Episode list

Jarrett, a down on his luck truck driver "Franciosa" accidentally kills a motorcycle cop while he himself is chasing thugs who boosted his goods. After a tough pursuit in the Utah desert, Sgt Anderson "Gazzara" is convinced there's more to the story than just a straight cop killing and he persuades lawyer pal Egan "Connors" to try to save Jarrett from the gas chamber.

A crippled woman who witnessed a murder refuses to admit it, and the authorities begin to suspect that her husband may have committed the crime because he was being blackmailed.

A young Hispanic soldier is nabbed stealing drugs from an army base. He soon becomes a suspect in a murder, but racial prejudice appears to be affecting the outcome of his court-martial.

Young, clean-cut Deke Palmer appears to most people as a polite, well-mannered teenage boy, but he's really a punk who's a member of a gang of burglars and also the vicious killer of a patrolman. When Anderson pursues him, Deke shoots at him, Anderson fires back and kills him. Palmer's influential father demands that the cop be brought before a trial board. Anderson asks Egan to represent him.

An engineer intent on committing suicide accidentally kills a co-worker while trying to jump from a high-rise site, and is charged with murder. At his trial he offers no defense, hoping that he will get the death penalty.

Anderson forms an attachment with a young boy who may have shot and killed his mother by accident, but the boy's aggressive, bellicose father has a strong reaction to what he consider's the detective's "interference".

A tool-and-die craftsman is devastated by the loss of his dexterity and coordination, especially after he learns that his company is going to let him go. He winds up killing the obnoxious and abusive machinist who is going to replace him.

A schoolteacher witnesses a murder, and when the wrong man is arrested for the crime, she wrestles with her conscience about coming forward--she was with a married man at the time, and if that became known, it could ruin her reputation and result in her losing her job.

A little girl is run over and seriously injured by a motorcycle. A disgraced doctor who has had his medical license revoked rushes over and performs emergency surgery on her to try to save her life, but she dies anyway. Soon the doctor finds himself charged with practicing medicine without a license.

A little girl is smothered to death, and it's discovered that she was killed by a surprised burglar. The man arrested for the crime turns out to be the mentally challenged neighbor of the girl. The question is, is the young man capable of knowing the difference between right and wrong.

A young hoodlum beats two men nearly to death and also engages in some unusual acts of vandalism. Egan agrees to defend the boy on the charges, but he soon begins to wonder about the boy's strange obsession with a prominent Superior court judge.

A dockworker who fancies himself as an author kills the man who repossessed his typewriter, then befriends investigating detective Anderson in an odd bid to divert suspicion away from him.

A famous playwright is murdered, and Egan defends the man's wife who's charged with the crime, but he begins to suspect the woman's daughter of being the real killer.

During a stick-up at a church bazaar, a woman with a heart condition is literally scared to death. An investigation leads the police to a small-time hood, who is arrested after he is identified by the dead woman's husband, who was there. However, the more scrutiny the case comes under, the more suspicions are raised that things aren't quite as open-and-shut as they seem.

A heroin-addicted nightclub comic is arrested on a drug-related homicide, and at his trial he intends to challenge the state's anti-narcotic laws.

A building contractor admits that he cheated on his invalid wife, but that he didn't fatally poison her. Egan agrees to defend him and soon begins to suspect the couple's daughter of the murder.

Corporate lackey Larry Tavener agrees to dispose of the body of his boss' s mistress after she fatally overdoses at a wild party, but when he winds up arrested for murder, he calls on Egan to defend him.

Anderson is one of the few people who's willing to stand up for his drunken ex-partner, now a private detective, but he soon discovers that the man is involved in the accidental death of a blackmail.

A young woman who helped out lost souls is found dead in her apartment, which had also been ransacked. Her brother, a minister, asks Egan to defend the girl accused of the murder.

Two robbery suspects bolt from the courthouse before their trial and wind up robbing a supermarket and taking a pregnant woman hostage. Kirby also winds up becoming a hostage.

An overworked Egan asks his mentor to take over the defense of a poor Hispanic man charged with robbery and murder, but his mentor's senility has a serious impact on the man's defense.

A young gambling addict embezzles money from his job to finance a junket to Las Vegas.

A pair of young lovers plot to run away to avoid scorn from their feuding families, but wind up becoming fugitives from justice when they're involved in a murder.

Anderson believes that a series of strong-arm robberies are the work of one man, whose M.O. is to use a vicious dog to threaten his victims, but the man's wife insists that he's innocent.

An old-school mobster wants to retire, but a young buck that he was grooming for a high mob position decides to take him out instead, leading to a shoot-out where an innocent girl is killed.

A truck driver finds himself deep in debt after he's forced to borrow money from a loan shark. When he can't pay the outrageous interest, the hood threatens to kill his family if he doesn't come up with the money. Enraged at the threat to his family's life, the trucker decides to take matters into his own hands.

A desperate man kidnaps his son from his former wife and her new husband. Egan agrees to defend him and begins to suspect that the stepfather has issues with the boy.

Two students pay a drifter to murder their law professor because they despise him as a symbol of the kind of left-wing, soft-on-crime ideology they believe will destroy the country. When the professor kills his assailant instead, he finds himself on trial for first-degree murder. But he's forced to conceal crucial evidence from his own defense attorney, at the risk of his life, to protect his lover, a married woman who is terrifed that her brutal, sadistic husband will discover their affair.

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In a seedy bar, two students, Brad Holcombe (Chris Robinson) and Steve Leete (Joseph Gallison), offer drunken drifter Fred Kordiak (Leo Gordon) $1,000 to commit a murder. Holcombe gives him $500 up front and promises the balance after the murder is committed.

Holcombe and Leete despise what they consider to be the "liberal," "anti-establishment," soft-on-crime views of their law professor, Marcus Kane (MacDonald Carey) and the fact that hes a "hero" to their classmates. More than just hating Kane himself, they hate what they believe he symbolizes. Theyre convinced that "the Kanes" of the world are perverting the law and will destroy everything America stands for unless theyre stopped. They believe in legal retribution and maximum punishment for wrongdoers without any mitigating circumstances or room for "human error." But Professor Kanes motto is, "Curse any law except those which love has made."

One evening, Kane is spending time with girlfriend, Martha Phipps (Mala Powers) at his apartment. He wants to know why she cant tell her husband that theyre in love so she can get a divorce. Martha says its because her husband is a prideful, "vicious" man. Frustrated, Kane tells her that sometimes he wishes theyd never met because then he wouldnt want her, he wouldnt need her. "Dont say that," Martha says. "Marcus, you have me."

Kane walks Martha to her car. After she drives off, hes accosted by Kordiak, who asks for a match. Kane is clearly intimidated by the rough-looking stranger "Professor Kane?" "Are you Marthas husband?" Kane asks. Kordiak laughs "yeah" and shoves Kane down a dark, forested embankment. They struggle. Kane smashes a rock over Kordiaks head, killing him. Then, he drives the body to a secluded area and dumps it.

Daylight. Detective Sgt. Nick Anderson (Ben Gazzara) and Detective Sgt. Dan Kirby (Roger Perry) are viewing Kordiaks abandoned body. Kirby thinks the corpse was a drifter, the type who does whatever he must to get money for booze. He probably robbed a grocery store and then got in a fight with his partner over the loot and was killed. Simple as that. But when a uniformed officer brings them a piece of 14K gold chain, Anderson says, "Grocery store, huh?" And why was the body dumped so far from town? The medical examiner arrives and finds a wad of cash on the corpse. Why would a drifter have almost four hundred dollars on him?

The next day at school, Holcombe and Leete are shocked to see Professor Kane. Leete gets panicky. Did Kordiak run off with the money? Then why did he show up the night before? What happened? Holcombe urges him to stay cool.

Kane meets Martha to tell her their relationship is over. Shes shocked. He said he loved her just 12 hours ago. What happened? Or is this his way to force her to divorce her husband? Martha tells Kane that she loves him but Kane is adamant. "Its over. We dont know each other." She hurries away, distraught.

The police have identified Fred Kordiak by his fingerprints. They still have two questions: whose gold chain was that and where was Kordiak killed?

The newspaper reveals that Kordiaks corpse was found. Hes described as a 35-year-old ex-con who was found with a gold chain clenched in his hand.

Detectives Anderson and Perry arrive at the intersection across from Kanes apartment, where Kordiaks ex-wife said hed had an appointment with a man the night he was killed. As they search the area, Anderson finds part of a gold chain in the bushes that matches the one on Kordiaks body.

After dark, Kane returns to the scene of the crime with a flashlight. Anderson and Perry are waiting for him. Kane runs to his car and speeds off but Anderson and Perry fire their guns after him and he crashes.

Holcombe and Leete are pleased with the news that Kane returned to the scene of the crime to retrieve his Phi Beta Kappa chain. John Egan (Chuck Connors) is going to handle the case and plead self-defense. They dont think that will help. Kane tried to conceal the crime and resisted arrest after killing Kordiak. But why would he have done all that if it was simple self-defense? Leete: "He had to be hiding something else beside a body." Holcombe: "Yes. But what?"

Kanes attorney, John Egan, argues with Deputy D.A. Jerry Miller (John Larch) that there was no motive for the killing other than self-defense and that Kane then simply panicked. If there is one person dedicated to peace, who detests violence, its Kane. Miller argues that were all human and as long as we experience hate, fear, greed, were all prone to murder. Kane may not even be granted bail.

Egan argues that there couldnt possibly be a connection between Kane, one of their leading law scholars and Kordiak, who was "little more than a Main Street derelict." Miller says that Kane hasnt exactly been acting like a great law scholar, hiding the body and running from the police. He shows Egan an old file on Kanes accidental killing of his brother. Egan argues that it was an accident and over thirty years ago. Miller asks if there isnt a theory that theres no such thing as an accident.

Egan: "So, once a killer, always a killer? This is inadmissible."

Miller says to relax, that he wont release it. Then whats the point? Egan asks. That anyone can kill, says Miller. Egan: "And anyone can have an accident. You still dont have a motive."

Millers phone rings. An anonymous caller says that Kane was being blackmailed, thats why he killed Kordiak.

Miller (to Egan): "So, theres your motive."

The caller was Holcombe. Leete says its a terrific idea, something that Kordiak would do. But why would Kordiak blackmail Kane? Holcombe says that everyone has a secret.

Kane is recuperating in the hospital with a police guard outside his door. Egan tells him that the D.A., Miller, wants a charge of first degree murder. Kane insists that he never saw the man he killed before. But Egan wants to know why Kordiak had $400 on him and why Kane concealed the body. He also asks about why Kane never told him about accidentally killing his brother. Kane says there are some things you dont talk about. He also says he was not being blackmailed because its something he wouldnt stand for.

Before Egan leaves the room, he says, "Marcus, what you did after the killing was stupid. Did you panic? Or was there another reason?" Kane: "No other reason."

Egan finds out about Martha Phipps but Kane insists that "she has nothing to do with this."

Holcombe pays a visit to Kane in his hospital room and harangues his legal philosophy. "Doesnt the law mean turn the other cheek to you? Coddle the misunderstood mongrel so that he can murder again. Have pity on the poor killer. Daddy left him. Momma rejected him. Kids made fun of him. And saddest of all, he was one of the poor huddled masses. Whats your problem, Professor? Did your poppa run away from home? Did you stammer? Or were you one of the poor huddled masses? You know what they turn into. Is it any wonder they turn into killers with all that huddling? Forgive them. Love them. Send them to a shrinker." Kane says that its his responsibility that hes here, not the law. Holcombe: "Its too late for a shrinker to save you now."

Egan pays a visit to Martha Phipps at her home. She begs him to leave and says she cant get involved. Egan says she is involved and if he could find her, so can the police. She says her husband doesnt know and acts fearful. But when Egan leans against a closed door it opens and he sees an elderly man seated in a wheel chair, with a male nurse attending him. "He cant speak," Martha says. "Thats my brutal, sadistic husband."

Egan confronts Kane with the truth about Martha Phipps. "She told me he was a maniac," Kane says. "That he beat her. That she was afraid of him." Egan insists that Kordiak kept blackmailing Kane and that Kane finally killed him. Kane insists it wasnt so, that he was afraid that Kordiak was Kanes husband but when he got a better look at him after he was dead, he realized Kordiak couldnt be her husband.

On the stand, Egan gets Mrs. Phipps (who testified for the prosecution) to admit the horrible things she told Kane about her husband were lies and that shed told him those same lies again that night just before Kane was attacked by a man who wasnt a mugger or a blackmailer but a man Kane believed was Phipps brutal husband, a man who existed only in Kanes mind and Mrs. Phipps lies.

In consultation, Egan tells Kane hes still concerned about where Kordiak got that money. And they recall that Kordiak called Kane by name, that he knew who he was. This wasnt a mugging. Kordiak was there to kill him. Kane has championed a lot of unpopular causes but who could hate him enough to have him killed? Only someone who would consider him an enemy.

Egan tells Kane about filling in for him the other day as judge at his law classs moot court and that he saw real hatred displayed by the student prosecutor, Holcombe. He wants Kane to tell him more about this student prosecutor.

Egan takes Holcombe to dinner and tries to talk him into testifying on Kanes behalf. Holcombe says that they dont exactly see eye-to-eye on the law. Egan says thats why his testimony would help, coming from someone whose views are diametrically opposed to Kanes. Holcombe says he cant help and its for a reason he wont be able to reveal until later.

Back in court, Holcombe is called as a witness for the prosecution. He testifies that he and his roommate saw Kane and Kordiak seated together in a booth at the bar that Kordiak used to frequent. Holcombe says he didnt come forward sooner because he couldnt believe that Kane would so such a thing but then he remembered the lessons Kane used to teach in law school and how they were servants of the law and it was his duty to come forward, even if it hurt Professor Kane.

Under cross-examination, Egan gets Holcombe to admit that he believes were all capable of murder, including him, although hed need a very strong reason. Egan asks if Holcombe could murder an enemy, someone who represented everything that he opposed, someone who threatened his entire way of life. Egan: "Would he generate sufficient hatred in you to provide a motive for murder?" Holcombe: "Yes. An enemy. We kill our enemies. But we dont call it murder. We call it war."

Egan returns to the defense table and tells Kane that this is his time to continue the cross examination. Kane goads Holcombe into defending his "unusual" and "peculiar" political and socioeconomic beliefs. He gets Holcombe to admit that he considers Kane to be an enemy. Holcombe attacks Kane for his left-wing beliefs and for not even being an American but a naturalized citizen who came from Poland and changed his name. Kane accuses Holcombe of being a bigot who hates him because he knows that Kane is superior to him, which Holcombe vehemently denies, calling Kane a liar and a phony.

Then Kane says that's why he tried to have him killed. He turns to Holcombe's friend, Leete, who is also scheduled to testify against him, and asks him if he's checked his bank book lately. "Any large withdrawals? Stand up and be counted, Mr. Leete!"

Leete begins to panic. "Brad?"

Holcombe: "Shut up, its a trick. Shut up!"

But Leete bolts for the door and is subdued by a court officer. Holcombe runs from the stand, leaps on a table and tries to get out through the windows but hes also subdued by court officers and removed from the court.

Egan, Kane and Deputy D.A. Miller approach the judges bench. Its all over.

Fade to credits.

John Egan defends wealthy Kit Patterson, who with the aid of her boyfriend, stole some of her own land deeds in order to con a rich Texan into buying the remaining worthless deeds.