Original subtitles

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♪ ♪

Come on, move your feet, move your feet!

You two over there.

Weakling fool.

Says who?

Says me.

Man your size should be lifting more weight than that.

Chambers, you got a visitor.

In a minute.

Come on, Rudy.

Jam it!

I said you got a visitor.

Look, I told everybody your buddy would make it.

He'll make it, no problem.

Okay.

Now, I've got a friend, name of Lesser.

You keep an eye out for him.

Second level lockup secure!

Sweet dreams, baby cakes!

Sorry.

Let's go.

You okay?

Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.

Let's go.

Forget it.

You're not going without me, man.

We're not going with you.

If the warden doesn't get here pretty soon,

there's going to be a real problem.

Come on, take it easy! Sorry,

it doesn't even look s-sprained.

What's so important it couldn't wait until morning?

Take a hike, Lenny.

You, too.

What I have to say could shorten my life expectancy.

What do you want?

A transfer to Greenwood Prison Camp.

What have you got?

Val Delaney, Billy Costello, and Art Spring

are on their way to the wood shop,

then out of your institution right now.

Let's go.

Come on.

Ready?

Nobody move!

You heard him, Delaney!

Yell when you're through.

I know who snitched.

I, uh...

I don't know, I figured, you know, if you're interested,

maybe we could work something out.

What do you need?

Protection.

No problem.

It was Rudy Chambers.

I don't think so.

He wasn't hurt.

His ankle was fine.

Two minutes after he gets into the infirmary,

the warden shows up.

Now, I couldn't hear

what they said, but the next thing you know,

the warden runs out and you guys get nailed.

I'm telling you...

it was Chambers.

Hey, Lenny, what's the big hurry?

I'm busy.

That's not very nice, Lenny, we have to talk.

I'm out of pills.

I'll get you some later, okay?

Hey, what's... what's the problem?

You seem, uh, anxious.

I am.

Just leave me alone, all right?

Man, what did you...?

I'll kill you.

Get off him! Get off him!

Code seven, infirmary, code seven,

code seven!

What'd you do to Rudy?!

Hey, man, he kill Rudy, man.

I didn't kill nobody.

Hey, hey, hey...

You can't kill him. They'll send in the National Guard

and kill all of us.

Maybe we can use him to get things changed around here.

He's right!

Think about it.

Get back, get out of here!

No! No!

No!

It's 6:22 a.m.

We go live now to Steve Morris.

The inmates have taken over

the prison, and are holding 15 guards hostage.

Two pool reporters were allowed inside the prison this morning

where they heard the inmates' demands.

According to prison leaders,

the riot began after an inmate was murdered by a guard.

Though a large part of the population was

for executing the guard,

instead, the prisoners have announced an unprecedented plan

to put him on trail for murder inside the prison.

All names have been withheld at this time,

and no further information is available.

As soon as we get more information, In a minute.

We'll pass it along to you.

At the state prison in Atlanta...

Huh.

Oh, Pete, come on in.

You look awful.

Sit down. You want some coffee?

No, thanks.

I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice, Ben.

Well, when the attorney general

of the state of Georgia

says he wants to see me immediately,

you gotta figure something's up.

I've been up at the prison negotiating,

trying to get the hostages out.

Yeah, I was listening to that on TV.

Any luck?

Well, we might've had a minor breakthrough this morning.

You've heard about this trial the prisoners want?

A kangaroo court.

Well...

You think this guard's got a chance?

I don't know.

The prisoners want to use this to get their demands.

They know the media's watching,

they promise a fair trial,

and they want an outside defense lawyer.

Oh. Oh.

Well, uh... call Sam White.

He's the best around, just ask him.

Ben, they want you.

No, no.

No, no, no, no, no. They saw

your name in the paper just last week.

You live here.

What's that got to do with anything?

Ben, they're positive the guard is guilty.

Well, what the hell can I do?

They know you'll try. Oh, come on, Pete.

They're willing to trade

half the hostages when you go in.

This was your idea, wasn't it?

The governor is getting

all kinds of pressure to send in the National Guard

and retake the prison by force.

The best estimate is that all the hostages

and 70 to 80 prisoners will die.

I need a way to buy time.

And you want me to be the clock.

Well...

No.

No.

The prisoners

will guarantee your safety.

Guarantee?

Some drunk or dopehead blows somebody's head off,

but he says, "I guarantee it won't kill ya."

Why do you think these people are in prison?

♪ ♪

Matlock. MAN: Mr. Matlock...

Mr. Matlock, have you had any discussions

with the attorney general? Sir?

Ah.

Well, gentlemen.

Ben Matlock, this is the warden, Paul Branden.

Yes, sir. Matlock.

I really respect what you're doing, sir.

Well...

Oh, that's just for your own protection. Oh.

Uh, how are things in there? Quiet.

They're waiting for you.

Do you think, uh,

John Jackson committed this murder? No.

I mean, he's tough and very often hard to get along with,

but he's not a killer.

There are others who had

good reason to go after Chambers.

Yeah, Peter told me this Chambers fella snitched.

On Art Spring, Billy Costello and Val Delaney.

All sociopaths.

Art Spring is here for murder.

I'll need their files.

Ben, they're ready.

Mr. Matlock, good luck.

I hope you can make it work.

Oh... I'd like that, too.

What was it the fella said?

"A better thing I've never done."

I think a dumber thing I've never done.

Well...

Somebody will always be here if you want anything.

And, Ben...

good luck.

Thanks.

He's coming.

Yeah, it's him.

All right, bring 'em in. Get them out of here.

Come on.

Come on. Hurry.

There's the dude.

Mr. Matlock? Yeah.

I'm Steve Mazarowski.

This is Deacon Holmes. Hello.

Peter Garner said you boys would make sure everything was...

all right. You have our word.

Okay. Right this way.

Hey, get lost! You get lost, man!

What are you talkin' about?

Come on, man. Hey.

Not everybody here wants to have this trial.

Some think we should just strap Jackson into the chair,

and watch him fry. Move it out the way, man.

It's gettin' crowded around here.

Well, whose... Move along, move along.

Whose bright idea was this trial?

Mine. Hey, keep back. Hey, Deacon.

See, if we kill that guard,

this prison goes all the way back to the Dark Ages.

Come on, keep it to yourself, man.

I'd like to see some improvements around here.

I'd like to have some say-so on how this place is run.

Estas loco, man. You heard of, uh, jailhouse lawyers?

Jailhouse lawyers? What?

Why don't you go back in town.

I learned the law after I came in here.

And, uh, I learned it pretty good.

You're gonna prosecute?

With a vengeance.

And with everything I know.

Like my daddy used to say,

"I'm gonna whoop your butt," Mr. Matlock.

What if I whoop yours?

You won't.

Right here.

You can go anyplace you want to,

talk to anybody you want to.

Call any witness I want?

Uh-huh.

And, uh, oh, yeah,

you stay here at night.

That wasn't part of the deal.

Well, it is now.

That was not part of the deal!

Well, look at it this way,

some of us here are taking this trial very seriously.

We're gambling everything on it

to improve some of the conditions in this sewer.

Uh, look, if anything happens you don't like,

you talk to me.

I'm a hostage.

Harsh word.

You're a visitor who can't leave

unless I say so.

You'll be all right.

Nothing'll happen to you.

All right, all right. Think of it as a-a...

an experience. Yeah.

Here's-here's my part of the deal.

I'll stay,

but I've got to have privacy once in a while.

I'll have clean clothes sent in every day,

and you've got to let anybody I need

in and out of this prison.

Okay.

I want to see my client

right now in private.

I want to see the hostages to be sure they're okay.

I want Rudy Chambers' body taken out of this prison,

and a full autopsy performed.

And all inmates informed

that they have to answer my questions.

Anything else? Yeah.

If you know they're lying,

you've got to step forward and say so,

otherwise this whole thing means nothing.

Okay.

Anything else?

You're damn right.

I want a bodyguard.

Say hello to Tiny.

Hi.

Your client's right over here.

John Jackson, meet Ben Matlock.

Open it up,

Deacon.

Yell when you're ready to leave.

Tiny will let you out.

This trial is a joke.

It might be.

Well, let's get started.

Did, uh, did you have a fight with Rudy Chambers?

No. Did you kill him?

What difference does it make?

Answer the question. Did you kill him?

No! I didn't kill anybody.

Why were you in the infirmary?

Somebody hit me in the head and they drug me in there.

Mmm.

Somebody went to a lot of trouble. Yeah, right.

Somebody went to a lot of trouble to frame me.

They got the perfect case and they're gonna convict me.

Maybe.

They can convict you in 15 minutes

or 15 days.

The longer it takes, the better it is for you.

It's gonna take me a month of Sunday's

to get any kind of truth out of these birds.

They all lie and steal and kill for a living.

You're gonna have to help me.

Okay.

Now, you knew

Rudy Chambers.

Did he do anything different

in the last two, three months?

No.

Maybe one thing... He had visitors.

He never had them before.

Check the visitors log.

Oh, yeah.

And, um...

Val Delaney, Art Spring, Billy Costello?

Did they have a beef with you?

No, not particularly.

Probably one of them killed Rudy Chambers

and then framed you.

Hey, take it easy!

That hurt.

How'd it go with your client?

Went fine.

Did it ever occur to you to seal off the scene of the crime?

All the evidence is destroyed.

We had a riot here, Mr. Matlock.

Lenny.

Ben Matlock,

this is Lenny Marcus.

Hi.

He's one of my eyewitnesses.

You got a minute?

Yeah.

Billy Ray and Paul can handle this.

Come on.

You know, I wasn't the only one who walked in

and saw John Jackson.

Who else was there?

Jerry Stone and some bull I don't know.

Looked like Jerry hurt his knee or something.

Well...

now...

you said you left the infirmary

for about 20 minutes that night.

Uh-huh.

Where did you go?

D block, death row.

I got a call.

They said someone got cut.

When I got there, no one was hurt,

so I went to dinner.

I hear Rudy Chambers was a snitch.

You got that right.

How'd you know?

I was the one who taped his ankle

the night of the break.

He wasn't hurt, and I saw him talking to the warden.

I mean, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he was doing.

You tell that to anybody else?

What, now you're asking me to snitch?

You're a witness.

Either you tell me the truth,

or you tell it in the courtroom in front of all of your friends.

Look, Mr. Matlock,

I come up for parole in six months.

If you could put in a good word, you know?

Let 'em know that I helped?

I could do that.

I told Val Delaney.

I want to go see the hostages.

Okay, let's go.

You don't talk much, do you?

Uh-uh.

That's good.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Who the hell is that?

Chet Webber.

Chet Webber?!

You know him?

I put him away!

All right, that's it.

I want to see Steve right now.

Come on, let's go.

Yeah, bring it on over there, will you?

Put two in this corner.

All right, that's it.

I'm going home. No.

You can't have a fair trial in here.

Every single one of these people wants John Jackson dead.

I can't even conduct an investigation.

I was just jumped!

Tiny's not doing his job?

If it weren't for Tiny, I'd probably be dead.

- I'm going home. - Not going home

until this thing is over.

Here. The warden wanted you to have these.

Where do you want me to go?

Just over here.

All right.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Hi. Can we sit down?

Ben Matlock, this is Val Delaney.

I'm Billy C.

I guess this means we're suspects, huh?

That's the theory.

We are not violent men.

I rob banks, Mr. Matlock.

You haven't robbed a bank in ten years.

Your specialty now is breaking out of prison.

Five attempts, three successes.

After planning a break for six months,

don't you get a little aggravated

when one of the fellows

you're breaking out with turns you in?

Aggravated doesn't cover it.

How do you feel about Rudy?

Rudy?

He got what he deserved.

Yeah.

Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

You don't like it?

No.

What is it?

Lunch.

Food stinks.

We want better.

You have my support.

Let's get back to what we were talking about.

Ben, let me give you a word of advice.

You're barking up the wrong tree.

Well, I don't know.

It says here

that you were convicted

of three counts of armed robbery, Mr. Costello.

Two counts of felony assault

for pistol whipping security guards.

Now, some people

might call that, uh, violent.

I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.

Let me ask you two gentlemen a question

you've probably answered many times before.

Start with you, Mr. Delaney.

Where were you at the time of the murder?

Dinner.

Anybody see you?

About 400, 500 people.

Mr. Costello?

I never miss a meal.

So, you each have 400 or 500 convicted felons

that will corroborate your alibi?

Ah.

You got a visitor, man.

Ben?

Yeah, yeah.

You all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

So, how is it in there, huh?

I got to tell you the truth... I'd rather be someplace else.

I'm starving, and the food here is...

Oh.

Listen, I mean, I'm...

What...?

Oh, oh!

Thanks. Daggone.

How you feel?

You look great. Thanks.

You know anything?

Some. Hmm.

You? Well, Lenny Marcus,

the orderly?

He said that Rudy...

faked an injury.

Now, why would somebody escaping from prison

fake an injury?

I got that one.

The warden apologizes.

He said things were happening so fast when he came in.

He made a deal.

Rudy Chambers wanted to be transferred

to Greenwood Prison Camp,

so he thought he'd feel safe in the infirmary

till his papers came through. Yeah.

That didn't work out, did it?

So you got a look at the visitor log?

Yeah.

Okay, Rudy Chambers had two visits

in four years.

Both of them last month.

Guy named Ed Harper.

No record.

But the police intelligence has him on file.

Say he runs with a pretty rough crowd,

so I'll keep an eye on him.

Yeah.

Would you spend the afternoon with me?

I'll fill you in on what I know about the case.

Inside? Yeah.

You can get out.

You can't get out.

No, I know, but you can.

Will you?

Yeah.

Yeah. I've got to go see the, uh...

the, uh, prosecutor for a few minutes.

I'll meet you back here.

Whoa. Why the hell did you do this?

Conrad, it's just one of those deals.

I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't.

Tiny, you go with him.

I'll be okay.

Can you take me to see Art Spring?

Mr. Spring, how you doing?

I'm Conrad McMasters.

I'm working for Ben Matlock.

I didn't kill Rudy Chambers.

Somebody beat me to it.

But you would have?

Oh, yeah.

The creep needed to be dead.

Wish I could take the bounce,

but wasn't at the right place at the right time.

Mind telling me the place you were at that right time?

Playing bridge.

Don't be funny.

What's your problem?

I was watching the Braves play the Mets in the TV room.

What's that about?

Something to do.

Relax, man.

Who the hell are you?

Uh...

What, another lawyer?

Almost.

Uh, why were those guys yelling at you?

It's just my cellmate.

Cellmate.

Well, why were they beating him up?

How should I know, man?

Would it have something to do with Rudy Chambers' death?

Look, I-I got to get to the infirmary, all right?

It's okay.

That's okay. Let him go.

Tell you anything?

No.

Well, we better go to D block.

D block's empty.

They over there.

Hi. Ben Matlock.

Glad to know you.

Donnie Osmond.

Hi.

Oh, Georgia v. Sherwood.

Interesting case.

Working on an appeal?

Pretty complicated stuff in there.

Maybe some time I could help you.

Ben Matlock.

I want to know

if you saw Lenny Marcus

the night Rudy Chambers was killed.

He said he was in cell block D.

Writing a motion is very difficult.

You'd help?

Yup.

Oh, come on, man.

Hey, man, what's happening?

If Lenny came to D block that night,

I would have seen him.

I didn't see him.

You see that old guy over there?

Uh-huh.

The one coughing?

He can barely walk.

He's got emphysema so bad. That's Charlie Hauk.

Best safecracker south of the Mason-Dixon.

Taught Rudy Chambers everything he knew.

Yeah? CONRAD: Think

I'm gonna have a conversation with Mr. Hauk about Rudy.

Well, it's getting pretty late.

You better go.

Yeah, I was...

I was thinking I'd spend the night.

Oh, Conrad, you don't have to do that.

No, I know, I know.

It's all right?

Well...

Well, I...

All right.

All right, I'll... I'll, uh...

I'll get us some blankets.

All right.

Yeah, Tiny-Tiny will watch-watch...

Hey, Tiny?

Right down here, man.

Second cell.

Hi.

Conrad McMasters.

Yeah?

Where's Lenny?

Lenny doesn't live here anymore.

What happened?

Lenny got himself some muscle.

Those guys who were hassling you in the yard yesterday?

Uh-huh.

How long did you and Lenny live together?

Four years.

So, why are those guys helping him now?

What changed?

Lenny deals drugs.

Around here, that makes a difference.

Uh-uh.

Them guys don't do drugs.

What do I know?

This court is in session.

Mr. Mazarowski,

are you ready to question the prospective jurors?

I am, Your Honor.

Order!

Order!

Now, we're here to judge

whether John Jackson murdered Rudy Chambers.

Now, we're doing this because we believe,

if Mr. Jackson were tried on the outside,

the powers that be would insure that he walk.

But...

but...

if we are to be viewed as a serious alternative,

we must do this in an honest and orderly fashion.

Order!

Order!

Order!

Even if it means

clearing this whole damn room.

Uh, Your Honor,

uh, could counsel approach the bench?

Come on.

Did you say, "Mother, may I?"

Uh...

um...

Your Honor, uh, excuse me for asking,

but, uh, what are your qualifications

for running this court?

I used to be a lawyer.

He killed one of his clients.

You satisfied now?

Oh, yeah.

Well, if you don't mind, now we'll begin.

Mr. Davis, are you aware of the murder of Rudy Chambers,

or have you discussed his death with anyone here in prison?

Of course.

Have you formed an opinion

on the guilt or innocence of the defendant?

No, I haven't.

Do you honestly believe

that you could put aside all personal opinion

and judge John Jackson strictly

on the basis of the facts presented in this court?

Absolutely. Thank you.

Mr. Matlock.

Mr. Davis, do you believe

that you could judge John Jackson

solely on the basis of fact,

in spite of the fact that he put you

in solitary confinement three times?

He was only doing his job.

Challenge for cause.

I'll take it under submission.

How do you feel about the guards in this prison?

I hate their guts.

Challenge for cause.

I'll take it under submission.

What were you convicted of?

Murder.

I figure this will be a true jury

of peers.

One murderer judging another.

Challenge for cause.

Under submission.

Your Honor!

Mr. Matlock, somehow, someway,

we're going to have to settle on a jury.

Now, is there any reason to believe

we can improve on this group we have here now?

No reason whatsoever, Your Honor.

So far as I can tell, every man

in this institution

wants to convict my client.

View it as a challenge, Mr. Matlock.

Current panel will stand.

I object.

So noted.

This court is in recess till after lunch.

All right, let's eat!

May I help you?

Yes, I'm here to see my client.

Your name, please.

Uh, Ron Wallace.

I'm Rudy Chambers' attorney. Hmm.

Your name isn't on the list.

That's odd.

I called. Only visitors

that make arrangements before are allowed in.

I told you... I called.

Look, I don't want to cause any problems.

Uh, my client was supposed to be transferred in here last week.

If you just let me know that he's here,

I'll spend the night and come back in the morning.

I'm sorry.

I can't release that information.

Hey, I just drove four hours to get...

I can't release that information.

Well, just before dinner,

I got a call from D Block.

They said someone had gotten cut

and that I should go up.

Did you recognize the voice on the phone?

It sounded like John Jackson.

But you're not sure?

No, I'm not.

Then, what happened?

Well, when I got to D Block,

it turned out it was a false alarm.

No one was hurt.

So, I went to dinner, and...

when I was finished eating, I got a meal for Rudy Chambers,

and I headed back.

Did you see anybody along the way? Yeah.

Uh, some guard was bringing Jerry Stone

to the infirmary.

It looked like Jerry had twisted his knee.

So, the three of you went

back to the infirmary together?

That's right.

And what did you see?

First, I saw Rudy Chambers on his bed.

He was covered with blood, and John Jackson

was standing over him,

and it looked like they had been in a horrible fight.

Was anybody else there?

No.

Nothing further.

Mr. Matlock.

Yes, sir.

Uh...

it must be...

difficult staying here.

Small person like yourself.

Do, uh, people pick on you?

Yeah.

Did your cellmate, uh, Dick Henderson

pick on you, beat you up?

Yeah.

What did he want?

Drugs.

He... he wanted me to steal drugs

for him from the infirmary.

Uh, you don't share

a cell with, uh, Dick Henderson anymore, do you?

No, I... I don't.

Someone stronger and more powerful than Dick

must have taken care of that for you.

Some friends took care of it, yeah.

You know, since I've stayed here the last couple of days, I...

I can't help but notice you got a lot of new friends.

People who, uh, protect you.

People who beat up Dick Henderson,

tell him to leave you alone.

They must be the ones who arranged

for your new cell, weren't they?

But why now?

What have you done or agreed to do

for these new friends?

Nothing.

Did you lie?

Are you protecting a killer?

No.

No?

Now, you've testified...

that you went to D Block on the night of the murder.

Yes.

Why didn't anybody see you?

I don't... How do I know?

You were told to go to D Block, weren't you?

You were told to say you got a phone call to go to D Block,

because some people wanted you out

of that infirmary so that they

could kill Rudy Chambers

and set up this whole thing.

And then, those people became your new best friends.

Isn't that the deal, Lenny?

No... no way.

Protection from Dick Henderson

in return for looking the other way.

No, that's a lie.

Only you didn't go

to D Block, did you?

Did you stay around, watch a while?

Who's paying you off?

Your Honor, instruct the witness to answer the question.

Lenny, answer the man.

Get lost.

Who killed Rudy Chambers?

I'm warning you, Lenny.

Why, what are you going to do?

You going to cite me for contempt?

What, you going to throw me in jail?

Your Honor, may we approach the witness?

Come on.

Look, you can't protect me on this.

They'll wait.

They'll wait till my guard is down

and you're tired of watching, and they'll get me.

And I'm not going to die for John Jackson

or for your stupid trial.

Answer the question.

Forget it.

I'm alive.

I'm going to stay alive.

Your Honor, defense would like

to request a brief recess.

How long?

Half hour, tops.

This court is adjourned till 1:25.

I need to speak with the warden.

Yeah.

I believe we're making progress.

I think that Lenny Marcus knows who killed Rudy Chambers.

I had him on the stand, but he wouldn't talk.

Afraid, if he does, he'll get killed.

He told me the other day that he's coming up for parole.

He asked me if I could say a good word.

I believe, if you'll give him an early parole

and put him somewhere now that's safe,

we can wrap this thing up

and you can get your prison back.

Hurry.

Now, where's Lenny?

Courtroom. Come on.

Wait here.

He's up in his cell.

I've got a feeling.

Too late.