About this season
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.
Episodes (43)
1. Return of the Dead
5.0Aired 6 September 1954 • 30 min
2. Road to Nowhere
Aired 13 September 1954 • 30 min
3. The Big Race
Aired 20 September 1954 • 30 min
4. The Arsonist
Aired 27 September 1954 • 30 min
A disturbed teen-aged boy begins setting fires in the neighborhood following an altercation with his father.
5. Loyalty
Aired 30 September 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 7 October 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 14 October 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 21 October 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 28 October 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 4 November 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 11 November 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 18 November 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 25 November 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 2 December 1954 • 30 min
The answer to a murder case may just lay in the hands of a teenage boy using trick photography.
15. Open Season
Aired 9 December 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 16 December 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 23 December 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 30 December 1954 • 30 min
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
Aired 6 January 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 13 January 1955 • 30 min
Matthews must defend a ditch-digger accused of attacking his boss. Further investigation reveals more complexity to the story.
21. Gunpoint
Aired 20 January 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 27 January 1955 • 30 min
Bart Matthews defends Karl Novak, who faces a second-degree murder charge following the grisly slaying of a storekeeper.
23. The Director
Aired 3 February 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 10 February 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 17 February 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 24 February 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 3 March 1955 • 30 min
An error in reading the stars provides the key clue in unraveling crimes committed at an oil drilling site.
28. The Hitchhiker
Aired 10 March 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 17 March 1955 • 30 min
A man arrested for robbery swears he's innocent and only signed the confession because the arresting officer beat him up.
30. Cornered
8.0Aired 24 March 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 31 March 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 7 April 1955 • 30 min
A young modal is arrested for stealing a mink, but she says she had permission to wear it.
33. The Stepfather
Aired 14 April 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 21 April 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 28 April 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 5 May 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 12 May 1955 • 30 min
38. Condemned
Aired 19 May 1955 • 30 min
An alcoholic vagrant is charged with the murder of a police officer.
39. Operation: CLEAT
Aired 26 May 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 2 June 1955 • 30 min
Matthews defends an ex-policeman's daughter when she is accused of murdering her boyfriend.
41. The Bad Ones
Aired 9 June 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 16 June 1955 • 30 min
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
Aired 23 June 1955 • 30 min