Public Defender "The Carson Case'"
30min | Crime, Drama | TV Series (1954– )
Bart Matthews defends the poor and others who cannot afford an attorney. All episodes are based on actual cases from across the country.
Creators: Mort R. Lewis, Sam Shayon
Stars: Reed Hadley, Herschel Graham, John Close
30min | Crime, Drama | TV Series (1954– )
Bart Matthews defends the poor and others who cannot afford an attorney. All episodes are based on actual cases from across the country.
Creators: Mort R. Lewis, Sam Shayon
Stars: Reed Hadley, Herschel Graham, John Close
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Public Defender.
00:12The public defender is a public servant employed by the community and responsible for giving
00:17legal aid without cost to any person who seeks it and is financially unable to employ private
00:23counsel.
00:25It is his duty to defend those accused of crime until they are proved guilty by law.
00:32The work of a public defender often takes peculiar turns.
00:37This case is about a young, confused boy whose loyalties were leading him along a dangerous
00:42road.
00:43Foul Car 37A had been instructed to proceed to the industrial section to investigate two
00:54suspicious characters who had been loitering around the warehouse.
00:58I'll cover this side and you take the other.
01:24Hold it.
01:25The other door.
01:26They've traveled in pairs.
01:27Come on.
01:28All right.
01:29Freeze.
01:30Throw out your guns.
01:32One more.
01:35The other door.
01:38Freeze.
01:39Hold it.
01:41Don't move.
01:47All right, freeze! Throw out your guns!
02:00One more wallop, fella. You coming out?
02:04Come on!
02:11Come on, we gotta make a run for it!
02:13Come on!
02:14Okay, chicken out of me now!
02:17Come on!
02:48Johnny!
02:50Come on, kid, hurry up!
02:52Come on!
02:57Now, give me some cartridges and stuff to clean my gun.
03:00Yeah, but...
03:01Come on, do what I say!
03:06Johnny!
03:08Johnny!
03:10Johnny!
03:12Johnny!
03:14Johnny!
03:16Who flung you, Bill?
03:17Some dirty cop.
03:26What's the idea, Bill?
03:30No.
03:32Some dick comes around here asking a lot of questions.
03:35I've been right here at home all evening.
03:38Just sitting here minding my own business.
03:40With my kid brother.
03:41Just chewing the fat, that's all.
03:43That's our story, see?
03:45I don't get it, Bill.
03:46Look.
03:48You seen me pick up my gun and start to clean it.
03:51Well, I didn't know it was loaded.
03:53All of a sudden, off it went.
03:56That's how I got this little souvenir.
03:58Catch on now?
03:59Yeah.
04:00Yeah.
04:01Okay.
04:04How's about fixing up the arm, Doc?
04:06Sure.
04:08Ah, that Spike is a real load.
04:12He didn't even try to fight back.
04:14Just stood there shivering like a leaf and let the cops plug him.
04:17You're big time, Bill.
04:18Spike never was.
04:19Yeah, you can say that again, kid.
04:22How'd the cops get on to you?
04:24I don't know.
04:26But this is what happened.
04:28Me and Spike were going into the woods.
04:30And a cop came up to us.
04:32And he said,
04:34But this is what happened.
04:36Me and Spike were going into the warehouse, see?
04:38And these two cops come sneaking up in back of us.
04:41Their guns drawn.
04:43Ready to shoot us in the back in cold blood.
04:45Brave guys, huh?
04:47What else can you expect from a couple of cops?
04:49Yeah.
04:50Oh, they got Spike right off.
04:52But not me.
04:54I was too fast for them.
04:55I took them both on.
04:57Yeah, I got the first one and knocked him cold.
05:00And the second one?
05:01Yeah, he's even colder.
05:03I got him with a slug of lead.
05:05Bill Carson.
05:07Bill Carson.
05:09Unlock your door.
05:11And come out with your hands up.
05:13It's the cops, Bill.
05:14What are we gonna do?
05:16Just stay loose, kid.
05:17We'll beat this rap.
05:19Open up.
05:21Open up.
05:25All right, get him up and turn around.
05:27And if I don't?
05:28I'll drop you right where you stand.
05:29Get him up.
05:32Get going.
05:33Maybe I don't feel like going.
05:34Get moving.
05:35Bill didn't do a thing.
05:36This is a frame-up.
05:37It is.
05:38What about that arm?
05:39He was right here with me, cleaning his gun.
05:40Yeah.
05:41And my buddy's very dead.
05:42Try to alibi out of that one.
05:46He was cleaning his gun.
05:48Look.
05:49Look, I'll show you.
05:50Look.
05:52As I took over the case, the arrest of Carson
05:54for the murder of Police Sergeant White
05:56was headline news.
05:58And Johnny was experiencing a thrill,
05:59seeing his brother's picture on every front page.
06:07Yeah?
06:09You Johnny Carson?
06:10Yeah, that's me.
06:11Who are you?
06:13Well, I'm Bart Matthews, the public defender.
06:15What's this public defender stuff?
06:17I'm your brother's lawyer.
06:19Oh, the mouthpiece.
06:21Come on in.
06:23Just throwing away some groceries.
06:25Pull up a check.
06:26Let yourself in.
06:28I thought maybe he was one of those newspaper guys.
06:31They've been coming around here all day.
06:33I guess if you're Bill's mouthpiece,
06:35you must be OK.
06:40Boy, wait till I get on that witness stand.
06:42I'm going to make a monkey out of the DA.
06:46Say, isn't this Spider Kelly?
06:48Yeah.
06:49Boy, he can really handle himself.
06:51Yeah, I'm a great fan of his.
06:52Yeah?
06:53So am I.
06:54He's a real champ.
06:55Tell me about yourself, Johnny.
06:57Do you go to school?
06:58School?
06:59Nah, not me.
07:01Why, do you have a job?
07:03Well, me and Rickon left you a plan in one seat.
07:05Small potatoes, though.
07:07I'm for the big time stuff.
07:09You know, even Bill says I'm good.
07:11He's a great guy.
07:13You don't find many like Bill.
07:15No, no, you sure don't.
07:17But he has a rough road ahead of him, Johnny.
07:19That's a pipe.
07:21Listen, Bill says my story's going to spring him.
07:23He was right here with me.
07:25Believe me.
07:27Yeah, so Bill's told me.
07:29But it's got to be your word against the police, son.
07:31Ah, don't worry about that, Matthews.
07:33We got to get Bill out of this, don't we?
07:35I'll do everything for him I can.
07:37Then we're in.
07:44I didn't share Johnny's optimism,
07:46nor did I get any encouragement
07:48when I talked to his brother, Bill.
07:50So how do things stack up?
07:52I'll give it to you cold, Bill.
07:54When Sergeant Doyle gets on the stand,
07:56his testimony will be entirely different from Johnny's.
07:58Who's Doyle?
08:00The other police officer.
08:02He says he winged you.
08:04And I say I got shot when I was cleaning my gun.
08:06Then there's the ballistics report.
08:08The D.A. will try to prove
08:10that the slugs in White's body came from your gun.
08:12Let him try.
08:14Those ballistic experts ain't always right, you know.
08:16So if the kid tells his story straight,
08:19it looks to me like we got the jury hooked, don't we?
08:24I'd been thinking a lot about Johnny.
08:26Something drew me to him.
08:28Maybe it was that misplaced loyalty to his brother.
08:31So I asked Sergeant Doyle to come up and see me.
08:34I didn't know you so well, Bart.
08:36I'd think you were crazy.
08:38I was never more serious, Lou.
08:41If Johnny's loyalties can be diverted into healthy channels,
08:44he might become a pretty fair citizen.
08:46Look what you're asking me to do.
08:48Do we want this boy to become a carbon copy of his brother?
08:50You want me to have to defend him three years from now?
08:55Okay.
08:57When do I meet this dead-end kid?
09:00I'll let you know.
09:02Uh, how's Mrs. White?
09:04Have you seen her since the funeral?
09:06That woman's made of real stuff, Bart.
09:08I've been taking the boy, Danny,
09:10down to the recreation center,
09:12teaching him how to box,
09:14help him keep his mind off things.
09:16You know, I'd like Johnny Carson to meet him.
09:17But Johnny must have known that you wear a badge.
09:20You know, I wouldn't do this for anybody else, Bart.
09:23You're a real persuasive sort of a guy.
09:25I have to be,
09:27or I wouldn't be worth a plug nickel as public defender.
09:29Thanks, Lou.
09:32And the trial's all set.
09:34Three weeks from Tuesday.
09:36That's soon, huh?
09:38Hey, listen, uh,
09:40why don't you shoot some questions at me?
09:42See, I ain't never been in court before.
09:44I don't want to get tripped up.
09:45Why should you, Johnny?
09:47Just get on the stand and tell the truth.
09:50Well, I'm due over at the recreation center
09:52to meet a friend.
09:54Spider Kelly comes over there once in a while.
09:56Yeah?
09:58Hey, uh,
10:00uh, you mind if I tag along?
10:02Oh, come on.
10:10Tough luck, Johnny.
10:12I guess Spider Kelly didn't show up today.
10:13Hi, Bart.
10:15Be with you in just a second.
10:17That's the way to go, kids.
10:19Keep your guard up, Jerry.
10:21That's it, come on now, Danny.
10:23That's the way to go, Danny, that's right.
10:25That's it, that's it, Jerry boy, that's it.
10:27Good one, good one, that's the way.
10:29Keep your hands up, boys.
10:31That's it.
10:33There you go.
10:35What do those two guys think they're doing?
10:37They call that fighting?
10:39Oh, they're just sparring.
10:41Don't they ever deliver a punch?
10:43Do you want me to take a picture for you?
10:45Way to go, John.
10:47Come on, Danny.
10:49I'll take the guy in the fancy pants first.
10:51The locker room's right over here.
10:53That's good.
10:55Nice.
10:57The guy in the fancy pants was Dan,
10:59the son of the dead policeman.
11:01And as I helped Johnny prepare for the fight,
11:03he was hostile to both Dan and Doyle.
11:05Hey, I think that referee's on the kid's side.
11:07He'll give fancy pants all the breaks.
11:09Oh, Doyle's a square shooter, Johnny.
11:11Well, if the match is on the level like you say,
11:13it's on the level.
11:15Hey, listen, why don't you sucker your friend
11:17in to make a little side bet?
11:19You'll make yourself some quick dough.
11:21Ready, John?
11:23All right, center of the ring.
11:25Touch gloves and go.
11:27All right, let's go.
11:29One, two, three, four.
11:34It's okay, it's okay.
11:36I don't have to count.
11:38I just slipped.
11:40All right, let's go.
11:59All right, hold it, hold it, hold it.
12:01That's enough, that's enough.
12:04You were pretty good, Danny.
12:06I just happened to get in a couple of hard punches.
12:08I just didn't get going.
12:10I could have knocked you flat.
12:12You need a little more practice, John,
12:14before you'll be able to do that.
12:16Better get dressed, Johnny.
12:18Then we get something to eat.
12:20You like spaghetti?
12:22Boy, I eat it up.
12:24That's what it's for, come on.
12:29Hey, what happened to your eye?
12:31Danny leave his calling card?
12:33No, no, just itches.
12:35You know, you pack a pretty good wallet
12:37on that right-hand kid.
12:39A little shot in the nut, you know,
12:41you'd be pretty tough to beat.
12:43Why don't you drop around for a few pointers?
12:45You couldn't get a better coach.
12:47He was Golden Glove Jan for three years.
12:49No fooling?
12:50Yeah.
12:52Hey, listen, could you teach me a few of those fancy tricks
12:54so maybe I can have another go at this guy?
12:56Gladly, John.
12:58That defeat had deflated Johnny's ego.
13:00He was out to even the score.
13:03He trained diligently for the rematch,
13:05and I hoped to eventually get to the boy
13:08through his pride.
13:10Doyle knew his stuff all right,
13:12and when he would compliment the kid,
13:14Johnny would swell up with pride.
13:16Even Johnny had to admit to himself
13:18that Doyle was a great guy.
13:20Of course, he didn't know that Doyle
13:22was a police officer.
13:24We were holding that out until the proper time.
13:25Finally, Doyle told Johnny
13:27he was ready for that rematch.
13:37That's the way.
13:39That's the way.
13:41Nice.
13:43That's the way to go, John.
13:45Come on, Danny.
13:47That's it.
13:49All right.
13:51That's the way, kid.
13:53That's it.
13:55I guess I'm going to have to call this one a draw.
13:57I think Johnny had the edge, sir.
13:59Where do you get that?
14:01We were both pretty good.
14:03We had let Dan in on our little plan at the beginning.
14:06Now we enlisted his mother
14:08as a fellow conspirator on Johnny's birthday.
14:11Boy, you sure can cook, Mrs. White.
14:13This is the best meal I ever ate.
14:15Then I hope you'll come again, Johnny.
14:17It's hard to make it soon.
14:19Mom and I are moving to Meadville.
14:21What do you want to live in a hip town like that for?
14:23Because my family lives there.
14:25It'll be less lonesome.
14:27You see, Dan's father died just a short time ago.
14:32Oh, I, uh...
14:34I guess I put my foot in it.
14:36I thought your old man was out of town or something.
14:41Isn't it time for the big surprise, Dan?
14:43Can I bring it in?
14:45Hey, what's up?
14:47Oh, I'm not allowed to tell.
14:48Hey, a birthday cake.
14:50Mm-hmm.
14:52For me?
14:54You must blow out all the candles and make a wish.
14:56I've got another surprise for you.
14:58A present.
15:00One of Spider Kelly's boxing gloves.
15:02And it's autographed.
15:04Gee, thanks.
15:06I'll just wait until I show this to the gang.
15:09To my friend Sergeant White.
15:11Spider.
15:13Hey, how did you get this?
15:15Sergeant White was my daddy.
15:16A GI, huh?
15:18No, Johnny.
15:20He was a police sergeant.
15:25You mean your old man was a cop?
15:28He was killed in a hold-up.
15:30Shot in the back.
15:32Didn't have a chance.
15:37I'll get it.
15:41Well, look who's here.
15:43Hello, Denny.
15:44I brought along a friend of mine.
15:46I hope there's plenty of cake.
15:48Hi, Dan.
15:50How's the old lad?
15:53Happy birthday, Johnny.
15:55I brought a present for you.
15:57I'm sorry you couldn't make it for dinner,
15:59but you're in time for some birthday cake.
16:01Brought you something, too, John.
16:03Sure.
16:07What is this, a frame-up?
16:15Found that?
16:17Looks like your little scheme backfired.
16:26Have you gone off your rocker, Johnny?
16:28You're letting this Matthews make a sap out of you.
16:30Can't you see what he's doing to you?
16:32He's playing up to you.
16:34To get you against me.
16:36You, my own kid brother.
16:38Why would he do that, Bill?
16:40He's your mouthpiece.
16:42Because there's double dealing going on.
16:44All that defender stuff is just a decoy.
16:46He's not on our side.
16:48He's with the law.
16:50Look, kid.
16:52Any guy that chums around with the cops,
16:54you can't trust him.
16:56Now, you can see that, can't you, kid?
16:58I'm all mixed up, Bill.
17:00I'll say you're mixed up.
17:02Look, who are you gonna believe?
17:04The wife of a copper or me?
17:06Look, kid.
17:08Matthews is trying to get you to crack.
17:11He don't want you to tell your story.
17:12He'd like to see you stool on me.
17:14I'm no stoolie, Bill.
17:16All right.
17:18Then get wise to yourself.
17:20Tell this Mr. Public Defender
17:22to go take a run and jump in the lake for himself.
17:25Look, kid.
17:27You're my one hope.
17:30Look, if you sell your story to them,
17:33you'll get me out of here.
17:36Or do you want me to burn?
17:38No, I don't, Bill. You know it.
17:40Okay.
17:42Now you're talking like a real brother.
18:00Hello, Johnny.
18:02What do you want?
18:04I haven't seen you for almost a week.
18:06Guess you're right.
18:08It's getting pretty close to the trial.
18:10Yeah, I know.
18:12I'm going to see Bill this afternoon.
18:14Anything you want me to tell him?
18:16No.
18:18What's wrong, Johnny?
18:20Look, why don't you leave me alone?
18:22You must have been talking to your brother.
18:25Maybe.
18:28Look, Johnny, I don't know what's going through your head,
18:30but anything I've done, I've done to help you.
18:33Yeah.
18:35Look, I gotta help Bill.
18:37See, he's my brother.
18:39The courts are all on the side of the cops.
18:40I took care of a couple and we're ready to shoot Bill in the back.
18:42You're pretty confused, Johnny.
18:44I was, but I ain't now.
18:46I'm going to tell my story in court
18:48and you ain't going to make me crack.
18:50That was never my intention, Johnny.
18:52I was just hoping that you might find yourself
18:54before it was too late.
19:04Still determined to do something about Johnny,
19:07I took a long shot chance
19:08and laid the whole thing right in Bill's lap.
19:10You're wasting your breath, Matthews.
19:12Johnny's on my side.
19:14Sure, that's because you sold him
19:16a phony bill of goods about yourself.
19:18He thinks you're a big shot.
19:20I know your record, Bill.
19:22State reformatory, a series of cheap stick-ups.
19:24So?
19:26You've never done a decent thing in your life,
19:28but now's your chance.
19:30Why not give Johnny a break?
19:32Put the cards on the table and show him
19:34that the deck is marked.
19:36I don't go for that psalm singing,
19:38but you can make a man out of Johnny.
19:40Look, mister, I've done all right so far.
19:42Why don't you let Johnny decide that?
19:44Why don't you let Johnny see you
19:46for what you really are?
19:48That you've double-crossed your pals
19:50and they've double-crossed you.
19:52And that deep down you're such a coward
19:54that you never leave the house
19:56without looking over your shoulder.
19:58Shut up. And you get this, Matthews.
20:00Johnny's okay just exactly the way he is.
20:02And when I get out of here,
20:04him and me are going places together.
20:06We're a natural.
20:08If that's the way you want it.
20:10That's the way I want it.
20:12Anyway, what kind of a mouthpiece are you?
20:14You're not working for me.
20:16What is your real job?
20:18Assistant DA?
20:20Now, look, Bill.
20:22You'll be defended in every legitimate way.
20:24Your rights will be protected.
20:26But I didn't take my oath of office
20:28to see how many crooks and murderers
20:30I could get off the hook.
20:32Oh, that's a fine speech.
20:34But I don't buy any of it.
20:36Now, look, Mr. Public Defender,
20:38I don't want no part of you.
20:40I'm going to be my own mouthpiece,
20:42so why don't you blow out of here?
20:44Come on, open up here. Let me out.
20:50Having decided to conduct his own defense,
20:52Bill Carson had relieved me of any responsibility.
20:55And I attended the trial as a spectator only.
21:00The state called a ballistics expert
21:02who identified six bullets,
21:04all fired from Bill's gun.
21:07Officer Doyle took the stand
21:10and described in detail
21:12the gunfight in the warehouse.
21:14He told the court how Bill,
21:16in a frenzy of fear,
21:18had fired three shots
21:20into the body of Sergeant White
21:22as he struggled to rise.
21:24The state rested its case.
21:30And the defense called its only witness.
21:33We watched Johnny's face
21:35as the oath was administered to him.
21:37Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
21:40the whole truth,
21:42and nothing but the truth?
21:44So help you, God?
21:48Do you solemnly swear
21:50to tell the truth,
21:52the whole truth,
21:54and nothing but the truth?
21:56So help you, God?
21:58Do you solemnly swear
22:00to tell the truth,
22:02the whole truth,
22:04and nothing but the truth?
22:08Now kid, tell the court your name.
22:11Johnny Carson.
22:13Uh, Johnny,
22:15on the night White was killed, where was you?
22:18I was at home
22:20with you.
22:22Yeah, and what happened?
22:24Well, we just
22:26sat around chewing the fat
22:28and, and then...
22:29You were sitting around chewing the fat and then, what?
22:32I ain't gonna lie, Bill.
22:34I, I gotta tell my story straight.
22:36I ain't gonna protect a coward.
22:38It's you that shelled him, not the cops.
22:39You wasn't home that night.
22:41He was out on the job.
22:42Johnny, I'll pay for you.
22:43You killed Dan's old man.
22:44He was a good guy and you killed him.
22:46You killed him in cold blood.
22:47Johnny, you can't do this to me.
22:49Johnny, look, you're my brother.
22:50You can't, you, you can't.
22:52Johnny, please.
22:53Baby, tell him.
22:54Tell him.
22:55Johnny.
22:56Johnny, you can't do this to me.
22:57Johnny.
22:58Johnny, you gotta tell him.
23:00Johnny.
23:01Johnny, please.
23:02Johnny, please.
23:03Johnny.
23:04Johnny, don't do this to me.
23:05Johnny.
23:06Johnny.
23:09Bill got the penalty prescribed by law.
23:12We had better luck with Johnny because we got to him in time.
23:16I spent last weekend at Meadville where Johnny is living
23:19with Mrs. White and Dan.
23:22Now, the case you have just seen was brought to a fair and just
23:25conclusion through the efforts of a public defender.
23:55© BF-WATCH TV 2021