02x09 - The Best Judge Money Can Buy

[bunniefuu]

[Kojak's theme playing]

What do you think you're doing?

What do you think?

Not a sound.

Wait, stop.

What do you think you're doing?

Hey, hey, let's keep your mouth shut.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I can see what it looks like.

What is it really?

You're coming on pretty fast this time.

What's up?

Well, I was with Judge
Mackey in court this morning,

and he didn't look ready
for anything like this.

How long has he been dead?

About an hour.

And if you're thinking he was bound
or anything, I've checked his wrists.

Not a sign of rope burns,
broken vessels, anything like that.

Lieutenant.

This is Ellen Mackey, the judge's wife.

She said she was upstairs sleeping.

At about 5:30, she woke up, heard
the motor running, and came down here.

This is Mackey.

I'm Lieutenant Kojak.

You know, can you give us any
reason why this might have happened?

I was with your husband
this morning, and

it didn't seem-- Do I
have to talk about it?

No, Ellen, you don't.

Certainly not now.

I'm Judge Mackey Sr., the boy's father.

Excuse us.

How could Philip do this, Ellen?

How?

I asked him for a divorce over the weekend.

Why?

What happened?

He was a perfect father, a good husband?

Philip was having an affair with someone.

I found out and confronted him with it.

He said he was sorry,
but he wouldn't give her up.

So I-- I said it was all over between us.

I had no idea that he would go this far.

Go upstairs.

I'll talk to you later.

Where's that from?

Grease, I guess from the hose.

Hey, look at this.

It's the same kind of grease from the hose.

I guess he wiped his hands on it.

Committing su1c1de, and he
takes time out to wipe off his hands?

Now, get Jane in.

Check this against his
hands, would you please?

What is your name, Lieutenant?

Kojak, Manhattan South, Your Honor.

Well, Lieutenant Kojak, I
respect good police work.

But there are private
family matters involved here.

A widow, two fine young boys, a reputation.

Lieutenant, I found
this on the floor of

the car, along with
some hairpins and stuff.

I've seen this before from an ace bandage.

Your son have a sprained
ankle or something, Your Honor?

My son is lying there, his
face still not covered up.

Please, Lieutenant, don't drag this out.

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

There are no shortcuts.

How you doing?

No grease on the hands.

Of course, he could have
helped the hose with the cloth.

But you're right.

It's a strangely fastidious su1c1de.

Now, when you're finished with
the body, would you cover it up?

Miss?

[crying]

Miss, I'm awfully sorry.

It's terrible.

Are you family?

No, no, I work at the court.

Somebody called his office.

Everybody knows.

Did he really k*ll himself?
Does that seem so out of the question?

No.

No, nothing's impossible, is it?

Miss, in case I want to talk to
you-- I have nothing to talk about.

Nothing.

All I want is my privacy.

[music playing]

Just your name.

You're in the book, aren't you?

Hyatt, Kimberly Hyatt.

[music playing]

OK, OK, OK, beautiful, beautiful.

Hey, Frank, did you see my kid brother?

Just did three rounds with
the Indian, and look at him.

He's cool as cream cheese.

Yes, terrific.

He's got the abs, that
lift's getting strong, kid.

Come on, kid, you just think.

Let's take a shower.

What are you waiting on?
- That lawyer Brunson.

Yeah, this is Roussel.

Everything looks good by the papers.

Oh, he trusts that.

Look, I told you, he did a perfect job.

Hey, ask him about the boss.

Hey, what about Kilty?

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

OK, terrific.

Talk on you.

He's going up to Attica after
the funeral to talk to Kilty.

He's going to get him out of jail.
He swears it.

He's up for attempted m*rder.
That's a 10-year rap. How do you b*at that?

Hey, you know Brunson.
He's got another judge in his pocket.

Only this time, he's got to be
tied in with the Supreme Court.

Yes, Mr. Brunson?
- Donna, call Attica.

Explain that Mr. Norman Kilty has retained new counsel
and arranged for me to see him tomorrow after the funeral.

Book me a flight up there from LaGuardia.

And Donna, call the appellate division.

Make sure Judge Philip Templeton Mackey Sr.

hasn't canceled his sessions
because of his son's death.

Now, we have an appeal to prepare for him.

Right away, Mr. Brunson.

Well, the M.E.
says he d*ed of carbon monoxide poisoning.

There are no contusions or other
suspicious physical indications.

They've released the body.
The funeral's tomorrow.

We've got no substantive case for homicide, Theo.

But we won't close it out if
you want to put a hold on it.

Captain, here are the court's dispositions
on every decision Judge Mackey

made last year.

And a list of all the defense
attorneys who appeared before him.

One of them made out like a bandit.

A dude named Bronson.

Martin Bronson.

Well, in case there are only two
convictions, I'll say he made out.

One for 90 days and the other for
six months, and that was suspended.

That suggest anything to you?

That's public record, Theo.

It certainly doesn't prove
that Mackey was on the take.

So far, all we've got is that
clip from an Ace Bandage.

There's not one real,
unexplained piece of evidence.

Now, if you want to
try to build a homicide

case around that,
more power to you.

Stavros.

Yes, sir.

Why don't you put a tail on Bronson?

Yes, sir.

I don't believe this.

Why?

Frank, I know this fox.

He defends known murderers,
known pushers, known hitmen, etc., etc.

Now, if Mackey was
m*rder*d, I guarantee

you it was a thoroughly
professional job.

And I'm just looking for a link.

Two minutes ago,
you were arguing that

Bronson had the
judge in his hip pocket.

d*ck Cain k*lled Abel.

Look, if you're going to fall down,
you might as well fall down big.

Do you understand?

I want to find out who Bronson talks to.

Who he treats with respect.

Who treats him with respect.

And now that Mackey's dead,
who is Bronson buttering?

Maybe up to another judge?

Hey, I got to start someplace.

[Music]

You seen him before, Dimples?

The jelly bean with the attache case.

I'm not sure.

I'll check out his registration.

Mrs. Mackey.

I went to your house. I just missed you.

I've got everything you need in here.

The man standing next to
the last car, give him to him.

Mrs. Mackey.

I'm very sorry.

Do I know you?

No, I worked at Phillip's office a couple
of years ago down at the courthouse.

Oh, yes.

You're the one with the well-rounded
penmanship that didn't stay long.

It must have been very awkward for you.

What?

Both of you in the same office.

Right?

Kim.

You knew, didn't you?

Your Honor.

Yes.

I'm Martin Bronson.

Yes, yes.

I just want to say how sorry I am.

Thank you for being here.

You coming to the cemetery?

No, I can't. I'm sorry.

But I would like to speak to
you tomorrow in your offices.

I have an important appeal coming up.

You'll have to go through channels.

Now, if you don't mind.

[Music]

Car 723K.



On a registration check, license
reported verifies to Mr. Luther Revelson,





Two-way radio antenna.

A shoulder holds the bulge.

What do you want to bet that
Mr. Revelson is a private detective?

[Horn honking].

What about those two guys I gave you?
How did they do?

They did perfect.

So tell me the big secret.
How do I get to Brazil?

The trial judge who sentenced you.

He could have granted
you bail pending your appeal.

He wasn't going to give
me break number one.

His decision can be appealed
to the appellate division.

They can reverse
him, set bail, and you

can walk out of here
after you've posted it

and just keep right on going.

My lawyer's been through this.

Those judges aren't going
to open the door for me.

Judge Mackey will.

All you have to do
is deliver a million

when you're out to a
Swiss bank account.

You're kidding. For him?

No. For me.

What I got to hold over Mackey
I couldn't buy with money.

Get me out.

You'll be made for life.

[Chuckles]

Made for life?

You want out, Kildee?

I want in with that million.

Into politics.

There's where the action is.

You just got to be careful.

But we all know that now, don't we?

Don't you ever knock.
What do you want, Rizzo?

Hey, lieutenant, this is
police information here.

[Chuckles]

Crocker called.

Now, he followed Bronson
after the funeral out to LaGuardia.

From there he went up to Attica Prison.

Crocker claims that Bronson's
got a new client, a Norman Kildee.

Norman Kildee.

Yeah.

New York's number one garbage man.

[Music]

What is it?
- Check with the super at Kimberly Hyatt's apartment.

Judge Mackey was there a lot.
Armed the slot.

Kimberly Hyatt.

Marty Bronson. Norman Kildee.
What the hell does that all add up to?

You ever play kick the
can, hide and go seek?

Yeah, sure.

Somebody kills the
judge, this Norman

Kildee certainly has
the manpower for that.

These torpedoes they
use to hang around him.

Yeah?

- Find out if they're at Liberty.
- Yes, sir.

I don't exactly understand why
you've come to me, Miss Hyatt.

I realize that.

He met you once in the afternoon.

And he told me that he was taking
an awful lot on his ability to trust you.

I need your help, Mr. Bronson.

There is almost $94,000 in this case.

I have been storing it in my closet.

Philip put it there
several years ago

after we had... After
we'd fallen in love.

Mr. Bronson, what do I do with it?

What can I tell you?

Philip set aside some
money, perhaps, so

that you could take
off someday together.

Now he's dead, and it's yours.

Mr. Bronson, do you know how
much a judge makes in Philip's court?

Less than, uh... less than $45,000 a year.

Do you know what he said to me once?

He said that if he ever found $50,000
all in one place, he'd run off with me too.

The hell with the scandal.

Why didn't he?

I mean, there's twice as much here.

I'm afraid I have no idea.

All right.

He couldn't make up his mind.
I can understand, you know.

Why am I so understanding?
I don't understand, Mr. Bronson.

If he had this much money stored away,

no matter what was troubling
him, he would run off with me.

I know that.

I also know that he did not k*ll himself.

I have to go to the police.

Miss Hyatt.

They'll start an investigation.

It's a front-page scandal, Miss Hyatt.

Yes, but if Philip did not k*ll
himself, then somebody did,

and somebody has to investigate.

Of course.

Why don't you give
me this one afternoon

to find out where the
money came from.

Then, if you're still not
satisfied, we'll go to the police.

All right.

That's the spirit.

You'll be at home later.

Yes.

If I learn anything.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

[♪♪♪].

[♪♪♪].

Hey, come on.
You ain't got your hands taped.

All right, all right.

I'm in a hurry.

What's eating you?

All right.

Hi, Dale.
Hold on a second, Gallo.

Hello, Webster. Remember me?

Oh, Jack, sure. How you doing?

Here, Jilly, finish wrapping his hands
and have him work, the bag again, okay?

Okay.

Go ahead, kids.

You want something from me, Lieutenant?

Oh, yeah, you and Rizal.
Must be love.

Yeah, I hear you're working
for Sammy Carbo now,

hustling now that
Norman Kildee has

gone over Hill and
Dale and up the river.

Boy, have you got lousy informants.

Yeah.

Rizal and me, we work for Thorny.

Jilly, we're out of the rackets,
into the fight game full-time.

Yeah?

That's not what I heard.

I hear that you and Sammy
Carbo had a long meeting.

Monday afternoon, very, very late.

Are you kidding?

Let's see, Monday afternoon.

Oh, yeah, that's the day that Rizal
and me took Thorny over to the dock for

his check-up.

That's Doc Younger, you know him.
He works the fights.

Oh, yeah, Doc Younger.

Okay, Webster, listen, eh?

Everything's cool.

Just as long as you stay
away from the naughty boys.

Hey, trouble I don't need.

Not with a contender in the family.

Revelson, the guy at the funeral
you said was a private investigator?

That's what he is, all right.

Here's his address right here.

All right, come on.

Over here.

I could tie up a guy with an ace
bandage and it leaves no rope burns, yeah?

Right.

I know you know Doc Younger.

That bum, he stopped a bout last year.

TKO, would you believe I went down for ten?

All right, look, you find him
before those other two punks do.

Find out exactly what time they
brought their fighter for an examination.

In the meantime, I'll go talk to Revelson.

Yes, sir.

Webster, Bronson, write this down.

Kimberly Hyatt, 165, Padgett Place.

Yeah, yeah, I hear
you, but I wish I didn't.

You want Kilty out, right?

Then why take chances?

She's depressed by the judge's death.

She commits su1c1de.

Happens every day.

By the way, she's got 94 grand
stashed somewhere in her apartment.

Find it.

It's yours.

It's yours.

[♪♪♪].

How much of this spy stuff
you figure is legal, Revelson?

Who says I use it?

Maybe I'm a collector, huh?

Me too.

Well, why don't you collect me some
information on what you did for Mrs.

Philip Mackey, Jr.?

I can't talk about clients,
even if I knew who that was.

Sure you can.

I bugged her house phones.

Had a recorder in the basement,
a*t*matic on with each call.

And what was that for, Revel?

Her old man, the judge.

He was having an affair.

I got him on tape talking to this
chick maybe half a dozen times.

I don't know exactly.

I don't listen to everything, you know.

You mean you sit alone in this
dump and you don't listen to intimate

conversation? Come on.

Not that tape, not that tape.

You know why?

Because I was transferring this hair
tape for a friend of mine in which the

mic was under the bed.

[laughing]

You want to hear it, huh?

I'll catch you later.

Well, anyhow, he wasn't
just talking to the girl.

There was a man, a
Martin something, Martin.

Martin Bronson?

Was that who she had you
deliver him to at the funeral?

I didn't hear any last names.
I wouldn't know.

So these tapes, maybe they
had nothing to do with the girl.

Maybe they're all with
this guy Martin, right?

I don't know, really.

I just recorded all his private
phone calls for four weeks.

Some were with the girl,
others with this Martin.

Hey, hey, don't you want
to hear the dirty tape?

It ain't legal.

Martin, how long can we
keep getting away with this?

Stop worrying.

Anybody who can get bought
shouldn't qualify as a witness anyhow.

Throw the case out.

You laid it on them about
delays last time in court.

All right, all right.

But it's going to cost you more this time.

I want to quit pretty soon.

How much? Five thousand?

We settled for thirty-five hundred.

I don't believe it.

Where did you get that anyhow?
That's some sort of patched up tape.

There's copies of three
conversations on there, your honor.

More or less all the same,
just as I recorded them.

What did you do to him?

He must have had something over his head.
What was it?

Look, all I know is I
made a gentle proposal

to him a few years
back, and he accepted.

Why?

This is inconceivable. That boy
has never, never taken one stray step.

Look, your son was in love.

In any divorce, he would
have ended up with nothing.

So he was building up his
own private little nest egg.

I thought there was
nothing we didn't discuss.

He should have talked it all over with me.

No woman is worth that sort of compromise.
That's absurd!

That's exactly what you would have told him,
and that's exactly what he didn't want to hear.

That must be destroyed, you understand?

You do understand.

That depends.

I want Kilty out on
bail pending a new trial.

If he isn't, the original of that
tape goes straight to the daily news.

You go to jail offering a bribe.

If you listen carefully, he
solicited the five thousand.

There's no proof I paid it.

In fact, I might come
out of this looking

like a hero while your
son ends up in the headlines.

Philip Templeton Mackey Jr.

The best judge money can buy.

I have two children to take care
of, Lieutenant, and a number of

responsibilities occasioned
by my husband's death.

Well, I was perfectly willing to
come to your home, Mrs. Mackey.

I think the children have been
exposed to enough police, don't you?

And as for this private detective,
there's nothing I have to say.

Go Jack.
- Yeah lieutenant Bronson just spent 30 minutes with judge Mackey senior.

He took with him
what looks like a tape recorder.

He's splitting. I gotta go.

Mrs. Mackey
This private investigator, uh Revelson

Well, he was taping your husband's
telephone conversations. Now a few of

them were with a miss a Hyatt

He also taped some others with the
lawyer with the name of Martin Bronson

With whom your husband has some
very dubious collaboration.

Lieutenant

you repeat those accusations in public
and I will sue you for every penny badge

sticker furniture and plastic
coffee cup you own.

Sue me, but just tell me why you
gave those conversations to Mr Bronson.

Mrs.
Mackey you please say.

You put your hands on me
- I was just...

Look at you!

All of you! You look like you're
watching some game!

It is a game, isn't it?

You interfere in people's lives.
You analyze their passions.

You make them suffer for being nothing
more than human beings who are trying

to solve their own problems.

Well, that is life!

It is not a game.

Stay out of it.

We don't let people take out their
passions with m*rder. That's right.

And why did Bronson bring those
tapes to your father-in-law today?

What Mr. Bronson does is his business.

Why ask me?

That is one sick lady.

What is it, Stavros?

Doc Younger backed up the alibi that
Webster gave for the day of the m*rder

about bringing Thorny
down there for a physical.

This is not a m*rder.

I beg your pardon,
Captain, but I think it

is, because I didn't
buy Younger's story.

I reminded him about his license.

I said I didn't hear him the first time.

He admitted he didn't see Rizzo
and Webster on the day of the m*rder.

All right, Rizzo, Tracy.

Get down to Gallows Gym and
you keep an eye on them, okay?

Saperstein, you too, Stavros.

Pick up Kimberly Hyatt.
You tell her I want to talk to her, okay?

Yes, sir.

Saperstein! I got you.

Where are you going?

I'm going to talk to Judge Mackey, Sr.

And in talking to him, I'm going
to tell him that his son was a crook.

Huh?

[♪♪♪].

[KNOCKING].

Who is it?

Exterminator, ma'am.
Just wanted to check around your sink for a minute.

Exterminator?

[SCREAMING].

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪].

Do you smell that?

[CRASHING]

Get out of here.

[CRASHING].

You pull that trigger, we all go.

Bring a g*n up.
Come on, with your hands up.

[♪♪♪]

[COUGHING]

Get up.

Run the light.

[COUGHING]

I have this certificate
delivered to Attica this afternoon.

And send the lieutenant in.

Well?

Well, your honor... You
have an exemplary record.

You came here to pay me a tribute?

You deserve it.

You know, you can't
say that for all judges.

This Sutter, for example,
what do you think of him?

I don't care to comment.

Kingman, Geraso,
Taylor, the others that

the press are beginning
to come down on?

I don't especially respect any of them.

Off the record, of course.

Is anybody like yourself ever going
to put it on the record, your honor?

Lieutenant, if you
don't get to the

point... The point,
sir, is very painful.

Now, your son was having an extra-marital
affair with his former secretary.

C'est la vie. That's...
Not against the law.

The painful part?

His wife confirmed it by putting a
tap on his private telephone line.

Please.

And the detective.

He says that there were other conversations
between your son and Mr. Martin

Bronson, a defense attorney.

A defense attorney
who won practically

every case he pleaded
in front of your son.

Those tapes, sir,
found their way to Mrs.

Mackey, to Mr. Bronson,
and through him...

To these chambers this afternoon.

You have had me under surveillance?

No, sir.

Mr. Bronson.

No calls.

What?

Here, Kojak.

She all right?



Okay.

Kimberly Hyde.

Your son's mistress.

Two of Kilty's buttonmen tried to k*ll her.

I think they had more luck with your son.

Lieutenant, you come in here with
one bombshell after another. I don't even

know this Hyatt woman.

Who tried to k*ll her?

The people who k*lled my son?

Are you saying it wasn't su1c1de?

I can't prove m*rder yet, sir.

But it's beginning to fall into place.

I mean, Kimberly talking about
the 94,000 dollars with Bronson.

Bronson saying he never heard of it.

And I'm saying...

That Bronson was the one who
gave it to your son in the first place.

But there's no evidence of that, you say.

So there must be other explanations.
There has to be.

That's why, your honor, you
must tell me what's on those tapes.

You're the only one who
can help me unravel this.

And the widow isn't talking, and
Bronson, of course, he's not talking.

And Kimberly Hyde, she's
just a babe in the woods.

There's no way that I can tie
Bronson to that 94,000 dollars.

You, your honor.

You're the only one who can
help me bring out the truth.

The truth is, lieutenant,
I have suffered

your presence here
as long as I intend to.

Good day, sir.

Mm-hmm.

Good day.

Good day.

Yes?

Yes.

Kelty will be at the hearing tomorrow.

Yes, he would be free
to leave after posting bail.

But, Mr. Bronson, who recorded those tapes, you or Ellen?
I want to know.

I have to know.

So nothing out of Rizal or Webster?

What are they gonna say? They belch me nailing for Mackey's m*rder.
They gotta shut up.

So where are we?

Except for the as*ault on Kimberly, zip.

Not the judge's m*rder,
not bribery, not extortion.

Everybody has something to hide.
Nobody's talking and nobody's helping.

Captain, lieutenant, I just
thought you'd like to know.

Norman Kelty's spending
the night in the tombs.

He goes up before Judge
Mackey tomorrow morning.

Motion for release on bail,
pending his appeal for a retrial.

[Music]

In a few minutes,

I'm gonna hand down what is probably
the most important decision in my life.

Before I do, there's
something I must ask you.

According to this
lieutenant Kojak's theory,

that tape of Phillips'
telephone calls

was made for you
by a private detective.

Ellen.

Ellen.

Did you spy on my son?

Spy on Phillips?

I am allowed, you know, in my
own home to tap into our own lines.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Especially when one's
husband is carrying...

Ellen, these are
conversations with

Martin Bronson, not
with that hired woman.

Now, were these ever
in your possession,

I only heard a few words
between her and Phillips.

I didn't need to hear a lot.

A few "I love you's" goes a long, long way.

I, uh, I don't want to get into that.

Why don't you want to get into that?

You think he was such a Saint.

Well, let me tell you something
about your darling son.

Night after night, I
lay awake listening

to him talking in
his sleep about her.

Night after night.

And he never even touched me.

Yes, I recorded those
conversations with Bronson.

Yes, I gave Bronson those tapes.

And do you know why?

Because he defended exactly
the kind of people that I needed.

People who would do anything.

So I made a deal.

You made a deal?

He asked about you.

I told him that those tapes
would break your heart.

Well, he wanted the tapes.

And I wanted Phillips to get
some of his famous justice.

So Bronson arranged to k*ll Phillips.

That was my price for the tapes.

He was a thief!

He stole from me!

[music]

You know, while your son
was dying, I was upstairs.

I knew what was happening.

I heard the motor running.
Do you know what I did?

So I wouldn't have to listen.

I took a bath.

[music].

[door opens]

[music]

Please rise.

The Supreme Court of the State of
New York Appellate Division Part 4 is now

in session.

The Honorable Philip Templeton Mackey, Sr.
presiding.

Be seated.

In the case of the people of New
York State against Norman L. Kilty,

the defendant having
filed an appeal for

release on bail during
pendency of appeal.

Mr. Bronson, would you
and Mr. Kilty please rise.

[papers rustling].

This court has been asked to Grant
freedom under bail to Norman Kilty,

a felon convicted and
sentenced for a vicious crime.

If this court so rules,
he can buy his Liberty.

If this court so rules, consider
that freedom or imprisonment.

At times, even life and death.

These are awesome
powers, ultimately

at the discretion
of jurists like myself.

And who are we, really?

How wise are we?

How different from you can we afford to be?

We must be human, and we are then
inevitably vulnerable and corruptible.

Rather than treasure
the fact we try to

remain no less human
than those we judge,

there are those who would
attempt to profit from our humanity,

who would turn our
thoughts to politics and power,

to tempt us with position, to
blackmail us with our weaknesses.

Those are the people we love.

Those who would thus
corrupt us and the people.

I count among the very worst of criminals.

Lieutenant Kojak, would
you approach the bench?

Yes, Your Honor.

Lieutenant, I charge that man,
Martin Bronson, with bribery, extortion,

obstruction of justice, and
conspiracy to commit m*rder,

and order him placed
under arrest immediately.

Plaintiff's appeal for
release on bail is denied.

He will be returned to prison forthwith.

Come in.

Oh, come in, lieutenant.

When you play this,

I will, of course,
testify to all

conversations I've had
with Bronson and Ellen.

You'll have to arrest a lieutenant.

Yes, sir.

I will, of course, resign.

Well, I personally would hate to see
you leave the bench, Judge Mackey.

I mean, you didn't accept
any of Bronson's deal.

Kojak, if it hadn't been for you and
your investigation, I don't know that I

wouldn't have.

That's total speculation, Your Honor.

And I certainly will
repeat what you just said.

No. But I would.

To myself.

Every day for the rest of my life.

Now, from now on, I can
speak out differently, openly.

Like you wanted me to.

There's a lot that needs changing.

I'll try and do what I can.

Yes, sir.

Judge Mackey.

It fits, you know.

Your Honor.

[Music]

[♪♪♪].

[dramatic music].