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Return of the Dead E1 30 min

1. Return of the Dead

No synopsis available.

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Road to Nowhere E2 30 min

2. Road to Nowhere

No synopsis available.

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The Big Race E3 30 min

3. The Big Race

No synopsis available.

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The Arsonist E4 30 min

4. The Arsonist

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

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Loyalty E5 30 min

5. Loyalty

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.

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The Do-Gooder E6 30 min

6. The Do-Gooder

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.

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When Credit Is Due E7 30 min

7. When Credit Is Due

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.

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Crash Out E8 30 min

8. Crash Out

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,

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Destiny E9 30 min

9. Destiny

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

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Hot Rod E10 30 min

10. Hot Rod

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.

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Until Proven Guilty E11 30 min

11. Until Proven Guilty

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.

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The Hijacked Truck E12 30 min

12. The Hijacked Truck

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

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Circumstanial Evidence E13 30 min

13. Circumstanial Evidence

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

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The Murder Photo E14 30 min

14. The Murder Photo

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

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Open Season E15 30 min

15. Open Season

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.

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Socrates E16 30 min

16. Socrates

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.

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Moonshine E17 30 min

17. Moonshine

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.

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The Man Who Couldn't Remember E18 30 min

18. The Man Who Couldn't Remember

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.

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Another World E19 30 min

19. Another World

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.

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Deep Ditch E20 30 min

20. Deep Ditch

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

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Gunpoint E21 30 min

21. Gunpoint

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

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Your Witness E22 30 min

22. Your Witness

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

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The Director E23 30 min

23. The Director

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.

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Mama's Boy E24 30 min

24. Mama's Boy

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.

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The Big Steel E25 30 min

25. The Big Steel

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.

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Jackpot E26 30 min

26. Jackpot

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!

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A Knowledge of Astronomy E27 30 min

27. A Knowledge of Astronomy

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

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The Hitchhiker E28 30 min

28. The Hitchhiker

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.

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Brutality E29 30 min

29. Brutality

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

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Cornered E30 30 min

30. Cornered

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.

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Time to Kill E31 30 min

31. Time to Kill

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.

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The Sapphire Mink E32 30 min

32. The Sapphire Mink

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

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The Stepfather E33 30 min

33. The Stepfather

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.

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A Pair of Gloves E34 30 min

34. A Pair of Gloves

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.

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End of the Line E35 30 min

35. End of the Line

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.

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Clifford Pike E36 30 min

36. Clifford Pike

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.

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Eight Out of a Hundred E37 30 min

37. Eight Out of a Hundred

No synopsis available.

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Condemned E38 30 min

38. Condemned

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

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Operation: CLEAT E39 30 min

39. Operation: CLEAT

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.

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Story of Nora Fulton E40 30 min

40. Story of Nora Fulton

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

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The Bad Ones E41 30 min

41. The Bad Ones

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

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The Jockey and the Nun E42 30 min

42. The Jockey and the Nun

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.

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Failure E43 30 min

43. Failure

No synopsis available.

Public Defender poster

Public Defender (1954)

6.3 (4) 2 Seasons 30m/ep 1954-03-11 US

The Public Defender is a half-hour 69-episode television dramatic series starring Reed Hadley as Bart Matthews, an attorney for the indigent. The series aired on CBS from March 11, 1954 to June 23, 1955, a season and a half.

Genres: Drama

Stars: Reed Hadley