For the People

- Season 1

(1965)

New York City assistant district attorney Dave Koster finds himself humiliated in court when he's assigned to prosecute a vagrancy charge on the city's most notorious racketeer Johnny Pack. After receiving a stern warning from the judge, Koster tenaciously pursues a potential murder charge against Pack, but finds he must allow the means to justify the end at any cost, and for Koster the cost is uncomfortably high.

Dave Koster thinks he has a slam dunk case against drunken vagrant Samuel Chaplin who is arrested for burglary and assaulting police officer Dutka. Although Chaplin admits to hitting Dutka, he swears he didn't commit a burglary. Tenacious legal aid attorney Martin Jameson thinks that Koster's case isn't as strong as he believes and doggedly pursues proof of Chapin's innocence.

Todays theme is the Influence of Fear.

In the conclusion to a two-part story that began on its sister series The Doctors and the Nurses, sixteen year old student Robert Bauer has committed a senseless murder that he claims to not remember. Dave Koster moves forward with the youth's prosecution, but Koster and the defense are convinced that Bauer is suffering from mental illness and attempt to uncover the reason behind his violence.

While pursuing a case against a pornography publisher David Koster's wife is blackmailed due to an alleged adulterous divorce.

Koster's attempt to prosecute a young hoodlum for homicide is complicated by the appearance of a lawyer with high political connections representing the defendant.

On the subway, a girl is murdered at the height of rush hour by a psycho serial killer. Koster feels guilty when he realizes that the young man named as the perpetrator was once a prosecuted by him for a beating incident the year before. Now he's menaced Mrs. Koster, and has talked a girl into running away with him, then holds her captive.

While on his way to work in costume as a policeman, actor Ernie Garatella is nearly the victim of a hit and run, but the driver, believing him to be a cop, attempts to bribe him. Garatella reports the incident to Dave Koster, who dismisses him. Garatella then decides to use the costume to dispense justice at his own discretion.

Dave Koster's office is assigned the case of prison guard Carl Whaley. Whaley, who recently beat an inmate to death, claims his excessive force was justified, but an eyewitness disputes his word. Koster must convince a grand jury to believe his only witness who also happens one of the prison's black inmates.

State commissioner Arthur Genessee is threatened by a scandal that could potentially cost him a valuable political appointment. To ensure his future, he promises a future judgeship to Celese in exchange for suppressing evidence, and Celese finds it remarkably difficult to ignore the enticing offer.

Todays theme is Seized, Confined and Detained.

After minor league con-artist Fred Rice finds himself facing arrest and prosecution, he offers to expose the leader of a charitable organization that is bilking the public each for year for millions of dollars. Dave Koster decides to pursue the case.

Dave Koster wants a first degree murder conviction for Lupton, a heroin addict who killed an NYPD officer. However, a guilty verdict seems like a long shot when the sole witness to the crime is revealed to be Joe Turker, an inveterate gambler who has also served time in prison and is therefore not considered to be a competent witness to the jury.