Original subtitles

So,

Judge Hamner called me and Hogan into his chambers.

What, out of the blue? Right after the adjournment court. I tell you, Dick, my

head was spinning. I had no idea what this was about. What happened? As soon

we closed the door, Hamner turns to Hogan, points his finger at Hogan and

Counselor. It is your God -given and legal right to object in my courtroom,

so help me. If you utter another groundless objection, I am going to turn

your client and strongly recommend that he discharge you and then hold you while

he decks you. Got it? That's priceless.

Oh, Brad.

Sorry.

Settlement conference ran longer than I thought.

How'd it go?

Lousy. What did the homeowners ask for? What do you mean?

Who are they kidding?

Look, Andros Chemical dumped toxic waste all over that development, boys.

The area's contaminated. We realize people got sick, Brad.

They got cancer, Dick.

Six times the national rate.

Personally, I think the jury's going to award that homeowner's group upwards of

50 million.

I recommended to Andros that they settle. I'm not sure that was wise,

I'm surprised they didn't fire us on the spot.

I worked my hide four months on this case.

If you think you can do better, be my guest. Come on, Brad, we're not second

-guessing you. Like hell.

And something else. I want that young associate to saddle me with off the

Brad, you're one of the people who hired Todd McCormick. So I made a mistake.

And I'm not talking about his linen suit or the stereo system in his office.

He's unconventional. He's worthless. Brad, I think you're overreacting.

Now, come on.

Let's give him another chance.

And over the course of this trial, you'll be presented with irrefutable

indicating that high lethal levels of trioxin, a deadly contaminant, were

and still continues to be present in the soil in this community.

A chemical recklessly and cavalierly dumped by Andros Chemical

Corporation. These people, they have no conscience.

There is only one way.

to get the attention of toxic polluters like Andros Chemical, and that's to

punish them.

Punish them with the highest possible monetary judgment against them.

Thank you.

And while counsel for the plaintiff will try to paint the picture of Andros

Chemical as a group of evil, negligent polluters, evidence will prove quite to

the contrary.

The truth is...

At the time the disposal of trioxin occurred, Andros Chemical was operating

within safety standards required by law.

No one, not Andros Chemical, not even the Environmental Protection Agency,

at the time that the health and the safety of the people of this community

being jeopardized.

Andros Chemical abided by the laws set by your legislators.

Is it not then patently unfair to punish someone who adheres to the laws that

govern them?

The hour is late.

This court will stand in recess until 10 o 'clock tomorrow morning.

Let's go in, Brad.

No, thanks, Tom, but we're going to get buried.

Listen, I'm still researching other areas of tract and contamination where

incidence of birth defects and cancer are lower than this.

Well, you plan on getting me this information for this trial?

It's not easy, Brad.

Look, I don't want to hear your belly aching. Just get me the information.

Hi.

Car's down the block.

How's your hangover?

The trial's pretty interesting.

Well, obviously you're still mad.

Yeah, I'm still mad.

They're my best friends, Janet.

Believe me, I'm aware of that, Gary. You spend four nights a week drinking with

them. You know, their wives don't get on their case every time they stay out

late with me.

Don't pretend you don't know what this is about.

How many of your drinking buddies come home smelling like a French whorehouse?

I also smelled like cigarettes.

Why don't you accuse me of smoking?

Because cigarettes were never one of your weaknesses.

Janet, come on, Janet. Look, I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry.

Get it. I'm an idiot. I think we've established that by now, haven't we?

I'm not fooling around.

You better not be.

Hang on.

Where are those studies you promised me?

Uh, I'm sorry, Brad. I'm not having much luck.

Look, this is the telephone number for the president of Andros Chemical

Corporation. I want you to call him up, and I want you to tell him that the luck

upon which we have based our entire defense seems to be eluding us.

Look, Brad, I know you think I've just been sitting here... You have given me

reason... Wait, wait, wait, Brad. Look, look, look. Here.

Feet your eyes. Twelve cases.

of toxin contamination over three different continents. The levels of

are almost identical to our case. The incidence of cancer is the same. Infant

mortality is the same. We do not pay you to prove our opposition's case. The

evidence you're looking for doesn't exist, Brad.

Andrew's chemical broke the law. Don't blame me for that.

You haven't been around here long enough to get a severance package.

Just clean out your desk and don't show your face around here again.

Maybe I should give up my day job.

Wait a minute.

Don't you have to get a day job to give it up? Oh, yeah. You're right.

All right, guys. Double or nothing. What do you say? No. Come on. No. Come on.

No way. Come on. It's always double or nothing with you. It's time to pay up. A

bet? A bet. That's right. Pay the bet.

Put up or shut up, huh?

You've never shot that well before in your entire life.

That's why we couldn't play again. I didn't have any more of that in you.

Hey, Garrett.

This little number five can't take her eyes off you, man. Take a look.

Now, why you?

You're not that good looking.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, Jim, I'm at the party with fun while it lasted. Oh, no, no.

I'm in enough trouble with Janet every day. Oh, come on, Gary. That doesn't

you. Yeah, well.

Hey, you get her phone number?

I'm buying beers the rest of the week.

Excuse me. Did you say rest of the week? Rest of the week.

Well,

I'm getting thirsty.

Oh, yeah. I'm drinking.

How you doing?

Fine.

It's this kind of scintillating conversation that's become my trademark.

You're very good.

Obviously, my reputation perceives me.

I don't.

Oh.

I hope

you got a raise

recently, Tom.

Well, I will certainly call you.

Coming.

Hi,

Mr. Matlock. Well, as I live and breathe.

It's Tom McCormick. I applied for a job with you here a few years ago. I

remember. You?

Yeah. You're the only lawyer that I know looking for a job ever asked me where

my season tickets for the Hawks and the Braves were.

Huh.

You mind if I come in? Come on in.

What is that, crepe paper?

It's linen.

Must wrinkle a ton.

So, where'd you wind up? You want a bottle of pop or something?

No, thanks.

Over at Gavin and Howard.

It's a good firm.

Yeah. Just left them, actually.

Oh, yeah?

I went to law school because I wanted to defend the wrongly accused, the little

guy. Who do I end up defending?

Toxic polluters.

You got fired.

It was a mutual thing.

Gavin and Howard is...

Pretty conservative firm, especially Bradford Wilcox.

Yeah, I know Brad.

Then you know he's nothing like you. He's really rigid.

Didn't like the gray paper or anything else about me.

You're looking for work.

Mr. Matlock, I'm an even better lawyer than I was two years ago, and I joined a

tennis club. You and I could go out on the weekends, hit the ball around, a

little cardiovascular.

Yeah, I'm not much for tennis.

and I've got my daughter working for me, and we've got a young man, and he's

already complaining he doesn't have enough to do.

Yeah, I understand.

And for what it's worth, I still don't have tickets to the Braves and the Hogs.

Brad! Brad, over here!

Mr. McCormick, as a member of the State Bar, I know you are aware of the

severity of these charges against you.

Will you please approach the bench?

Sir. While you are certainly within your right to represent yourself against

these charges, I feel I would be remiss in my duties if I did not strongly

advise you to seek more experienced counsel for your defense.

Thank you, Your Honor.

I take it that means you intend to remain your own attorney.

I don't see that I have much choice, Your Honor.

To be perfectly candid with you, I've overextended myself a little bit. I'm

in the financial position to hire one of the top firms, and I have more

confidence in myself than a court -appointed attorney.

All right.

And on to the subject of bail.

There you go. Oh, thank you.

Here you go.

See what?

I'll throw you a hard -on.

It's just like yours.

Hmm. Turkey? It does not.

Yes, it does.

It has less than half the fat.

I don't care what you call it. That's not a hot dog.

Roast beef made with turkey is not roast beef.

I'll remember that, Tom. Ben?

Mr. Matlock?

I think you heard the news.

Hard to miss it.

Meet my daughter, Leanne.

Todd McCoy. Hello, Todd.

Hi.

I hear they found explosives in your garage.

Ben, somebody's setting me up. I mean, I don't know the difference between a

firecracker and a grenade.

Pepper said he was caught running from the motel. I read that. You bet I was.

Once Brad's car went up, it took me all of five seconds to realize I'm being

framed. Yeah.

That morning, I went to clean out my desk at the office.

I found a message supposedly written from Brad asking me to meet him at the

roadside motel.

I mean, it felt weird right from the beginning. I never liked Brad, but...

He's a straight -up guy. A cryptic note like that, not his style.

Still got the note?

Gone.

You know, the judge suggested that representing myself isn't a great idea.

Mm -hmm. But I told him I couldn't afford a good attorney.

Does begging help?

This was Mr.

Wilcox's first time at the Roadside Motel. You know about that?

Well, we don't get a lot of suits here.

No

Bible.

Well, we don't get a lot of readers here either.

Mr. Wilcox paid you in cash?

Yep. He said he wanted the room for a couple of hours.

Yeah?

No, I didn't do that.

Didn't do what?

What you're thinking.

How do you know what I'm thinking?

Well, because there would be... How shall I put this?

Telltale signs of things I'm sure you don't want to hear.

Like what?

Like a bed used, a shower used.

Use your imagination.

You mean Mr. Wilcox was in here by himself?

Hey, come on, do I look like a spy?

Privacy is our watchword here at the roadside. It's what made our reputation.

I'm sure it isn't the furniture.

Was Brad at all troubled before death?

Did you ever meet Brad, Ms. McIntyre? No.

Well, the reason I ask is that Brad was by nature a serious person. He didn't

socialize much. He didn't have much of a sense of humor.

So it would have been difficult to tell if anything was bothering him.

I spent the last few weeks with Brad. He seemed like his same old self to me.

So why do you think he was resigning from the firm?

What?

Oh, my...

Oh, you didn't know about that?

No. Well, yes. The police found a letter of resignation on Brad's desk at his

house.

I can't believe this.

Of course, a handwriting expert will have to determine whether he actually

it.

I guess we didn't know Brad as well as we thought.

Wow. This is so weird.

What's that?

Well, I mean, why would Brad resign from this firm when he's in the middle of

one of the biggest cases he'd ever tried and not tell his partners about it?

I'm exhausted.

Just another six or seven hours and I'll let you go.

The

whole

idea makes no sense to me.

Gavin and Howard will never hire me as a lawyer.

I promise they will. You got it, Ford?

Go fish.

Ben, I went to law school in Mount Harlan. It took me forever to pass the

remember? Not a problem.

What do you mean?

Got any kings?

I asked you a minute ago if you had any kings.

I didn't have any kings a minute ago.

What's it read?

A letter of recommendation from Cosgrove and O'Malley? They're the top firm in

New York.

You were their favorite associate.

Ben, I've been to New York City a total of two days in my entire life for my

Aunt Bessie's funeral. Why are they recommending me for this job?

I asked.

Russ Cosgrove is one of my oldest and dearest friends. I promised them you

wouldn't embarrass them.

Got any sevens?

When did you start getting sevens?

We're not going to play games with you, Cliff.

That's not who we are.

But we'd be lying to you if we said we didn't want you as a member of this

I'm, uh, I'm very flattered. Thank you. I think you'll find our offer more than

competitive. I expect you're speaking with other firms?

Um, yes. Only the major ones, though. It's a very exhausting process.

I'll bet. Well, Clifford, you take whatever time you need.

But know this.

We want you.

Mr. Howard, given your associate's untimely death, I assumed you'd ask for

mistrial. Your Honor, it is my client's understanding that a mistrial would only

increase their legal costs and prolong this action unnecessarily. We are

prepared to continue this trial.

I see.

Have you any objection, Mr. Cannon?

Your Honor, I've discussed this at some length with counsel, and I have no

objection.

Then this court will reconvene tomorrow at 10 a .m.

I'm going to send that judge a present for adjourning us. For you.

I ordered for you.

Thank you.

So how's the case going?

Who cares?

No, really. I'm interested.

You know, I'm not supposed to talk about the case.

Like you're going to tell someone.

Well, I remember you told me about it the other day.

So, have you decided how you're going to vote?

I'm not supposed to make up my mind until all the evidence is... Yeah, yeah,

yeah.

These fat cats from Andros Chemical are so guilty, it's disgusting.

I mean, their chemicals are killing all these people.

And they're not even copping to it.

I hope we put them out of business.

Well, I hear that Andros Chemical is a very powerful company.

Well, that ain't gonna save them this time. Yeah, yeah, but companies like

Andros can play frisky dirty.

And how do you know so much about Andrews Chemical?

What are you up to?

They know about you and me, Gary.

What?

Oh, my God.

You work for them.

They know your wife doesn't like you fooling around.

Christy, please, please don't do this. Shut up to me, Gary.

Christy!

Janet will divorce me if she sees those pictures.

Then I suggest you convince your 11 friends that Andros Chemical pay very

little damage.

A beautiful dance.

Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad.

Come on, everybody's looking at you. They think you're nuts.

Hello, young gentlemen. How's the wife? Especially your mother. Dad, come on.

Now, we have to be back at the judge's chambers at 2 .30. What do you want,

Chinese? Oh, no. Chinese always gives me...

I'm not dying.

Well, I'll be.

Whose

car?

Mine. They gave it to me. Oh, and they let me pick out my own color.

Oh, and they gave me my own expense account?

I never had an expense account.

Those big firms, they do stuff like that all the time.

Oh, and they gave me a corporate credit card. Tomorrow, we'll do lunch. I'll

pick you up.

Do all the associates get a car?

I don't know. I think they really wanted me.

Because he isn't who they think he is.

Well, you know, they think he's from some big firm.

I bet.

They pay the associates more than you pay Leanne.

They do?

Everything's not about money.

How much do they pay you?

I'm going to lunch.

They pay for my car insurance, too.

You'll be assisting me on Leandro's chemical case. These are the original

depositions of the homeowners.

Medical reports of the cancer victims.

Chemical analyses of the downed plant subsoil and water.

Your predecessor was collecting similar geological samples, so we can compare

cancer incidences.

Geology's not really my thing.

Make it your thing. I'll need your conclusions for court on Monday. Any

questions?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a question.

I've been following this case in the newspaper. I was wondering why you

just ask for a mistrial when Bradford Wilcox died.

Brad did a great job choosing the jury. I didn't want to lose them.

My office is right down the hall if you need me.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Hey, hey, you must be Cliff Lewis.

Yeah, yeah, Rob Norris. I've heard about you. Hi, look, do me a favor.

Give me a call, and we'll go to lunch. I'll give you the skinny on everyone

here, okay?

sir. See you this afternoon.

Hi. How you doing?

Hello, Cliff.

Hello.

Burning the midnight oil already, huh?

Yes, actually, I'm almost done.

Can I help you?

Oh, no, no, no.

I like to do my own research.

That way I've got it all right up here when I go into the courtroom.

Well, how's it going?

Pretty good.

Pretty good. I'm a little slow out of the starting gate, but I'm picking up

speed.

Good. Good.

I'd like to hear that.

Well, have a nice night.

I'll try.

Hi.

Don't you ever go home? It's late.

Uh, no, no, I like to do my own research. That way, when I go into

right here.

I'm Linda Maxwell.

Oh, Cliff Lewis.

I know. I saw you when you were interviewing.

I thought you were very attractive.

But it seemed premature to say something then.

Oh, uh, oh.

Yeah, I'm trying to get some work done. Uh, could, could we discuss this

tomorrow? Am I making you nervous?

No, no, not, not at all.

Well, I thought now that you've joined the firm, maybe we could have dinner.

Oh, yeah, that would be great.

I'll check my calendar.

How about next week?

Am I being too forward? No!

I don't believe in standing on ceremony, do you? No, no, no. I don't mind if

women want to ask me out.

Actually, I kind of like it.

Does it happen that often?

No.

No. What I meant was that I would love to talk to you about dinner.

Why don't we do that tomorrow?

Deal. Deal.

Tomorrow.

Richard.

Who is that man?

I don't know. I don't know who he is either.

Why would they shred a picture like that?

Blackmail.

Yeah, maybe.

You see that table?

I'd recognize that table anywhere.

Let's see, Bert, how you doing?

What the hell do you want?

Who's the girl?

How should I know?

I figure this picture's got to have been made in one of your rooms. Nobody who's

ever seen these tables will ever forget them, especially the one with the Indian

on it.

What's her name?

Girls like that don't pay. I never got her name.

What about the guy? One of them paid.

I don't remember.

I figure this picture had to have been made from another room.

Maybe as a setup for... Blackmail or something. Hey, wait a minute. Wait, I

resent that immensely, like I told you before.

Privacy's your birthmark.

No, no, my watchword. Now, why don't you get the hell out of here?

I bet when people check in, they park right here in front.

I said get lost.

And I bet that that camera's there to video cars and people so

that you can identify them if they give you the wrong name.

You're very smart.

Yeah. You know, I could subpoena those tapes, but you don't have cops around

here, so why don't you just give them to me?

It's hard to believe Cliff's making more money than me.

Yeah, it's hard to believe. It's astounding.

He has a car.

You have a car.

That I paid for.

I mean, I've been a lawyer at least ten years longer than Cliff.

Oh, Leanne, you wouldn't like it in one of those big firms.

Here, it's coming up.

I don't have an expense account.

Oh, I take you to lunch all the time.

See, it's that guy there with that chain on his glasses.

See, he's the one in the picture.

Dad, I'd like a raise.

You just got one.

Dad, come on. I mean, I should at least be making as much money as they're

paying Cliff.

Leanne, I can't afford that. Yes, you can afford it.

Leanne, I can't afford that. I do the books. I know what you can afford. I'm

made of money.

Dad.

What if people quit hiring us?

Well, you'll fire me.

I can't fire my own daughter.

I'm taking a raise.

Can we get back to the case? I'm taking a raise.

Okay, well...

You can't see the license plate on that man's car. I know. I took the tape and I

had it enlarged so we could see it better. Here it comes.

It's a blue Chevy with a dent on the front.

Pause the tape. Pause the tape.

There's something on the windshield.

That's from the county court's parking lot.

Let's go.

Guess I earned my raise.

He's here.

Let's go. Where are we going?

This has got to have something to do with the Andrews chemical case.

First place to go and look. Okay, all right. If we don't find him, I'll run a

make on the plate and see who owns the car.

What are you doing here? Get away from us. What? Get away from us.

All right.

Mr. Howard. Mr.

Cannon. I will see you in my chambers this minute.

It appears we have a case of jury tampering here.

Now, Mr. Adler, who is juror number nine, has admitted to me that he's being

blackmailed to ask for the lowest possible damages in the case.

Have you ever seen this picture before?

No, of course not. Your Honor, if those pictures come out, my marriage is over,

and I love my wife. Then you shouldn't have had an affair.

I don't think they'll be showing the pictures again.

James, do you know anything about this?

Your Honor, I already said no.

Very well.

There will be an exhaustive investigation into this incident.

Or more specifically, James, it will be into you, your law firm, your client.

Sure would help if we knew the name of that woman.

Um, her name is Christy Elkins. And where will we find her?

I've been trying to reach her for days. I think that she left town.

We're going back into court.

I'm dismissing the jury, declaring a mistrial.

Then we'll bring in the police.

know what you're talking about all right thank you you're welcome

you

know even if richard gavin or james allen howard were here he'd never tell

that i know but i'm right about this brad wilcox left his room and started

his car at the exact moment you showed up That's too much of a coincidence.

Somebody had to have been watching and called the motel when you arrived.

You tell me where he called from.

A bottle of sparkling mineral water, please.

Mineral what?

Two bottles pop.

Help yourself.

Not much business, huh?

Mister, we got three customers in here. It's a crowd.

Ever since they put the interstate in, business up and died.

You been here long?

Couple of years.

Were you here the day the car blew up? Yeah.

Perfect view of the motel. Mm -hmm.

Look at this picture. See if you recognize any one of these men.

Oh.

I couldn't say.

Are you a cop?

Mm -hmm.

Is that their own telephone?

Uh -huh.

What?

I like that look.

I don't know what it means, but I like that look.

On the afternoon that he was murdered, Bradford Wilcox was representing Andros

Chemical in the very large lawsuit, wasn't he? Yes.

What kind of damages do you think the plaintiff can expect?

Having damages in cases like this in the past run all as high as...

Fifty million dollars?

Yes, that's true. So what's your firm standing with Andros Chemical?

Excellent. We've represented them for more than 15 years.

But haven't they recently moved some of their work to

another firm?

Maritime work, which we really don't handle.

Well, didn't both you and Richard Gavin believe that if the damages went too

high in this case, you might lose Andros Chemical

as a client?

Absolutely not.

What's the standing of that trial now?

The judge declared a mistrial.

On what grounds?

An investigation of jury tampering is underway.

One of the jurors said he'd been blackmailed, didn't he? He was told that

compromising pictures of him and another woman would be sent to his wife unless

he convinced his fellow jurors to lowball the damages in this case.

Huh? That's the allegation. Yeah. Who would benefit?

Andrews Chemical.

Yeah. Mm -hmm.

So if you and Richard Gavin believed that you were in danger of losing Andros

Chemical, if you could come up with a way to get those damages down as low as

you possibly could, well, your firm would benefit, too. And if we were in

of losing their business, which we are not, that would be true, I suppose.

You and Bradford Wilcock were partners. I guess you knew him

pretty well.

So, uh, how do you suppose he would have reacted if he found out somebody was

messing with a jury in a case he was trying?

Objection, Your Honor. Call for speculation.

Bradford Wilcox and James Allen Howard knew one another for 24 years. They were

partners, for God's sake.

The witness will answer the question.

If Brad knew that someone was tampering with his jury, he would have gone

straight to the judge.

No matter who was involved.

Brad Wilcox was the most honest person I've ever known.

He wouldn't have let his own mother get away with tampering with the jury.

That's what everybody says about Bradford Wilcox. That he was an honest,

upstanding man.

And that's why I can't... It's just hard to understand why he was at the

roadside motel the afternoon he was killed.

Just... I just... You know what? Maybe he was there to meet somebody.

Probably this, uh, Christy.

Elkins, who was going to confirm his belief,

especially that you were the one who set that juror up.

What? Objection. He was going to turn you in, and then you set him up with the

girl and then killed him.

Mr.

Matlock, I approve.

Well, then get to it. All right.

How are you? Have you ever been to the roadside motel? No.

Roadside motel, that's where Bradford Wilcox was killed.

You sure you've never been there? Positive.

Ever been to the gas station across the road?

I already told you, I've never been to the motel. I've never been to the gas

station. So you were never at the motel on Route 6 or the gas station across the

road? How many times do I have to repeat this? I was not there.

No.

Well, the reason I keep asking the question is I just

don't understand how my client was framed.

I mean, why did Mr.

Wilcox leave his room and go to his car the instant that my client drove

up? Well, the best answer, of course, is that somebody was watching and called.

the manager of the motel, to deliver the message to Mr. Wilcox that the girl he

was waiting for was not going to show up.

I always suspected that it was you or Richard Gavin. I showed your pictures to

the manager of the motel and the people at the gas station across the street.

They didn't recognize you. I don't know why. That's because I wasn't there.

And I checked your phone bills.

I mean, in your car, your credit card, your house, your office, and no calls to

the roadside motel.

I can't figure it out.

It beats me. I mean, it did beat me.

Until I went over to the gas station and started looking around.

They do very little business over there.

Very little.

They got one pay telephone that's used so seldom, they take the change

out of it every three months.

They change out every three months.

The

Atlanta

police removed this quarter from that pay telephone.

Howard, your fingerprints are on both sides of it.

You were at the Roadside Motel in the afternoon that Will Cox was murdered.

You paid somebody to rig his car.

And then when my client showed up, you called the manager to relay that message

to him about that girl.

You killed Bradford Wilcox because he was going to accuse you of jury

in the Andros chemical case.

Mr. Howard, never trick a trickster.

We're both lawyers.

We know that...

We do little shady things to win our cases. I do.

But jury tampering kind of crossed the line, you know.

Wouldn't it have been better if Mr. Wilcox had charged you with jury

You'd have lost your job and gone to prison. But now it looks like you've

your friend.

Shame.

I see Gavin and Howard are going out of business.

Gone. Gone out of business.

Good to have you back. Good to be here. You did a great job over there. Thank

you. I need to do something nice for him.

Take him out to lunch or dinner.

Dad, let's give him a raise.

Raise?

Well, just enough for a corner room at the Y.

Maybe his own phone.