The Public Defender (TV series)

The Public Defender is a half-hour 69-episode television dramatic series starring Reed Hadley (1911-1974) 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. The series was sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes; by the middle of its second season, Revlon cosmetics became an alternate sponsor.

Premise

When this series was created by Mort R. Lewis and Sam Shayon, the concept of the public defender was little known in the United States except in capital cases. A 1932 United States Supreme Court decision Powell v. Alabama clarified the need for public defenders for suspects accused of crimes which if convicted might lead to execution. The use of public defenders was broadened in 1962 in another high court case, Gideon v. Wainwright to include public defenders for all suspects charged with any level of felony, a broadening of the Powell ruling.The Public Defender purportedly based each episode on true cases, and each segment closes with a tribute to a public defender. Hadley portrays the stoic but driven public defender Bart Matthews, whose clients cannot otherwise afford expensive legal representation.

The Public Defender

The Public Defender is a 1931 Pre-Code crime film directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix and featuring Boris Karloff. Rich playboy Pike Winslow dons the mantle of 'The Reckoner', a mysterious avenger, when he learns that his lady friend Barbara Gerry's father has been framed in a bank embezzlement scandal. Using meticulous planning and split-second timing, Pike, along with his associates, the erudite 'Professor' and tough-guy scrapper 'Doc', attempt to find proof that will clear Gerry and identify the real culprits.

Cast

See also