Original subtitles

Sorry I'm late. There was a big accident on the parkway. I got stuck behind a

bunch of looky -loos.

That's all right. We should get started, though, because Ben called about 15

minutes ago, said he was leaving the courthouse. He was going to stop and

up some barbecue, so that only gives us 30 minutes.

Pop, what are you doing?

Looking for Ben's popcorn popper. Forget the popcorn popper. How am I going to

pop the popcorn?

Come on. We've got to get going here.

Go ahead.

Ah, here it is.

Now, where's the popcorn?

Thursday the 27th, 5 p .m. Is that okay with everyone?

Yeah, that's good.

Good, because I spoke to Sandy. Guess what?

She said it's okay. She says as long as we're out of the building by midnight,

it doesn't matter.

That's great. Yeah, I thought so, too. Oh, that's great.

Food? I'll have it catered.

Caviar, designer cakes, stuff like that.

No, Billy. Hot dogs and French fries.

Okay.

And popcorn.

I can never find any.

This reminds me of something.

Pop. This is a surprise party. We're all clear on that, right?

Take a lock.

What are you looking at me for?

Well, remember when you took Ben to the movies last month?

Yeah. And you walked out after the first ten minutes because you blurted out the

ending?

Okay, one lousy little slip of the tongue and you're marked for life.

And I was right.

It did end that way.

He knows.

Chill out, man. Chill out. I got a knife, man. Be still.

Let me apart.

You got a problem?

You're trying to rob me. You're too late. All I got is the shoes on my feet,

clothes on my back, and the felons in my face. Hey, look, mister.

Everybody who lives in this neighborhood does not have to rob you.

I'm sorry. My car broke down. I just got mugged. The telephone ate my last

quarter, and now my barbecue's probably stone cold.

So that's what you're doing down here?

Picking a barbecue?

Red Devils.

Best in the world.

So, where's this car yours?

On the floor.

Hey!

Hey! Hey! Get out of there!

Get away! Hey,

you guys heard the man.

Move! Yeah, move! Get out of there!

Probably stone cold anyway.

I could have eased it up.

Good then.

Better than nothing.

Eh, dries it out.

Yeah, I guess.

You know you barbecue, don't you?

Yep.

No cars, too.

Well, it's a correspondence course in auto repair.

Last time I was in prison.

Just kidding.

Stan Johnson.

Oh, Ben Matlock.

For God's sake, Ben, what were you possibly thinking going down there by

yourself? You could have gotten yourself killed.

I go down there by myself all the time.

It's just that my car broke down.

What, did you tell the police?

Yeah, but it happened so fast I didn't get a good look at either one of them.

Oh, wow.

Where were you yesterday?

I called from a pay phone, but nobody answered.

Yesterday? Yeah, about 5 .30.

5 .30?

You said you'd be here till 6, and I wasted my last quarter trying to call

5 .30.

It's a real busy day yesterday. Let me just... 5 .30 was... Found him.

Stanley Johnson.

He works at the Central Distribute Center.

Usually gets there around 9 .30.

All right.

So what are you gonna do?

I'm gonna go down there and try to find him.

Let's go, let's go.

Excellent. All right, all right. Give me the ball now.

Gather around. Let's see if we can set the shot up.

Okay, Bobby, you're gonna run the pick on Patrick's man, right?

Patrick's gonna dish the ball back out to you.

Up for the deuce. All right, cool.

Let's set it up.

Come on, baby.

Defense. Defense.

They'll try to run on the other side. On the other side.

A little early for barbecue, isn't it?

How you doing?

Fine.

Good -looking bunch of boys.

Yep.

Shouldn't they be in school?

Yep.

And if I can keep them off the streets long enough, maybe they'll figure that

out.

I want to thank...

You did that.

Good, good. All right, now let's try this place.

Steve, you drive real hard to the hole.

This is out to count for the jump. Got it?

I didn't expect you to help me out yesterday, but you did anyway.

Well, I just... I want to pay you back.

What'd you say you did for a living?

Lawyer.

I know.

You're a lawyer, huh?

Yeah.

Yo, guys.

Practice free throws for a while. I'll be right back.

Okay. We got a deal.

Come on, Ray.

You

live

here? Yeah.

Second story. Third apartment from the end.

Come on.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Supposed to need a key to get in, but as you can see, lock's broken.

Has been for more than a year.

It's dark.

Yep. Lights are burned out.

Oh, come on.

Landlord, he doesn't ever fix anything around here. He feels he doesn't have

Of course he has to.

He's legally obligated to keep this place fit to live in.

All I know is I've called the realty company that owns this dump at least 30

times. It's like talking to a wall.

Call the police?

Yeah. Said they're looking into it. That was about six months ago.

Call the city?

Said they're looking into it, too.

Well, every bureaucrat in this city's looking into it, but nothing ever

Why don't you move?

I could.

I could move out of this neighborhood, out of this city, out of this life if I

wanted to, but I don't want to.

Something's got to be done, so I guess I'm it.

Not like you need a lawyer.

It does, doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure the Drake Apartments is one of Mr. Mitchell's properties.

Yes. Mr. Mitchell?

George Mitchell.

George Mitchell's about 6 '2", balding, member of the Atlanta Charities Board?

Yes, that's him.

Well, tell him I'm here. I want to see him. My name's Ben Matlock.

Yes,

there's a Ben Matlock out here and would like to see you.

Ben, what are you doing here?

Could I talk with you for a minute?

Sure, come on in.

Don't tell me I missed another meeting.

Oh, no, this doesn't have anything to do with the charity store.

What? What are you staring at?

Your desk.

I got so much stuff piled on my desk, I lose things for days.

So, what is this about?

It's about that apartment building you own down in the Central District, the

Drake Apartments.

Yes. I had occasion to visit somebody down there, and I was just appalled by

condition of that building.

There's broken glass everywhere. There's no lights in the hall. There's trash

all over the place.

If you went down, I'm sure you'd be just as appalled.

I was just down there last week.

You didn't do anything about it?

About what?

Well, I mean, granted, it's not the Taj Mahal, but it's certainly better than

nothing.

I don't get it.

Ben, do you know how much a two -bedroom apartment down there goes for?

$210 a month.

Really?

I'll bet your gas bill for the month of January was higher than that.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, I'm doing this community a public service.

There are rats in the halls.

That's because those people leave their garbage in the halls.

If you'd fix the tri -chute so they could use that... Ben, Ben, please try

understand.

How I choose to manage my property is really none of your business.

A friend of mine wants to sue you.

Does the name Stan Johnson ring a bell?

Since when did you start representing renters?

Be at his place.

Tomorrow morning, 9 o 'clock.

I'm busy tomorrow morning.

He's gonna sue you.

Be there, nine o 'clock.

He's got a good case.

I got your popcorn, Popper. All right.

Here it is. I cleaned it and everything. You want me to put it back in the

kitchen? Okay.

So I might be needing it again soon.

Okay. Could you do me a favor?

What? The cable company sent a crew over here on the 27th to put in a new box.

And I can't be here because I've got hearings all day. Could you hang around

let them in?

The 27th? Yeah, between 2 and 6.

No, we can't.

What do you mean you can't do it? Can't do it. Why?

I just can't.

Get somebody else.

I do favors for you all the time. Defend your boy, loan you my popcorn popper,

and I ask you to do one little thing.

I've done lots of things for you, plenty of times.

Like what?

Lots of things.

Plenty of times.

Here.

Jackass.

Dan Johnson, George Vinson. All right, we talked on the phone one. If we could

do this quickly, I'd appreciate it. Okay.

I can see it. I'm not blind.

I suppose this is my fault?

Well, if the lock on the door worked, maybe he wouldn't be able to get in

Excuse me.

Hollis, come on, up and at him.

No, no, no. This way.

Here you go, man. Here you go.

Go get some coffee.

Friend of yours?

Let's show him Gordon's place.

Gordon Matheny.

Nice to meet you.

Uh, can I get you anything?

No, thank you.

Gordon's lived here almost ten years.

He's always paid his rent in full and on time.

But not lately.

Gordon, why don't you tell him why you haven't been paying your rent lately?

I'm just fed up with how nothing ever gets done around here.

Things never get fixed.

Yeah.

Like this?

Look at this.

Torn up carpet.

Look at these walls.

They need to be re -scraped and painted.

And look at this.

This was like this when he moved in here.

Follow me.

No water.

He has to walk up in the kitchen because the plumbing in here has been busted

for nine months.

Well, if you people were more careful about what you put down the drain... You

people... And just who do you mean by you people?

You tenants.

The people who are causing this property to plummet in value even as we speak.

Well, isn't that why you bought this place?

So that you could write off the depreciation every year? The point is,

should I put good money into something you tenants are just going to trash

anyway? Well, maybe if you took better care of this place, the place wouldn't

get so trashed.

Man, you don't even think enough of me to shake my hand.

You're breaking the law, George.

Wait a minute.

I'm breaking the law?

This man in here just admitted he hasn't been paying his rent.

You're in the wrong. You're breaking the law. If I have to drag you into court

to prove it, I'll do it.

No, I called them. Did you call them? They can be there. Excellent. I want to

know.

No, I can't get a hold of him. You're going to have to call them. All right,

I'll try. Okay.

Hey, Pop.

So far, 37 people said they were going to come.

And we can start decorating the room at 4 p .m.

I got the food all ordered.

Great. Now, are you sure you got everything? Hot dogs, chips, cake,

d 'oeuvres?

Yeah. Got to make more popcorn.

You know, for 45 people.

44.

I'm not going.

You're not going? Why not?

Call me a jackass.

You call me a jackass all the time.

I know.

What's the big deal?

He called me a jackass close to his birthday.

He must mean it.

Are you Gordon Matheny?

Yes. I got an order of eviction here, Mr. Matheny. I'm afraid you're going to

have to vacate the premises immediately.

You're throwing me out?

Well, Fez, you were notified by certified mail that you owed four months

rent and that failure to pay would result in eviction.

But where am I supposed to go?

And what am I supposed to do with all my stuff?

Look, all I know is it's got to be out of here.

Now.

Just tell him Stan Johnson's here. He knows who I am.

Well, I'm afraid Mr. Mitchell's not in right now.

I saw his car in the parking lot.

The man's here.

He's in a meeting.

Then get him out of it.

Look, lady, because of him, an old man's being thrown out of his home right now.

It's an emergency.

I'll have him call you.

No. I want to see him now.

He's not going to see you, Mr. Johnson. And I'm afraid if you don't leave, I'm

going to have to call the police.

Sooner or later, I'll see him.

Somebody jumped me from behind, pulled me into one of those demolished

buildings, started going at me with a knife.

You get a look at him?

What the hell kind of world is this? You can't even walk down the street.

Sir, can you describe the assailant?

He had his arm around my neck. I couldn't turn around.

Get a look at his clothes?

Just the sleeve of his shirt. It was flannel, either black

and green or blue and green checks.

He say anything?

No. He just held on and kept trying to stab me.

Too much to ask to be safe on the streets?

In that neighborhood, maybe.

What in the world were you doing there?

Oh, my company owns a Drake apartment building. We had to evict somebody

I just wanted to make sure he was gone.

What was his name?

You remember?

Stan Johnson?

Yeah.

Detective Robert Garrison. I'd like to ask you a couple of questions.

Just got done talking to Gordon Matheny over at the South Street Shelter.

Told us that when he got evicted, you were more upset about it than he was.

Yeah, I was mad as hell.

The guy's 73 years old, for God's sakes.

George Mitchell was attacked in an alley up the block tonight.

You hear about that?

No. Yeah.

Somebody tried to slice him up.

Didn't go for his watch or his wallet. Just went for him. Turns out Mr. Matheny

was eating dinner over at the shelter when all this was going on.

Besides, like you said, he's an old man.

Too old to be dragging people off and cutting them up.

What's your point, Detective? Sir, take a look at this.

Is this your shirt?

Yeah. What's this on the sleeve?

I don't know.

Looks to me like blood.

You should never have gone up to his office without me.

I know.

Guess I really need a lawyer now.

Yeah. They'll charge you tomorrow.

Attempted murder.

I didn't do it, Ben.

Oh, I know.

I have to ask you this, Doc.

Where were you tonight about 7 .30?

Home, watching TV, same as always.

Working with those kids all day, Ben, they wipe me out. I come home, I take a

shower, I turn on the tube, and it's vegetative.

I imagine.

So did you call anybody or anybody visit or is there any way to verify you were

home all night?

No.

The police have done some preliminary studies.

The stain on your shirt is blood.

Same type as George Mitchell's.

I have no idea how it got there, Ben, I swear.

That shirt, it's been lying around for days. I left it there after I wore it

playing basketball.

That's going to be a problem, isn't it?

Well, we'll give it our best shot.

You want a little coffee?

Oh, I'll get you a cup.

So, what time's the hearing?

9 .30.

Did he deal with Ben?

No.

He's mad at George Mitchell, but he didn't cut him up like that, though I'd

almost understand if he did.

Why?

Oh, you ought to see that apartment building.

It's so dark and dirty and depressing.

How can he expect his tenants to have respect for his property when he

has no respect for them?

It's wrong to make people live like that.

You should buy the place, fix it up.

He'd never sell them. He needs a tax write -off. Oh.

But you know what?

Hmm?

We could fix it up a little, you and me and Cliff and the tenants.

Get some material, paint and stuff. We got the manpower.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Your points are well made and well taken, Mr. Matlock.

But I would be remiss if I didn't take the viciousness of the attack of which

stands accused into consideration as well.

Bail is set at $100 ,000.

Next case.

I'll take care of the bail. No, I can't let you do that. It's only 10%. There's

no risk of life.

It's the least I can do.

Can you make it a habit of putting up bail for your clients?

I can count them on one hand.

I've got to make a pit stop. Wait for me. Okay.

Mr.

Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell, would you wait a minute? What do you want?

I didn't do this to you.

I didn't accuse you.

Excuse me. No, wait. Let me finish.

I don't like the way that you run your business, and I don't like you.

But I would never do this to you or anyone else.

Thank you.

more paint. Oh, good.

Yeah.

Ah, hello, Ben.

Oh, hello, Billy.

Okay, if I help out.

The more, the merrier.

Borrowed your paintbrush, you mind?

That's okay.

Uh, the cable people are coming to install a new box at the house on the

And since I can't be there, and Billy couldn't arrange to be there, could you

there between 2 and 6 and let him in?

Sure. I'd be glad to.

Thanks.

You can't do that. You got a party to go to, remember?

I'll just call the cable company and tell them to come another time.

Wait till I think of that.

You're good at this sneaky stuff.

It's a gift.

Looking good.

Yeah.

Hollis, you know what? You sleep here so much, you're practically a tenant. So,

get to work.

Oh, come on, Stan. All I want to do is just get by the radiator so I can have

dinner. What color would dinner be tonight?

Oh, look at you, modest but amusing red. Isn't that nice?

Oh, come on.

I'm Cliff.

Do you come here every night?

Just about.

About this same time?

Mm -hmm.

Were you here two nights ago?

Two nights, yeah.

And you came about this same time and you stayed the whole night?

The whole night.

Not a good idea, Cliff.

Do you have a better idea?

I didn't think so.

Would you tell us where you were on the night of the 3rd, Mr. Green?

Yes, sir. At 7 o 'clock, I was at Drake Apartments.

And the hallway there by the radiators, I sat down like I always do. When did

you leave?

The next morning. I stayed there all night.

Did you see Stan Johnson that night?

Oh, yeah. He came in right after me.

Oh, so Stan entered the building a little after 7.

Yes, sir.

And did you see him leave the building that night?

Oh, no.

No, he didn't leave. And I sat right there by that radiator all night long.

That's all.

Thank you.

Stay right there, Mr. Grayling.

You spend a lot of nights sleeping by the radiator at the Drake Apartments,

don't you? Yes, sir. You have a home?

Not at the moment.

How often do you see the defendant, Stan Johnson, when you spend the night

there? Oh, practically all the time. He comes in...

Right after 7, just after me.

Practically all the time. Does that mean sometimes you don't see him?

Well, I don't see him all the time, no.

Then how can you be so sure that you saw him on the night of the 3rd? Well, I

just am, that's all.

Do you drink, Mr. Greeley?

Socially.

Were you drinking on the night of the 3rd?

Just a little bit.

Who else came into the building that night?

A couple of people.

What were their names?

I don't know their names, I think.

Why is it that you know Stan Johnson by name and you don't know these other

people?

Well, because Stan is always nice to me, always says hi and gives me a little

money every now and then for coffee and donuts and stuff like that.

He gives you money?

How much money?

Oh, I don't know.

A dollar here, a dollar there.

How often does he give you this money?

It's hard to say. You don't always use it for coffee, do you, Mr. Greeley?

Sometimes you use it for scotch or is it a little cheap wine?

I mean, how often do you drink, Mr. Greeley, whenever you get some money

Mr. Johnson?

And isn't that why you wanted to testify on his behalf in the first place?

Because of the things that he does for you?

And in view of the fact that by your own admission you were under the influence

of alcohol on the night of the attack, isn't it possible, if not highly likely,

that you didn't see Stan Johnson enter the building at 7 o 'clock that night?

That you have confused it with another night, or that he actually came in the

building at 8 or 9 o 'clock that night?

Could you repeat the question?

I'll rephrase it.

I know that you feel indebted to Stan Johnson, and I understand.

That you want to repay him by giving him an alibi.

But isn't it true, Mr. Greeley, that the only thing you can say for sure you saw

that night is the bottom of a wine bottle?

No further questions?

No. Nobody in the hood saw anything, found anything, heard anything, knows

anything.

Never gonna find the guy who did it.

Well... We'll just have to convince the jury that

Dan didn't do it.

Yeah, well... If we can just figure out how that blood got on George Mitchell's

shirt, we'd be home free.

Let me ask you something.

Yeah?

I saw the man's desk.

It was clean. I'm telling you, clean. There wasn't a pen, a pencil, a piece of

paper, anything on that telephone.

And I watched him when he was down at that tenement building.

He had on a nice suit and an old beat -up pair of shoes.

I'll bet you anything he threw them away afterwards.

Kept his hands in his pockets.

Didn't shake hands with anybody. Didn't touch anything.

And during the bail hearing,

I saw him wash his hands two times in an hour.

Man has a clean fetish. Yeah, sounds like it.

Now, what's a man like that doing in a dirty, trash -filled,

awful, fallen -down building in the middle of the night by himself?

Yeah, and on top of that, you know, he said he parked his car two blocks away

because he was afraid it was going to get ripped off.

I don't believe that for a second.

Mr. Mitchell, will you please tell the court what this is?

It appears to be a copy of the emergency room report that was filed the night I

was attacked.

How about reading this notation right here out loud?

No tetanus shot given. Patient recently received booster.

And how about reading that notation?

Blood tests indicate presence of narcotics. Patient confirms.

You were taking narcotics?

Just some oxycodone for my back.

Oh.

Boy, you talk about luck.

Here you are, all cut up in some back alley, and you're just taking a tetanus

booster, and you're popping industrial -strength painkillers.

Couldn't have worked out better if you'd planned it, could it?

So, uh, when'd you take that tetanus booster, anyway?

You know, I really don't remember.

Just rough. Was it a year before the stabbing? Two months before?

A week before?

Or was it the day before?

Of course it wasn't the day before. You went to your doctor the day before. I

can call your secretary up here. She's the one who told me. As I just said, my

back was hurting. Your back was fine.

I saw you the day before, remember?

I went to the doctor the day before the attack because my back hurt.

And he gave me a prescription for oxycodone.

And a tetanus booster.

No.

I know how we can prove it.

I'll get the notes the doctor took during your appointment.

Objection! Medical records are privileged information. If you're

truth, you have nothing to fear.

Mr. Matlock, you know better. But if the witness agrees, they can be admitted,

can't they? The witness is not on trial here. But if you remain to the case... I

am not going to let you make an issue out of this.

Objection sustained.

Now, drop this line of questioning and move on to another one, Mr. Matlock.

Now.

As the owner of the Drake Apartments, I imagine you have a key to the building.

Of course, the lock to the front door is broken, but you have a key.

That's right.

And I guess you have keys to all the apartments?

I have a master key, yes. And that's how you broke into Stan Johnson's

apartment. I was never in his apartment. And that's how your blood got on his

shirt, isn't it? No. You knew he was going to take you to court, where George

Mitchell, the great philanthropist... would suddenly be exposed as the greedy,

deceitful slumlord that you really are. And you wanted that least of all, didn't

you? Objection! So you came up with a plan to make him look like the criminal

and you the victim.

You inflicted those wounds on yourself, didn't you? That is a lie! You stabbed

yourself, and then you framed Stan Johnson, and now you get the sympathy of

press and the court instead of the contempt you deserve.

How dare you!

You know it's true. I know it's true. And if the court would release those

medical records, we'd all know it's true. Mr. Medlock, you're out of order.

out of order. He's out of order. My client could go to jail for something

bum did to himself, and you say I'm out of order? What you are is out of

control!

I'll tell you what's out of order. It's men like him who commit crimes and get

away with it. That's what's out of order.

It's men like him who make money off poor people who have to live in these

filthy, rancid apartments.

It's men like him who can look at themselves in the mirror and not throw

breath.

The defense rests your arm.

Yeah, this feels great.

I thought for sure I was going away.

I never thought in all the time I knew you, I'd see you do what you did.

Judge Claggett's going to have my head.

Well, that's the bad news. The good news is that all your ranting and raving

gave the jury some reasonable doubt.

Boy, that sure was something to see. And I want to thank you for that reasonable

doubt.

You said you wanted to do something for me. You sure did.

Well, the only problem is George Mitchell got out of there scot -free,

I mean, he'll get his. We're still going to sue him, right? We're going to sue

him up one side and down the other.

Well, time to see the judge.

Ready?

Might as well get it over with.

Do you see this cake?

Jack Claggett?

It's your birthday, Ben.

We're old friends. I hope we'll stay old friends.

I know what you were doing in here today, and it worked.

But don't ever do that in my courtroom again, understood?

Yes, sir. Happy birthday, Ben.

lot, Randy. Welcome, Mr. Tom.

I hear you went bonkers in here today.

Yeah. I guess I did.

Had to haul you off and everything.

Yeah.

Well, Billy, I've been in here a long time.

Sometimes things happen I don't know why.

Sometimes I yell when it calls for silence and stand when I'm supposed to

And sometimes I open my mouth and things come out I didn't even know were in

there.

That happens.

Been in here a long time.

Yeah.

Okay, let's go. It's been a long day.

You all go ahead. I forgot something.