Police Department.

The place, gentlemen, but I didn't know you were coming.

Have a seat.

Oh, you prefer to stand.

What's the charge, gentlemen? Or is this just a social visit?

When was the last time you left this room, Mr. Jensen?

The last time?

A long time ago.

Very, very cold.

Nobody spoke on this. Nobody said hello or anything.

Yeah, Mrs. Unger was Mr.

Jensen here in his room the night before last.

It's Ms.

Unger. Of course he was here, just like he is now.

Brought him some soup, he spilled it all over my rug.

Look at him.

What good is he to himself or anybody else?

Never dare to judge until you've heard the other side, madam.

Do you have anyone taking care of you? Any relatives?

Well, somebody said that my conscience would be judgment enough for me.

I always wanted to use that in court, you know.

Mr. Jensen.

My wife, she's dead, but I'm not alone.

He visits me.

Who's that?

My son.

Lovely boy.

Wants to be a lawyer like his old man.

I... I don't see him very often.

But I know he cares.

Couldn't hold a gun steady enough to shoot anyone.

No, but his son could.

Jensen doesn't know where he is. The landlady has never seen him.

Why don't you start with R &I and see if they can't find out his old law firm?

Maybe someone there will know his son.

He got me off the courthouse.

Well, we don't know who's pulling the trigger, but I can guarantee you the

victim.

Everybody's life is in danger, Lieutenant. Haven't you driven Marcus

lately? Well, this threat is a little more direct, Your Honor. I understand.

But I'm quite sure the marshals can protect me. Judge, all I'm asking is to

to that protection.

While I'm off the bench, certainly.

But I won't allow my courtroom to be turned into an armed camp.

Anyway, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I keep a loaded pistol in

that drawer out there, and I'm not afraid to use it.

Well, then how about a compromise?

Stay home until we get this thing settled.

Lieutenant, my calendar's more congested than the Bayshore Freeway.

Besides, the presiding judge wouldn't allow it. He already has.

I talked to him.

Now, see here.

Come in.

May I talk to you for a minute?

Judge Abrams, Inspector Keller.

Hello.

What have you got?

Barry Jensen. That's the kid's name. He's a possible.

Jensen's partner remembers he dropped out of Berkeley about a month after his

father's disbarment.

Possible nervous breakdown.

Wait a minute.

I remember.

The Jensen boy filed an appeal.

It looks like he's pronouncing his own judgments now.

5 '8", 140 pounds, sandy hair. That's how he looked five years ago. He's 22

Our eyes run a check on him. Motor vehicles, too.

Good -looking guy. Early 20s. Yeah.

If you have a crystal ball, Richard, don't hold out on me.

I can use it to clear up this backlog.

No, Judge, no crystal ball.

He was in court yesterday, looking for you.

He said he'd be back.

Your father owes me three months' rent. Now, I don't want to have to call my

lawyer. He's not feeling well right now. He'll pay you when he gets better.

When will that be? I want my money now, $150.

You'll get it.

I'll be back.

Dad? It's me, Barry.

Dad?

I'm going to get you out of here real soon now, Dad.

I should have done it a long time ago.

As soon as I got back home.

I promised that doctor I'd take care of you.

Just had to take care of them first.

Dad?

You all right?

Now, did you say his son was headed south?

I didn't say south. I don't know south from Miami. I said he went that way.

But don't you worry. He's going to come back to pay the rent. He said so.

Did he say when?

I think he was putting me out.

There goes that $100.

You stay in your apartment. Don't open the door for anyone.

We'll keep you under surveillance.

You think he's dangerous?

We just don't want to take any chances. Now, go on.

Okay, I'm on my way, and tell Tanner to put Barry Jensen's DMV photo on my desk.

We're over the scratch -out lane.

LAPD got him on DOA. Car accident, hit and run.

Did Tanner describe him to you?

Yeah. Young male, Caucasian, sandy hair.

Sounds like Barry. Well, it was no accident.

Come on, let's go.

You still think he'll show while court's in session?

Well, with his father dead, he's capable of doing anything.

All right.

Just to set the record straight, you make no decisions.

I'll sit in the rear of the court, run decisions by mail later.

All you do is take matters under submission. You understand?

Even then, I doubt that it's legal. But I'll let the presiding judge take the

rap if it isn't.

Now, you're the only one that has seen Barry Jensen.

If you see any young man come through that courtroom door that looks like him

any way, you give me a signal. Yes, sir.

Now the matter before this court is Donner versus Bren.

Are Mr. Richard Donner and Mr. Alex Bren present in the courtroom?

Step forward.

Jackson on criminal procedures.

One minute.

Hurry it up, will you?

I got to read the last hundred pages for a test in an hour.

You should have started a week ago.

Save it. You sound like an old Oliver Wendell Schwartz himself.

I get enough of that in class.

You'll never make a trial attorney if you don't learn to prepare in advance.

There's no money in trial work.

Let those clowns knock their brains out, chasing ambulances and arguing the fine

points of criminal justice.

All I want for my degree is a fat corporate salary.

Well, the real challenge is in criminal law.

Where'd you get that, from one of your books? No.

No, a great trial attorney proved it to me.

Yeah, okay, so some of them make it to the top.

But then what do they have?

A footnote in some dusty legal journal?

He didn't even have that.

You see what I mean?

I'll take stock options and big retirement pay any old day.

Representation is something you buy.

It's like a color TV.

Is that all you think about?

Money and power?

Just give me the book. You know, some people still think about justice.

You're crazy, Barry, you know that?

Crazy.

The respondent maliciously and fraudulently misrepresented the

car. He said there was a 90 -day warranty on both parts and labor, Your

65 days later, the transmission went out, and he flatly refused to fix it.

Come to the point if you can.

That constitutes an oral contract, according to the law.

Do you have a witness?

You bet, Your Honor. My wife heard every word.

Is she in the courtroom?

No, she couldn't take off work today, but I have a letter from her stating all

the facts.

I'd like to enter this as Exhibit A.

Yes.

Um, Exhibit A?

Take your case under submission, and you'll receive the decision by postcard.

Why can't you make up your mind now?

Because I choose not to.

Well, what's so difficult?

Look, if you want an argument, I'll give you an argument.

Some judge you are.

Sit down.

You get anything from DMV?

Jackpot.

They're sending us a picture from his driver's license.

The address was over two years old, and I checked it. No good.

How do these guys always look like choir boys?

Hey, Steve, I gotta get copies. Have DMV make another one. Mike's in court right

now.

When you saw Mr. Leans painting your house the wrong color, why didn't you

him? I tried, Your Honor, but he kept telling me, wait until it's through,

you're going to like it.

But you didn't. Oh, not one little bit, Your Honor.

See, I picked out this nice cream, you know? He painted it canary yellow.

Oh, I don't know much about the law, Your Honor, but if you brought your car

to be painted red...

And this clown painted it pink. You wouldn't like it.

No, would you, Your Honor?

Operator, I want the bailiff's office.

Hello?

Listen carefully.

I will only say this once.

There's a bomb planted in Department 2 Small Claims Court.

It will go off in five minutes.

All I'm asking for is what's fair and legal, Your Honor.

I mean, a poor housewife has to have some protection against dishonest

I don't have to pay that man, do I, Judge?

Yes, I'll take your case under submission, and you'll get your decision

Now, this court is in recess, and I'd like you all to leave this building

quietly and quickly.

Clear the court.

Everybody out.

Directly to the exit, please. Move quickly, please. Quickly and quietly to

exits.

What's the matter? What happened? Call the bomb squad. Tell them to check out

all the courtrooms in this wing. All right.

It's this way.

I just talked to the doctor. So did I over the phone. You know he's all right.

He's mad as hell, right?

Well, you don't look so happy either. Well, I sealed off a six -block area,

combed every one of those buildings, and found nothing.

That kid is either smart or very lucky.

Well, you look good.

Let me see you there in a minute, will you?

get accommodation for a scratch like that. Then you use your influence around

her. I've been here a day. I want to get out of here. I'm just a shrink. You get

your walking papers from your doctor. How do you feel?

Lousy. I blew it. No, you didn't blow it. Not in a crowd like that. Not at

Well, I could have avoided getting shot.

As you get older, you slow up a bit.

Uh -huh. Yeah.

Well, I'd just like to know how he got the piece into the courthouse in the

first place.

Here. I want you to read it.

Read it in here.

he even thought he fucked us up, huh?

What is this? First year law book.

Yeah. I don't want to be forced.

The stamp's been erased out. What is this? R?

That's Rutledge?

Yeah, but Jensen dropped out of Berkeley.

Yeah, but his father went to Rutledge.

So? So he could be following in his footsteps.

What are you trying to tell me?

Okay, I'm just lying here making up my own psychological profile, but the boy

idolized his father.

Maybe he couldn't handle the disgrace, right?

Right. Well, that's obvious.

So maybe he went to Rutledge. We never checked that with the dean.

Now you're thinking.

What do you say, Lenny? Should we check it out?

Well, what do I know? You're the cops.

We just take the book down to the lab, have the boys check with an infrared.

Can I tell you something?

Yeah. I already did.

It came from Rutledge. So you just lie back and rest yourself while we go out

and take care of this thing, huh?

No way. I'm going with you. No, the doctor's got you in here, but you won't

his observation. Mike, I'm depending on you to get me out of here.

You planned this whole thing, didn't you?

I knew you wanted to be on the collar for personal reasons.

Why does the department even pay you? He does all the head work.

Could he be enrolled under an alias?

No, no. We verify every academic transcript.

But this book did come from your library.

Oh, yes, yeah.

Say, you know what? You might show this picture to Mrs. Newton.

That's our librarian. She might recognize him.

Thank you very much.

So, Dave?

You go around the back.

Don't come up here or I'll kill you.

You don't have a chance.

Like my father, huh?

They didn't give him a chance.

They framed him.

They were afraid he'd revolutionize their corrupt justice.

He had a chance to defend himself, Barry.

But they wouldn't listen to the truth.

They condemned him.

Just like you condemned all the people you killed.

Who gave you that right?

They deserve to die, Abrams.

Like you.

Well, now, just for a minute, Judge.

That case was cut and dried.

Oh, no, no.

I don't buy that.

No, sir, not for a minute.

All right.

All right, then. What about the Bren case?

You didn't go for the used car dealer, did you?

The car dealer was right.

He sold the vehicle below market price as is.

He deserves to be paid.

Judgment for the plaintiff.

Yeah, well... To be honest with you, Judge, I thought the boy was telling the

truth.

Okay, then.

How about Mrs. Ledbetter?

There's no proof the painter made a mistake.

The lady changed her mind after the house was painted.

Obviously, she wanted it redone for free.

Judgment for the plaintiff?

No question about it.

And what about the Carlson case?

For the defendant?

All right, Your Honor.

Yes, thanks.

Yeah, well, thank you, Judge.

Goodbye.

Oh, no.

No, I must admit it was a great experience sitting behind that bench.

Yes. Goodbye.

Lunchtime.

Yeah. What do you know? Judge Abrams' verdict was opposite the way I would

gone in four out of ten cases.

Maybe that's why you're behind the desk and he's behind the bench.

Come on, you're on lunchtime. No, wait a minute. You had two years of law

school, didn't you?

Yeah. Well, now tell me.

If the defendant challenges with an oral contract and the plaintiff has no

witnesses, are you with me so far? I don't know what you're talking about.

Well, now, wait a minute.

The judge agrees on that letter.