Public Defender

1. The Case of the Parolee

Air Date: 1954-03-11

2. The Unfit Mother

Air Date: 1954-03-18

3. Lost Cause

Air Date: 1954-03-25

4. The Forger

Air Date: 1954-04-01

5. The Prize Fighter Story

Air Date: 1954-04-08

6. The Clown

Air Date: 1954-04-15

7. Behind Bars

Air Date: 1954-04-22

8. Two Brothers

Air Date: 1954-04-29

9. Badge of Honor

Air Date: 1954-05-06

10. Let Justice Be Done

Air Date: 1954-05-13

11. Pauper's Gold

Air Date: 1954-05-20

12. The Stepchild

Air Date: 1954-05-27

13. The Auto Accident

Air Date: 1954-06-03

14. Confession of Guilt

Air Date: 1954-06-10

15. The Hobo Story

Air Date: 1954-06-17

16. Youth Crime Ring

Air Date: 1954-06-24

17. Third Floor Rear

Air Date: 1954-07-01

18. Out of the Past (aka Fifteen-Year Secret)

Air Date: 1954-07-05

19. Call in the Night

Air Date: 1954-07-12

20. The Escape

Air Date: 1954-07-19

21. High Stakes

Air Date: 1954-07-26

22. Lisa

Air Date: 1954-08-02

23. Baby for Sale

Air Date: 1954-08-09

24. Think No Evil

Air Date: 1954-08-16

25. Little Egypt

Air Date: 1954-08-23

26. The Last Appeal

Air Date: 1954-08-30

1. Return of the Dead

Air Date: 1954-09-06

2. Road to Nowhere

Air Date: 1954-09-13

3. The Big Race

Air Date: 1954-09-20

4. The Arsonist

Air Date: 1954-09-27

A disturbed teen-aged boy begins setting fires in the neighborhood following an altercation with his father.

5. Loyalty

Air Date: 1954-09-30

Matthews takes the case of a cop killer who is depending on his little brother's false testimony to get him off. When the killer thinks Matthews is getting to friendly with his little brother, he fires Matthews.

6. The Do-Gooder

Air Date: 1954-10-07

A man is in hospital after wrecking a car with an escaped fugitive, killing the fugitive. The man is in trouble for harboring the fugitive but he refuses to speak to Matthews, his Public Defender. Matthews quickly deduces that the man doesn't want to be linked to his father who is a prominent judge.

7. When Credit Is Due

Air Date: 1954-10-14

When a father of 2 is temporarily disabled in an auto accident, his wife gets a job to make ends meet. However, unscrupulous debtors begin to garnish her wages and then her boss fires her. Matthews comes to the rescue.

8. Crash Out

Air Date: 1954-10-21

An prison inmate just 3 weeks from parole participates in a prison break. His wife cannot understand why he would do such a thing and goes to Bart Matthews for help,

9. Destiny

Air Date: 1954-10-28

The Public Defender's deputy almost wrecks his marriage when he insists on defending a 15-year old boy accused of assault and murder.

10. Hot Rod

Air Date: 1954-11-04

The Public Defender defends a young man involved in an accident that killed a young girl. He investigates to see if he was accused because he was in a hot rod.

11. Until Proven Guilty

Air Date: 1954-11-11

A man becomes desperate for money when he's told his son must have an operation immediately. After getting the money, his brother-in-law arrests him, telling him he got the money illegally. Now the Public Defender must find a way to get him out of jail and reunited with his family.

12. The Hijacked Truck

Air Date: 1954-11-18

A man in love is accused of hijacking. The public defender hears a story about his courtship and the reason behind his arrest.

13. Circumstanial Evidence

Air Date: 1954-11-25

A story of blind justice, as Matthews defends a man whom was caught by police with the gun that killed the man's wife.

14. The Murder Photo

Air Date: 1954-12-02

The answer to a murder case may just lay in the hands of a teenage boy using trick photography.

15. Open Season

Air Date: 1954-12-09

It is the opening of deer season and the long-running feud between two old codgers has heated up again. When one is found shot in the woods, the other is of course the prime suspect.

16. Socrates

Air Date: 1954-12-16

Guy from the hood gets framed for murder. Matthews enlists the help of Socrates, who runs the hood's homeless shelter, to obtain proof of his client's innocence.

17. Moonshine

Air Date: 1954-12-23

During a raid on the Carter family still, a warden is shot and killed. Jesse Carter, fresh home from the service, is arrested for the killing.

18. The Man Who Couldn't Remember

Air Date: 1954-12-30

A man is arrested for a robbery he didn't commit, but he can't remember what he did at the time of the robbery. His wife believes in his innocence. His only hope may be a mental hospital where they can help him remember.

19. Another World

Air Date: 1955-01-06

The Bachman siblings are European refugees who've worked hard in America. But Hans begins to romance Wanda and convinces her to get him valuable plans. Erich ends the spy ring by shooting Hans but was it justified in Reed's definition of justice.

20. Deep Ditch

Air Date: 1955-01-13

Matthews must defend a ditch-digger accused of attacking his boss. Further investigation reveals more complexity to the story.

21. Gunpoint

Air Date: 1955-01-20

An ex-con is forced to rob his employer's safe by two other ex-cons who knew him from the joint.

22. Your Witness

Air Date: 1955-01-27

Bart Matthews defends Karl Novak, who faces a second-degree murder charge following the grisly slaying of a storekeeper.

23. The Director

Air Date: 1955-02-03

A once famous film director is now working as night-watchman at the film studio. One night he knocks down another film director, who once was his assistant director but now is the famous one, and takes 300 dollars from him. The public defender cannot understand why somebody would destroy all of his former reputation for such a small crime.

24. Mama's Boy

Air Date: 1955-02-10

After a boy is discovered dead in the hallway at school, one of his classmates is arrested since he was caught fighting with him at the time of his death. The Public Defender sets out to find out if the boy's being a "Mama's Boy" may have been the cause for what the classmates claim was an accident.

25. The Big Steel

Air Date: 1955-02-17

A man is accused of purposely running a co-worker down and is arrested for attempted murder. But the Public Defender is able to get him off after talking to his other co-workers. Oh, but wait, that's only half the story.

26. Jackpot

Air Date: 1955-02-24

A kid is arrested for gang activity after mugging a cop, but the gang is being organized by some influential people, so the other gang members threaten to kill the kid if he talks. The Public defender must get to the bottom of things before someone else is hurt!

27. A Knowledge of Astronomy

Air Date: 1955-03-03

An error in reading the stars provides the key clue in unraveling crimes committed at an oil drilling site.

28. The Hitchhiker

Air Date: 1955-03-10

A soldier about to ship out of the country is on his way home to his pregnant wife. He gets a ride with a woman who takes him as far as the car rental place. Later that night, the man and his wife are arrested for stealing the car and hitting an old, blind woman. The Public Defender searches for the young woman who gave him a ride, but she seems to not exist.

29. Brutality

Air Date: 1955-03-17

A man arrested for robbery swears he's innocent and only signed the confession because the arresting officer beat him up.

30. Cornered

Air Date: 1955-03-24

An upcoming prizefighter wants to turn himself into Matthews for parole violation but the threats of small time hoodlums and the actions of a clueless police officer cause things to go wrong.

31. Time to Kill

Air Date: 1955-03-31

When Peter Stone hears that a murder suspect fits his description, his extreme paranoia leads him to take actions that make him appear guilty. He is eventually convicted of a murder he had nothing to do with. Matthews appeals his case.

32. The Sapphire Mink

Air Date: 1955-04-07

A young modal is arrested for stealing a mink, but she says she had permission to wear it.

33. The Stepfather

Air Date: 1955-04-14

A teenage boy, stepson of the Police Chief, is arrested for breaking into a gas station. The Chief is convinced he can help him. Bart steps in to help and all is resolved in the end when the Chief faces the boy down.

34. A Pair of Gloves

Air Date: 1955-04-21

Flippant small time hood and three time loser Allie Kilgore claims he bought out of town a pair of gloves that are the like the pair he is accused of taking in a home burglary.

35. End of the Line

Air Date: 1955-04-28

An elderly Public Defender determines to keep busy during the weeks until his retirement comes through. He puts himself at great odds to keep a man from being sent to prison. Bart Matthews comes to his aid.

36. Clifford Pike

Air Date: 1955-05-05

A man admits to murdering his aunt and grandmother, claiming insanity. But the case goes through all twists and turns before the amazing truth is revealed.

37. Eight Out of a Hundred

Air Date: 1955-05-12

38. Condemned

Air Date: 1955-05-19

An alcoholic vagrant is charged with the murder of a police officer.

39. Operation: CLEAT

Air Date: 1955-05-26

Law enforcement agencies from the U.S. and Mexico join forces after the public defenders' office uncovers a car theft ring that is connected to drug trafficking.

40. Story of Nora Fulton

Air Date: 1955-06-02

Matthews defends an ex-policeman's daughter when she is accused of murdering her boyfriend.

41. The Bad Ones

Air Date: 1955-06-09

A 'Good Kid' gets caught up with the wrong crowd and his parents seem unable to do anything About it.

42. The Jockey and the Nun

Air Date: 1955-06-16

Joey leaves his orphanage to be a jockey when an encounter with hotel owner Mr. Barry gets him returned. But after the hotel is burned Joey is arrested. Only Sister Anthony continues to believe him during the trial.

43. Failure

Air Date: 1955-06-23