Where to watch in United States
Checked October 11, 2026
Links to services may earn us a commission. Prices and catalogs change often, so check the service before you pay. Data from JustWatch via TMDB.
Is this offer wrong?
Tell us what does not match and we will re-check this title first.
Availability history in United States
Last checked
On 3 services when we started tracking Amazon Video, The Roku Channel, Pure Flix
We re-check popular and new titles several times a day and log every change. See what is new in United States
Overview
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.
Cast
Reed HadleyBart MatthewsSeasons and episodes
2 seasons69 episodes
Season 2
-
E1 Return of the Dead
-
E2 Road to Nowhere
-
E3 The Big Race
-
E4 The Arsonist
A disturbed teen-aged boy begins setting fires in the neighborhood following an altercation with his father.
-
E5 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.
-
E6 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.
-
E7 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.
-
E8 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,
-
E9 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.
-
E10 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.
-
E11 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.
-
E12 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.
-
E13 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.
-
E14 The Murder Photo
The answer to a murder case may just lay in the hands of a teenage boy using trick photography.
-
E15 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.
-
E16 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.
-
E17 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.
-
E18 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.
-
E19 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.
-
E20 Deep Ditch
Matthews must defend a ditch-digger accused of attacking his boss. Further investigation reveals more complexity to the story.
-
E21 Gunpoint
An ex-con is forced to rob his employer's safe by two other ex-cons who knew him from the joint.
-
E22 Your Witness
Bart Matthews defends Karl Novak, who faces a second-degree murder charge following the grisly slaying of a storekeeper.
-
E23 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.
-
E24 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.
-
E25 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.
-
E26 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!
-
E27 A Knowledge of Astronomy
An error in reading the stars provides the key clue in unraveling crimes committed at an oil drilling site.
-
E28 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.
-
E29 Brutality
A man arrested for robbery swears he's innocent and only signed the confession because the arresting officer beat him up.
-
E30 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.
-
E31 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.
-
E32 The Sapphire Mink
A young modal is arrested for stealing a mink, but she says she had permission to wear it.
-
E33 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.
-
E34 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.
-
E35 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.
-
E36 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.
-
E37 Eight Out of a Hundred
-
E38 Condemned
An alcoholic vagrant is charged with the murder of a police officer.
-
E39 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.
-
E40 Story of Nora Fulton
Matthews defends an ex-policeman's daughter when she is accused of murdering her boyfriend.
-
E41 The Bad Ones
A 'Good Kid' gets caught up with the wrong crowd and his parents seem unable to do anything About it.
-
E42 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.
-
E43 Failure
If you like Public Defender
+8 
+2 
+1 
+11 
+4 
+8 Ratings and comments
Log in to rate this title and join the conversation.
Log inNo comments yet. Share the first thought.
Report a problem
Tell us what is wrong and we'll check it. Thanks for helping keep Watchvoy accurate.