Original subtitles

Thank you.

After you left your men to investigate the murder scene, what did you do?

A family had just been slaughtered like animals.

What the hell do you think I did? Your Honor. I went looking for the man who

it. You mean someone to pin it on.

Why did you stop Mr.

Edmonds' automobile?

I wanted to talk to him.

After he was fired by Mr. Miller, he was heard making threats against him and

his family.

Come on, Captain Hanna.

Did any witness place my client at the scene?

No, but... Was there any evidence connecting my client with the murder?

Not at that time, but... Did any reliable source provide any information

I don't rely on tips.

So, with not one shred of evidence, or anything remotely resembling probable

cause, you stop my client, and without his consent, search both him and his

automobile. The murder weapon was in the trunk. I had the guy called.

Your Honor?

The seizure of this weapon violated the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

It must be suppressed.

He's guilty of sin.

You can't let him walk.

Further, upon exclusion of this evidence, the only link between my

this crime, defense moves this case be dismissed for lack of evidence.

In light of the flagrant abuse of the defendant's constitutional right, I have

no choice but to dismiss this case.

Hey, Edward. Hey, Edward.

Hey. Ben, it's been too long. Yeah.

What say we catch up over T -bones at the steakhouse? We used to be their best

customer. Great idea. We'll do that soon.

I'll give you a call, Ben. Is everything all right?

Couldn't be better. Just busy.

I understand that.

Good to see you. Right.

Take it easy, man. All right. See you both.

people back.

What? Good buddy.

Hold on to your hat, honey.

What do you got?

Homicide. Sometime last night.

Coroner's on his way.

What do you know?

It's what I said.

Single shot through the base of the skull with this.

22, taped handle, no prints, no way to trace it. Yeah, mob hit.

The mob didn't do this. Look, when you've been 32 years on the force,

know a mob execution when you see one. This is how it's done.

Edmonds wasn't mobbed. And he didn't slaughter the Mailer family either.

Hey, Shannon.

I expect you to be green, but not stupid.

Last night, Frank Caliguire walked into the station and confessed.

Caliguire is nothing. He's a punk.

He's a punk high on PCP looking for drug money.

He tore up the mailer house and then killed him. The PCP ran out.

He crashed. He got scared, got religion. Who knows?

But he gave himself up.

I don't buy it.

We had hard evidence on Edmonds.

The gun.

Caliguire said he planted it.

Put a call into the precinct. Morrison will tell you.

Edmonds was gone.

His last conviction, he assaulted a cop. Could have killed him.

Whoever did Edmonds did this city a favor.

Whoever did Edmonds is guilty of murder.

And I don't think this is the first time this has happened.

Meaning?

I think you know.

Jander, let's bag the rest of the evidence, get it down to the left. Come

Listen, Jim.

You gotta stop calling Captain Hannah the Mad Hatter.

Stop telling people he's flipped out. What do you call it, Reese?

He's a good officer trying to keep us alive out there.

He's over the edge.

He's a Section 8.

You're telling me he's flipped out. I told you to can it!

Take a hike, punk.

Time to talk again, Malcolm.

Forget it, butthole.

Hello, Captain.

I'd like to talk to you.

I've been thinking about you, Shanley.

You went to college, didn't you?

Captain. Maybe you should go back, get your law degree, start defending those

creeps you're so crazy about.

Listen, Captain.

ACLU is the place for you, Shanley.

Not my precinct. I'm a cop, Captain. Wait till someone you know gets blown

Let's see if you're still screaming due process.

Everybody knows what happened to your wife, Captain.

In less than two years, five guys who slipped through the system have been

wasted. I think I found the connection.

That a fact.

In each case, you were the arresting officer.

I talked to a guy named Malcolm. He says he's done business lately with a cop.

Sounds like you're building a case against somebody, Shanley.

You got any proof?

I don't have anything yet.

And I don't want to have anything.

Captain, you've got 30 years.

More decorations than most generals.

Hell, you're a legend at the academy. Edward Hanna, the cop's cop.

What do you want from me, Shirley?

Retire, Captain.

Pack it in.

I'm afraid I can't do that.

I want you to know I'm investigating this. And sooner or later, I'll have to

to internal affairs.

Retirement's no dishonor, Captain.

Think about it.

I don't know.

Who is it?

It's Hannah.

I've been thinking about what you said about retirement.

It's not the worst idea I ever heard.

That's a relief, Captain.

Pack it in.

Let some hot shot like you take over.

Now you get over here to the phone.

Come on.

You dial 555 -5813.

That'll be Sergeant Reese.

You tell him to meet you in the Pike Street alley in 20 minutes.

Dial.

Stop right here.

Look, I wrote everything down.

Something happens to me, they're going to find my notes and know you did it.

Shut up and turn around.

You'll never get away with it.

All right, freeze it right there, buddy.

Real slow.

For the 20th time, he called, I went.

I heard a shot, I investigated, I got clobbered.

Why'd you give Shanley $5 ,000?

I didn't. What were you doing with a quarter pound of coke in your car?

I don't know.

Still sticking to his story like glue.

Well, then damn it, he's telling the truth.

Shanley, Reese, both good cops.

I can't believe they'd be dealing in drugs.

What about the guy in the red sweatshirt seen in the alley?

I'll find him.

Just up from Ballistics.

Yeah, thanks.

The bullet that killed Shanley came from Reese's gun.

Damn it.

Book him.

I came to, two officers were standing over me, and Officer Shanley was lying

there, dead.

I know how it looks, but I didn't kill him.

I guess they took your picture when they booked you.

Yeah, it's standard procedure.

We'll have a record of that bruise on your neck.

How did you and Officer Shanley get along?

You're not going to like this.

I thought Shanley was a jerk.

He was always blowing off about Captain Hanna, calling him the Mad Hatter.

Mad Hatter?

Captain Hanna's a good cop.

Okay, he's maybe a little hard -nosed.

Try a lot hard -nosed.

You know him?

Since my hair was brown and his was crew -cut, a long time.

Officer Shanley's partner, what can you tell me about him?

Her, Mr. Matlock.

Donna Dawson's a good cop.

Clear -headed, quick on her feet, and loyal, especially to Shanley.

Officer Dawson.

Hi, I'm Ben Matlock, Jerry Reese's attorney.

My partner wasn't dirty, Mr. Matlock.

Then you don't buy the theory that he and...

Jerry Reese were digging drugs.

Never. Jim was set up.

When I find out who and why, then I'll know why Jerry Reese killed him. You

don't think someone else set up Jerry Reese as well?

Look, Mr. Madlock, Jerry Reese was found at the scene, and his gun was the

murder weapon.

The only thing I'm missing is motive, and I'm digging.

Maybe we could work together.

You've got to be kidding.

I've known a lot of people, but there was only one person I would trust my

with, and did, every day.

That was Jim Shanley. Now, if Jerry Reese killed him, why in hell would I

you?

Well, I'll tell you.

In the first place, Jerry Reese didn't kill your partner.

And I intend to prove that.

And when I do prove it, it'll clear Jerry Reed.

And it'll clear Jim Shanley's name as well.

He was investigating our precinct, Captain.

Edward Hanna?

Captain Hanna's wife was murdered by some punk on parole, and since then the

captain's been... difficult.

Well, he had a terrible thing happen to him.

But the captain's pulled some stuff.

It's gone way past bizarre.

And Jim was keeping a list.

I've known Edward Hanna for 30 years.

Jim told me that when he was through investigating Captain Hanna, he'd be

to the review board.

Maybe even internal affairs.

Do you have any idea where your partner was keeping this list?

Do you know the names of the most attractive women in Atlanta?

Right here.

Shanley dated them all.

I figured if he was dealing, he might have kept a ledger.

Something in here.

Any luck?

Nothing. A call just came in.

One of our men talked to somebody. He said they saw a guy in a red sweatshirt

sleeping it off behind a dumpster this morning.

Where?

700 block of Pike.

Here. Do something with this.

Game's over.

Who's next?

Malcolm, old buddy. I want you to meet a friend of mine, Ben Matlock.

Hiya.

He's A .K .A. Alice.

Short for Alice's Restaurant.

Anything you need, Alice can get.

Fake birth certificates, new driver's license, hot cars, untraceable firearms.

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

Jim Shanley was in here yesterday.

What did he want?

Must have missed him.

Been downtown lately, Alice?

Go ahead.

I'd rather be rousted than wind up dead in some alley. Are you saying that

Officer Shanley was killed because of something you told him?

I'm saying nothing.

It was guns, wasn't it?

He wanted to find out who's been getting cold .22s off of you. What did you tell

him? That I'm lousy at remembering names.

How about the name Edward Hanna?

Look Ain't no way Is anyone gonna get a name out of me Being out of business is

one thing Being dead is another

I'm looking for a guy wearing a red sweatshirt. You know, the kind with the

hood, alley red, a boozer. Have you seen him around here?

No. Don't walk away from me. Think about it, harebrained.

A guy with a red sweatshirt, a boozer. Now, have you seen him? I haven't. Have

you seen him anywhere around here? No, I haven't, man. I swear.

I swear.

I heard

you were down here.

Yeah.

Weren't you a little rough on him?

It should have been a lot rougher. Things have changed, Ben.

Punks carry Uzis instead of switchblades.

Crack is cheap. Life is a lot cheaper.

You let down for a minute, the plane taps over your coffin.

Life hasn't improved.

Of course, you can't take care of it by yourself.

Why are you conducting this investigation personally?

When you want something done right, Ben, you do it yourself.

I want to thank you for taking on Reese. He's a good man.

I don't know what the hell happened. How did Officer Shanley measure up? Well,

he made his share of mistakes, man.

Showed a lot of promise.

You know, the talk was that he didn't like

you.

Called you the mad hat.

He kept some kind of crazy list.

things you had done, and he was telling people that you ought to resign from the

force.

I'm not surprised.

When a person shows a lot of potential, I'm a lot tougher on him.

But as far as his writing down stuff, believe me, he had better things to do.

I kept that kid hopping.

Look, I've got a lot of work to do.

I'll call you next week, okay? Okay.

Take care, man. Okay.

Freeze.

Don't move.

Officer Doc. Cops can see in the dark, Mr. Matlock, but lawyers... Well, the

lights were on when I...

Hmm.

Well, I could have sworn I heard somebody.

You did.

They treating you all right?

Nobody looks me in the eye.

Well, a cop accused of killing a cop.

I'm okay.

Good.

Now, your gun killed Jim Shanley, but you didn't.

Who could have switched guns with you?

My gun is either on me or locked up.

When is it locked up?

When I shower at the precinct or when I work out. Then it's in my locker.

Did you work out the day Jim Shanley was killed? Every day, after my shift.

Is there a master key to those lockers?

Sure, in the office.

You mean anybody in that office could have opened your locker while you were

working out and switched guns with you?

Anybody authorized to go in the office can go in any locker. That's procedure.

Oh. Are you trying to say another cop?

You don't think that's possible?

Hell no.

Why would... No.

It's not possible.

I looked through your belongings in the property room. I noticed you had a St.

Jude medal.

I saw one exactly like it in Jim Shanley's effects.

Yeah, Captain Hanna gave them to everybody one Christmas.

It was his wife's idea.

She should have given one to herself.

Matt, I was just going to call you.

I did some investigating.

Five suspects freed on technicalities wound up shot to death a short time

Captain Hanna was involved in all five cases.

And just this week, a guy named Bo Edmonds was found dead the day after a

case against him was dismissed.

Now, why it was dismissed?

Captain Hanna performed an illegal search and seizure.

How's Jerry Reese?

Oh, he's holding on.

Did you find the man in the red sweatshirt?

Oh, just a matter of time.

How about you? You getting anywhere?

You know, I was thinking on the way over here about how we met.

Yeah, I was just a rookie and you were... Scared out of my shoes.

My first case.

You won it.

Your testimony didn't hurt.

You were the best rookie.

I ever saw.

And the best cop.

Yeah.

I believe in justice.

So do you.

That's why we're friends.

Uh... I've got a theory. You want to hear it?

Yeah.

Shoot. Okay.

Here it is.

Now...

Jim Shanley was killed by another officer. That's a fact. But not Jerry

A third officer was involved.

What makes you think it was a cop?

Because of the bruises on his neck.

When made by a police chokehold.

And that patrol car that just happened by, hell, the killer knew that patrol

was coming by because the killer was...

Interesting theory, huh? Yeah.

I'll tell you.

I can keep me posted.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

Did you know that Jim Shanley was keeping a Mad Hatter list?

I found some notes scribbled on a pad in his house the other night.

Did you really do all those things?

I don't know.

I never saw the list.

Oh, here's Scott.

Is it?

Yeah.

The way this is written, it makes me out a nutcase.

I can't figure, Jim Shanley.

Keep it.

Keep it.

I'll see you.

Take care, Ben.

I'm looking for a guy wearing a red sweatshirt. Another guy with a hood,

red. You can't see a guy like that around here.

See him, let me know, all right?

Get away from me. No, come on, work with me. You still looking for that guy on

the red sweatshirt? Yeah, have you seen him?

Yeah, in the alley.

On St.

Clair between, uh, 7th and 8th. Yeah?

Looking for a sweatshirt. Yeah.

Wait. Hey!

Hey, what was in it for me, huh?

Don't shoot!

I wouldn't do that, Edward.

I didn't want to believe it.

You were going to shoot him, Edward, because you were afraid he could

you.

He never saw Officer Shanley murdered. He never saw you.

He ran because he heard a siren. People who sleep behind dumpsters don't think

of policemen as their friends.

I don't presume to know what goes on in your head, Ben, other than getting your

client off.

I was merely pursuing a witness in a murder case.

Now that you've determined he's not a witness...

We can all go home.

Jim Shanley.

Bo Edmonds.

Taurus. Taylor.

Hill.

Fremont.

You killed them all.

Ben.

Think about what you're saying.

Edward Hanna.

Captain of police.

Guilty of murder.

This is Sergeant Shanley's list.

I saw the list. It's nothing.

It'll do for openers.

And I have evidence.

What kind of evidence?

You'll hear it in court.

You tell me now.

Sorry.

Ben.

don't count on our friendship.

Edward, I don't know you.

Where's your medal?

What medal?

Your St. Jude medal.

Your wife gave you.

It's at home in the drawer.

Or maybe Sergeant Shanley put up a struggle, tore it off.

Maybe it's still somewhere.

In the alley.

Detain him.

Barn, trucker.

Captain, you want us to... You put him in a holding room and don't let him out

of your sight.

You want us to hold him... Are you questioning my order, officer?

Sorry, Mr. Matlock.

What the hell are you gawking at?

Go on.

My name is Captain Edward Calvin Hanna.

I work for the Atlanta Police Department.

I reside at 645 Biloxi Street in Atlanta, Georgia.

How long have you been a policeman, Captain Hanna?

32 years.

And you've been a captain for... 10 years.

And in that time, you have acquired a most impressive

reputation.

I believe they call you the cop's cop.

I've heard that.

And in your 32 years, you've received dozens of citizen commendations. You've

been awarded the police star.

You're the only officer on the APD to have twice received the Medal of Valor.

Any officer in the world would be proud of your record.

I am.

Some cases are harder than others, Captain Hanna.

But, of course, you know that.

When did the people who work under you start calling you

the Mad Hatter?

Nobody's ever called me that to my face, so I wouldn't know. You know where the

nickname came from?

No idea.

I might.

The decedent, James Shanley, wrote it down.

Objection.

Mr. Matlock is testifying, not asking questions.

I seriously doubt the relevancy of any of this.

Goes to motive, Your Honor. I certainly hope so, Mr. Matlock.

Proceed. Thank you.

When a patrol officer lost his Atlanta Police Department baseball cap...

A couple years ago, you suspended him for three weeks without pay.

That is indeed true.

Three weeks without pay.

Officer Shanley thought that was fairly irrational, so he started calling you

the Mad Hatter.

There was no irrationality.

The emblem of the Atlanta Police Department is on our baseball caps.

It looks like a badge.

Anyone wearing one would be presumed to be a police officer. If a street punk

got his hands on one, he could pass himself off as a cop.

Anything could happen.

By severely punishing one of my officers, I taught them all a very

lesson.

If they saw fit to call me names after that, so be it.

Then there was the Officer Parsons incident.

Your Honor, I still fail to see the relevance. Mr. Matlock, as Captain Hanna

himself has just stated, his actions may have been extreme, but they were not

necessarily irrational.

And they hardly justify the very serious allegations you seem to be making.

Not by themselves, Your Honor. No, probably not.

But Jim Shanley wrote down something else.

At this time, I would like the last page of these notes

to be entered into evidence as defense exhibit D.

I have made copies.

It's a list of names.

Five. All five of these men.

...were involved in cases in which Captain Hanna was also involved.

They were all arrested for one reason or another.

And each was released on a technicality.

And each was found shot to death a short time later. Isn't that true,

Captain Hanna?

You knew that Jim Shanley had figured it out, didn't you?

The names, the untraceable guns.

What are you talking about, Mr. Matlock? Didn't he tell you that he didn't have

enough proof to go to the D .A., but he would keep digging and digging until he

did?

This is total fabrication.

You have unlimited access to the police property room, don't you? Yes, I do.

And the day after Jim Shanley was murdered, a quarter pound of cocaine

missing, didn't it?

That's right. You recently sold your old pickup truck, didn't you?

Well, yes, I did. For $5 ,000 cash?

Of course, cash.

And there's a master key to all the policemen's lockers at the precinct,

including Jerry Reese. Isn't that right?

For emergency use, yes. And you know where that key is kept.

It's my job to know.

Isn't this what really happened?

captain hannah that night at the bar jim shanley

told you as soon as he had enough evidence he was going to the review

board or internal affairs an official inquiry

that could mean the end of your career destroy your reputation

place you in prison

Captain Edward Hanna, the cop's cop.

You got scared, didn't you?

You went back to the precinct, and while Jerry Reese was working out in the gym,

you opened his locker and switched revolvers with him.

Then you went to Jim Shanley's home, forced him to call Jerry Reese, told him

meet him at the Pike Street Alley, and there...

You killed Jim Shanley.

And when Officer Reese showed up, you choked him out, put the 5 ,000 in Jim

Shanley's pocket, planted the cocaine in Officer Reese's car and took off.

Ben, this is garbage.

Right here.

St. Jude medal.

Your wife gave you one of these.

A year or two before she died, didn't she?

Yes. Was anything inscribed on the back?

Yes.

For luck.

Forever.

Love, Emily.

Your men tell me you wear that medal every day. Like it so much,

you gave each of them one.

I wear it frequently, but not every day. How about the night Jim Shanley was

killed? You wear it then? I don't remember.

Of course you did.

And somehow, in his death struggle, he tore it from your neck. It fell to

the ground. You probably scrambled around looking for it.

But then when Officer Reese arrived, you had other work to do.

And then when the third car, the patrol car, arrived, you had to leave without

finding it, hoping...

No one else would.

Am I right?

Sorry, Counselor.

Oh.

So you found it.

It was never lost.

Oh, but it was.

Right up until... the moment you thought I was going to go look for it.

You had me detained at the precinct while you went and looked for it

This is my medal, inscribed to me by my wife.

Read the inscription.

For luck.

Forever.

Love, Emily.

There's something else inscribed on the medal, isn't there?

At the very bottom, in very small letters.

Read the initials on the bottom of the medal.

The initials are... B...

L. M.

Benjamin Layton Matlock.

My initials.

We find the defendant, Jerry Reed, not guilty.