Wed, Jan 13, 1965
Young hoodlums Erik Davis and Arnold Campbell violently beat an elderly man to death on a city street for seemingly no reason. Although 27 eyewitnesses are spectators to the crime, none make any attempt to help the victim. Lawrence agrees to defend the accused, and their motives, as well as the eyewitnesses', are revealed on the witness stand.
Wed, Jan 20, 1965
While boating on Long Island Sound, Marian Gerard vanishes. After witnesses implicate him in her presumed death, husband Mark is indicted for first degree murder. With the death penalty on the table, the Prestons argue against conviction without a body, while in upstate New York, Marian is secretly alive and in hiding.
Wed, Feb 3, 1965
Leo Rolf discovers his wife's affair with Arthur Raskin and murders his rival. Rolf confesses to the crime, adding that it was a premeditated act. However, citing the ancient "unwritten law" that allows a man to kill his wife's lover, Rolf argues that he should enjoy impunity. It's up to the Prestons to plead his case in court.
Wed, Feb 10, 1965
The Prestons accept the case of Roger Bailey, a college-aged pacifist attempting to stop his induction into the armed forces. A professed agnostic, Bailey can't use the loophole of being a conscientious objector on religious grounds and potentially faces prison time as draft dodger.
Wed, Feb 24, 1965
Willie Drucker, a numbers racket middleman, shoots and kills Sturdivant, a police detective who enters his apartment unannounced through a window using New York state's controversial "no-knock warrant" law. When the district attorney's office indicts Drucker for first-degree murder, the Prestons take his case and argue that the killing was self-defense.
Wed, Mar 10, 1965
Reporter Maria Edwards disregards advice to cover a police story, but finds herself in danger when an apprehension becomes violent. She flees to the safety of her car, but shoots and kills a man who is hiding in the backseat. The Prestons are prepared to defend on her on a manslaughter charge, until it surfaces that Maria knew the man she shot and the manslaughter plea is no longer available.
Wed, Mar 17, 1965
After his political party attempts to have him impeached from office on a charge of malfeasance, Governor William Defoe seeks legal assistance from Lawrence, who is an old college buddy. Defoe claims he's being ousted because of radical changes he wants to make his party; however, as testimony begins before a judiciary committee, accusations arise that Defoe bought his way into governor's mansion with a sizable, anonymous donation.
Wed, Mar 24, 1965
The Prestons defend Pete Shannon, who is accused of burglary and grand larceny against the trucking firm employing him for years. Despite his protestations of innocence, the jury convicts him. However, the Prestons are convinced of his innocence and after they receive an anonymous letter suggesting that the guilty verdict was rendered without following protocol, they set about questioning the jurors in hopes of obtaining a new trial.
Wed, Apr 7, 1965
While walking his do in the park, Peter Dowling is confronted by three young men who threaten him. Dowling kills one of the young men and is indicted for manslaughter. Although the Prestons argue that he killed in self-defense based on the idea of self-preservation, the prosecution disagrees as the boy was unarmed.
Wed, Apr 14, 1965
Bertha Schlock, an aspiring, but eccentric young actress from the Bronx, seeks help from the Prestons after being arrested on an assault charge. With predictably humorous results, Lawrence decides to play Pygmalion by making a presentable lady for the jury out of the odd, flamboyant girl.
Wed, Apr 28, 1965
Assistant district attorney Charles Parker considers accepting a position in the Preston and Preston law firm. However, the Prestons are set to defend Richard Holmes on a charge of murdering the man who raped his wife and caused a breakdown that institutionalized her. When Parker is assigned to prosecute the Holmes case, a conflict of interest charge arises.
Wed, May 12, 1965
In their final televised case, the Prestons tackle a New York state law limiting the amount of compensation for wrongful death cases. After Bill Andrews' young son dies in a car accident, he sues, but finds that the fees he's set to collect aren't even sufficient to cover the psychiatric care his devastated wife needs to recover from the loss. He seeks help from the Prestons, who argue for changes to the law.