Ben Matlock accepts the pro bono case of Kevin Meredith, a young man accused of murdering his lover, whom Ben soon realises had a much more powerful lover.
Years ago, Ben represented Jason Hardiman in his divorce proceedings, and upon his instructions, offered Carla a small fortune to relinquish custody of their son. She refused, and eventually won. Now Carla can only find work as a stripper. Jason goes to her work and again threatens to take their son Jimmy from her. When he is found at the edge of death, Carla is the immediate suspect. He is murdered while in the hospital, and Carla is the prime suspect. Ben's suspicions soon turn to a woman named Helen Shelly, but unfortunately, it's hard to find her. Doug Templitt seems to be the only one who knows where she is.
Matlock represents the a maid accused of killing her employer, at the request of the man's widow. The request is a little odd, but it seems Christina Ward wants people to know exactly what kind of man her husband was. Matlock is more than a little uncomfortable when it seems Charlene is developing a tendre for the woman's son Clark, an old college chum of Charlene's.
Matlock is hired to defend Brad Bingham, an aging football star with a reputation as a womanizer who was about to be cut from the team. Charlene is resistant to Ben's choice, as she believes everything the tabloids have to say about Brad...not only that, but years earlier, he'd had a brief relationship with her friend Ellen Hawley, who had tried to kill herself after they broke up. As the case continues, Charlene realises that not everything that's printed in the papers is true and that maybe Ellen wasn't quite honest with her, even though a call girl (Caryn Nelson) hired to make Brad look guilty almost convinces her that he is.
When Nicholas Baron, a well known mobster, is accused of murdering one of his rivals, he asks Ben Matlock to represent him. Ben initially refuses, but agrees to represent Baron despite threats on his own life. He soon meets the entire family, and realises that despite what Baron has always done for a living, at heart he's a worried father who wants to clear his name.
Even though they've lost a key witness, Matlock keeps defending Nicholas Baron. Daniel tries to convince Matlock that his father just can't handle any stress due to his heart condition, but Nicholas continues to beg Matlock to clear his name. While Matlock investigates a suspect closer to home than Baron would want, Charlene blows her chance at a relationship with Paul when she can't separate the man from the legend.
Harold Scully is a boring man. But at least he knows that. When he begs old acquaintance Ben Matlock to defend him on charges of murdering his wealthy wife Esther, Matlock reluctantly agrees. The more investigating he does, the more he realises that there is something seriously wrong with Harold's two nieces, sisters Julia and Emily.
Detective Joe Peters has been accused of taking bribes and murdering a fence, and also suspected in the death of a fellow cop. When it comes right down to it, one of the other cops on the force was more involved than they should have been.
Matlock reluctantly agrees to hire free-spirited rock star Angel after Charlene reveals she's already taken the job for them. Angel has been accused of killing her manager, and due to an alcohol induced black-out, can't even offer herself an alibi for the night. Matlock gets more and more angry when Angel continues to ignore his suggestions at toning down her life-style, but luckily he's able to get through to her before her attitude gets her convicted of murder.
Professor Erskine Tate wakes from a drunken stupor behind the wheel of his car. He doesn't know how he got there or what happened. When he's accused of having hit a mailman during his drunken joyride, he goes to a former student, Ben Matlock, for help, and Ben investigates two students and a teaching assistant.
When a down-on-his luck Santa Claus (Tom McCabe) is accused of killing the landlord who was about to evict not only him but everyone else in the apartment complex, the people in his building take up a collection and come to Matlock to ask him to defend him. They may not like Tom, but none of them believe him guilty of murder. Matlock ignores his own misgivings about a man he can't help but dislike and agrees to defend Tom.
Michael and Victoria Edwards may be divorced, but unfortunately, she couldn't keep him from being a guest on her show. When Michael dies after testing out the dish they were cooking, Victoria is immediately charged with his murder. Matlock agrees to defend her, and gets some good home cooking in the bargain.
Mary Ann Newton has written a book (Secret Confessions) that purports to be fiction, but upon a deeper look, it seems to be an expose on the citizens of a small town. When an attempt made on her life gets a local reverend instead, Matlock is called in to defend the suspected killer. As the case goes on, Matlock realises that Ms. Newton may not be the right target for the would-be killer.
When Beverly Hills cookie entrepreneur Adam Gardner's girlfriend is found dead in his hot tub, the case against him looks bleak, especially when an eye witness points the finger at him. After his corporate lawyers advise him to plead guilty, Gardner hires Ben Matlock to defend him. While Matlock believes in his client's innocence, the more he learns about the victim, the greater the motive his client has, especially once love letters turn up that were exchanged between the victim and Josh Sinclair, Adam's supposed best friend.
Kathy Warren was a private nurse working for the St. Johns. One night while she was out, Peter St. John died, and when it was determined to be murder, she was the prime suspect. She hired Matlock to defend her, offering her engagement ring as a fee. After Lacey St. John told A.D.A. Julie March that the ring had been stolen from their home, Matlock realised that something wasn't right in the St. John house, and that someone was lying to him.
Seven years ago Ben defended Les Matthews, who was accused of killing his friend and business partner and Ben lost. Today Matthews has been granted parole. While working in the library, Wayne Lashley enters with his two goons, Lipton and Foley. While Lipton and Foley keep watch, Lashley tries to kill Les, but in the struggle, it's Lashley who ends up dead, and Les who ends up looking guilty. Matthews is charged with Lashley's murder and Ben wants to defend him. He sends Tyler undercover in the prison and places him with the cellmate of the man who was killed. He gives Ben evidence that not only proves Matthews is telling the truth but also who was responsible for the murder that Matthews was convicted of seven years ago.
Ben is hired by a friend to defend his son, who is in the army, who's been charged with killing the sadistic lieutenant, whose mistreatment of his men led to the death of his friend.
As the case progresses, Ben discovers that the lieutenant and four other officers may have been involved in some kind of illegal activities. Charlene who has been working undercover and gets close to one of those officers, examines him on the stand and he reveals that they have been smuggling drugs. Ben then examines one of the officers and has him reveal to the court the scar that the lieutenant left on him after he killed him. He then reveals that he and the other two officers drew straws on who would kill him cause, an investigation might reveal their activities.
Matlock is hired to defend a popular actor when he's accused of killing the man who ran the sex-therapy clinic where he was staying, ostensibly for releasing his name to the press. He's got a temporary thorn in his side, though, in the form of Cassie Phillips, a law student he once made an off-hand comment to about looking him up for a job...she took him a lot more seriously than he had intended.
While defending union boss Gerald O'Hara, who has been accused of murdering his chief rival for his seat (Dan Keaton), Matlock is furious when juror number seven (Harry Craven) comes forward to announce that he was paid off by Matlock to vote a certain way. Luckily for Matlock, Julie knows him well enough to know he would never take a bribe, and she helps him prove that he's innocent, and that his client was railroaded by the same man who tried to bring down Ben.
Amy Adler had a juvenile record before becoming a photographer's assistant. When the photographer she works for is murdered, she begs Matlock to help her out. While pro bono cases aren't usually his style, something about the feisty young woman catches his interest, and he agrees to help her out.
When Laurie Palmer is arrested for killing her husband, the reporter covering the case is convinced of her innocence, and goes to Ben Matlock looking for help.
Dr. David Westlake was a nasty piece of work who had a reputation for making trouble for his medical students. Any one of four men had a motive to kill Westlake, but suspicion lands on Dr. Jacobs, who was seen fleeing the scene of the crime.
Matlock flies all the way the England to represent Eric Gordon, a man accused of murdering his wealthy businessman father. His sister Laura is convinced of his innocence, but brother Mitch isn't so sure.
Michelle agrees to defend college chum Andrea Morrow after she is accused of murdering her abusive lover, Clay Graham. Matlock soon becomes convinced that the murderer was Clay's blind 'friend', Arthur Hampton, but will have a devil of a time proving how a blind man managed to carry off a near-perfect murder.
Matlock reluctantly agrees to represent a famous wrestler when he's accused of killing a long-time rival, but only when Cassie begs him to. The key witness in the case is a young girl who was a die-hard fan of the dead wrestler, but whose story might not be completely accurate.
When Matlock agrees to defend Cassie's friend Judy, he is shocked to learn that Judy's husband had another wife. As the case continues, Matlock learns that there was also a third Mrs. Benson, and that Kevin Benson managed to successfully maintain three separate wives in three separate households.
Matlock reluctantly takes the case when Melinda Stuart's source is murdered. The biggest problem is that she's more interested in listening to what FBI Agent Paul Davies has to say than she is in listening to him.
After Agent Davies offers Melinda an exclusive, she changes her plea to guilty. Matlock tries to talk to her, especially after it's revealed that the person Melinda was talking to was an imposter.
Network programming chief Greg Titleman is murdered, leaving Hollywood baffled as to the identity of the killer. Matlock comes to town to represent the television producer accused of killing him, and finds more than his fair share of suspects. It seems everyone had a motive to kill Greg Titleman!
Matlock agrees to defend Vanessa Douglas when she's accused of murdering Stephen Cassidy, and author who destroyed a political families ambitions with a tell-all book. When Matlock realises his client is indeed guilty of the murder she is charged of committing, he sets up a plan to implicate her best friend, Sarah, with the crime, knowing that Vanessa will not let her friend take the blame for something she did.
Jimmy le Grand is Matlock's favorite country singer of all time. When he's accused of a hit-and-run, Matlock leaps at the chance to defend him and to house the country legend in his own home, and soon realises that is hero has turned into an alcoholic and a generally unenjoyable person.
When Brian Emerson is arrested and charged with his wife's murder, Matlock takes the case, waiving his usual fee. His efforts to get the father out on bail fail when he lands a judge who has lost his Christmas spirit, and Matlock takes the young girl in with him.
Matlock goes to Las Vegas to defend his friend, Jim Manning, after Jim is accused of murdering his girlfriend Laura, who worked for the mob laundering money.
Matlock agrees to defend Donna Stewart when she's accused of murdering Christie Huntley, an aerobics instructor at Pinewood Spa who slept with her husband. Matlock soon realises that Christie's death had nothing to do with who she slept with and everything to do with why she slept with them.
Matlock heads to an old law school reunion where he meets up with his former classmates. After the reunion, one is murdered, and another stands accused of the crime, and Matlock faces the unpleasant task of having to prove that one of his former classmates murdered another.
Matlock agrees to defend dance instructor Scott Lazar after he is charged with the murder of his married lover. It would be a lot easier to prove Scott's innocence if there wasn't another woman in the wings also claiming to be his lover.
When a baseball umpire is murdered, Matlock has a whole team full of suspects. It seems like everyone had a reason to...kill the ump.
Sam Gerard is a well-known mobster who is about to be exposed. His estranged son, Craig Gentry, is arrested for murder, but refuses to go to Sam for help, and instead, goes to Ben Matlock.
Craig continues to turn away from his father as Matlock keeps trying to investigate the case. When the Gentry family is almost caught in the middle of a mob war with the Hernandez family, Matlock realises that someone on the inside is pulling the strings.
Matlock needs to prove that one of three people murdered a scheming huckster.
Matlock agrees to defend a man who has been accused of murdering the relationship columnist whose response ended his relationship.
When Matlock's nephew Irwin is charged with murder, Matlock investigates at a high-tech computer firm to clear his name.
After a night at the magic show with Julie, Matlock agrees to defend magician Daniel Fontaine when he's charged with the murder of his assistant / lover Sandy Farrell, a woman who was as devious as she was beautiful.
Matlock defends a Vietnamese fisherman and his son when a racist fisherman is killed, and the Vietnamese fisherman is charged with his murder because the two had words. It isn't just the fisherman that Matlock ends up defending, as he also becomes a target of the racist townspeople.
As a young child, Allison Tate had discovered the bodies of her parents, apparently killed by an intruder. Shortly after her twenty-first birthday, she found the body of Marsha Gold, killed in a similar matter. When this thrust her back into the Linder Sanitarium in which she'd spent most of her life since her parents murdered, Bob Ranier (her father's former business partner, like an uncle to her) hires Matlock to prove that Allison is innocent of her murder. Matlock has an unlikely ally in Warren Kreitzer, an insurance attorney who is supposed to be on vacation, but will do whatever he can to protect Allison.
When Matlock's new neighbor, Les 'Ace' Calhoun, is charged with murdering the used car salesman who sold him a lemon, Matlock takes the case to prove that more than one person had a motive, and that Les is not the guilty party.
Anthony Stewart is charged with murdering Michael Russell, the husband of the woman he was sleeping with. Although Stewart, a visiting British ambassador, has diplomatic immunity, he refuses to use it, and wants to clean his name. Matlcok agrees to defend the young ambassador, but his case is almost over when Stewart is nearly killed in a hit and run.
After Anthony Stewart is nearly killed in a hit and run, Matlock realises that the only way to clear him is to find Shelby Russell, the supposed witness whose claim put Stewart in the hot seat in the first place. He tracks her down via her mother, and tells her that if she doesn't take the stand, her lover will go down for Michael Russell's murder.
Matlock agrees to defend Laura McCord after she's charged with murdering her husband David in a jealous rage. He and Julie soon realise that David's lover is the key in all this, but she seems to have disappeared! Ben and Julie head to the mountains to find her, and realise that the young woman is connected to organized crime.
When radio disk jockey Arthur Saxon is accused of murdering rival D.J. Robby Moore, Michelle asks Ben to defend him. Ben agrees because Michelle swears he's the kindest, most gentlest man she's ever known, but Ben soon realises that Michelle's new boyfriend is anything but.
Captain Edward Hanna was once a fine, fine cop. Unfortunately, his actions over the years have netted him with the nickname 'The Mad Hatter'. When police officer Jim Shanley is found dead after spouting off about Hanna, sergeant Jerry Reese is charged with the crime. Everyone thinks he's guilty, especially Shanley's partner, Donna Dawson. In defending Reese, Matlock begins to realise that his old friend Hanna isn't the cop he used to be.
Michelle is taken hostage by Ned Billings, who blames Matlock for his brother (James Billings, The Professor) committing suicide after being convicted of murder, thanks to Ben. Tyler and Julie also show up and end up as Ned's hostages, and they try to use the tactics they've seen Matlock use in courtrooms and interrogations to stay alive and convince Ned not to kill Ben.
When Chris Reardon, a man determined to bring the sixties back into the late eighties, is charged with murdering mayor Brian Barelli, reporter Paul O'Neill brings Matlock to Chicago to defend him, convinced of his innocence. Matlock reluctantly agrees to follow through with the case after realising O'Neill tricked him, because he knows that dropping the case will seriously hurt Reardon's chances.
Paul O'Neill heads to Texas to get his hands on Eddie Lomax, whom he believes to be the real killer. Matlock realises that a land scam is behind everything, and enlists an unlikely ally...the dead man's wife.
Seven years earlier Ken Wilson was sent to prison, convicted of murdering his wife, Ann. After he's released, he runs into his wife in Los Angeles, only now she's going by the name Kelly Manning. When she turns up dead, Ken Wilson is again arrested and charged with her murder. Ben is determined to prove that someone else killed the woman. Back in Atlanta, Les is thrilled about his new relationship with Bernice, a woman he met at Ray Templin's.
Matlock agrees to defend psychiatrist Lucas Forbes when he's arrested for killing Adam Whitley, the husband of one of his patients whom Lucas was reportedly having an affair with, according to the woman's diary. Matlock soon realises that Erin Whitley has a host of deep-rooted psychiatric problems. After a few chance meetings with a woman named Shannon, Matlock is shocked to realise the extent of the connection between Erin and Shannon.
An old friend comes to Matlock to beg him to prove that her daughter Lauren didn't murder her rival Morgan Girard after a beauty contest.
Matlock agrees to defend a psychic, Jennifer Holtz, who claims to have seen the murder before it ever took place.
When a rare coin dealer is charged with murdering a thieving employee, he hires Matlock to defend him. Tyler is less than thrilled when Matlock temporarily hires a female investigator, and has his own suspicions of her motives.
Matlock and Tyler realise that part of Linda's deception is routed in the recent kidnapping of her son. While Tyler helps her locate the child, Matlock finds the rare coin he needs to put the finish on the case.
When the manager of a thoroughbred farm is murdered, her father begs Matlock to represent the mentally handicapped man accused of the crime.
Matlock has finally had the breakthrough in the case he was struggling with, but after being hit by a car, he needs to put the case together from scratch. Unfortunately, his nurse isn't too pleased to see him trying to work, and does her best to make sure he gets the rest he needs.
When William Austin comes to Atlanta from Chicago and heads to the cult that has ensnared his son Dennis, Dennis tells him to leave him alone, the cult is his home now, and that he is no longer his father. The leader of the cult, Joshua Bradbury, tells Austin that he needs to accept Dennis' decision, and to leave him alone. Austin refuses to leave without his son, and Bradbury has the police escort Austin (who threatens to take off Bradbury's head) out of mansion. Dennis observes someone shooting Joshua, then tells police he sees his father fleeing the scene of the crime. William Austin heads to Ben Matlock for help in defending himself. After learning that Dennis has signed his trust fund and his life's savings over to the cult, Matlock confronts him, and is shocked to hear Dennis deny his father. Matlock goes to a reknowned expert in de-programming cult victims, who tells him that Dennis may believe he saw his father, but he is probably so brain-washed by the cult that he can't real
When legendary blues singer Eddie Haynes is charged with murder, Matlock agrees to defend a man he once idolized. Haynes swears that the young rock star he's accused of killing was going to write him a hit song, and Matlock soon realises that there is no shortage of people who wanted the charismatic young musician dead.
After a local mobster is accused of murdering a priest, Alex Winthrop goes to Matlock for help with the case because he knows that he can't do it on his own. It doesn't take long before Matlock realises that the Church is covering something up.
Spencer Hamilton came to Manteo, North Carolina, as soon as he could to locate the man who killed his brother, Frank, in a supposed duck-hunting accident. When Ryan Bartell (the shooter) is found dead, Matlock heads to North Carolina to defend Hamilton, and finds an unlikely ally in local deputy Conrad McMasters.
After her husband's death she never thought she'd love again, but it Bonnie soon found her future with Cal Ritter. The only problem is that her son, Tony Morgen, hates Cal. When Tony kills Cal and frames his mother for her murder, Matlock takes the case to prove that Bonnie is innocent, but to prove her innocence, he will have to destroy her son.
When Elizabeth, a friend of famous novelist Cynthia Slayton, is found dead after taking Cynthia's prescribed allergy medication, suspicion falls on Cynthia's long-suffering husband Philip, a friend of Julie's. While trying to clear his name, Julie realises that not everything is as it seems in the Slayton house.
Julie heads to Baltimore to defend a man accused of killing the newspaper editor who dragged his name through the mud. Matlock comes to town to help her because Conrad is busy on another case, and helps Julie out when the prosecutor, who just happens to be her ex-husband, does whatever he can to trip Julie up.
Matlock agrees to defend aging clown Homer Fleming after he's charged with the murder of his long-time partner, Simon. After asking Conrad to go undercover as a roustabout at the circus, Matlock starts to realise that everyone had a very good reason to hate Simon Le Simple.
Catherine McKay is an aging prima donna who only had one hit movie in her career. When she's found dead, stabbed in the chest with the knife that made her famous, suspicion lands on Noel Bishop, the horror film director that wanted her off his picture.
After he's conned by a group of con men, Brian Davis is accused of murdering one of them. Matlock agrees to take on the case, and while Michelle tries to get close to one of the remaining con artists, Matlock tries to prove that a previous scheme is responsible for the current predicament.
When a prison guard is accused of murder, Matlock actually goes into the prison itself to defend the man.
While Matlock finds the weapon inside the prison, Conrad works on the outside to clear the guard and keep Matlock safe.
Matlock takes the case of Drew Carey, a young man he has known since childhood, who is accused of murdering his uncle in a fit of drunken rage. Unfortunately, Drew has grown up into a spoiled, self-centered young man who refuses to listen to anything Matlock tells him and is determined to prove that the killer is his uncle's wife Valerie who was much younger than her husband and was having an affair with a construction worker. Despite everyone trying to tell Matlock that Drew is no good, he is convinced that somewhere inside is the sweet boy he once knew, and he truly believes that Drew is innocent.
After an old friend from college dies, Matlock has to investigate three college chums on the charge of murdering a hitchhiker thirty years earlier.
When a scrooge of a store owner is accused of murdering his partner for being 'good' at Christmas, Matlock agrees to take the case, but Steven Abbott is furious when part of Matlock's fee involves Abbott having to be a 'good' guy.
Sandra Townsend is senior counsel with Drexel, Harris and Townsend. But when she's off work she likes to let her hair down and go to the bars. When her lover threatens to expose her nightlife to her bosses, she murders him. Michelle takes the case when Matlock's former paperboy Jimmy Newton is arrested for murder (Matlock's off to California), but soon realises that Sandra, who is supposed to be the star witness, is really the killer. The problem is that Sandra Townsend is a former classmate and good friend, and Michelle just doesn't want to believe that she's lying.
Matlock goes back to school for a little more education, and while there, one of his students is accused of murdering the professor she was having an affair with. Matlock soon learns that love wasn't the motive; cheating on tests was.
When talk show host Dan Galloway is murdered after publicly humiliating three woman on the air and firing his executive producer, there is no shortage of suspects. Nearly everyone who ever met the man wanted him dead, but it's up to Matlock to prove whether Marla, Leanne or Katherine committed the crime as he tries to prove that his own client, Lisa, did not.
Matlock tries to prove that someone other than his client had a motive to murder his lover. His best bet? The victim's paraplegic husband.
When Matlock is kidnapped, Michelle and Conrad go through Ben's old cases to try to figure out who is holding him hostage.
Matlock has to defend an arrogant young tennis professional (Dave Travis) against a charge of murdering his rival on and off the court (Victor Tomassio).
When Sam Chandler is found murdered, his lawyer David O'Malley is the prime suspect...in part because John was sleeping with David's wife.
With Angela's help, Conrad tries to track down an informer they believe holds the key to Sam Chandler's murder.
Julie becomes the target of a witness with psychological problems, leaving Matlock and Conrad to learn who is threatening her, and why.
Cartoonist Ron Winfield has kept Atlanta enthralled with his recent storyline in ""The Peach Pit"" involving an affair by Senator Peter Dolan. Just before the woman in the affair can be named in print, the strips disappear.
When cookie maker Katie White announces her plans to take over a number of smaller baking companies, any one of them could be the killer. After she dies from an allergic reaction to hazel nuts, Matlock defends cookie maker Bobby.
Phyllis Todd confesses to the murder of her boss to protect her daughter. Matlock soon sees through his client's ruse.
Matlock has to defend himself against a charge of murder when a judge who issued a contempt citation against him is found dead.
A call girl blackmails her employer to stay on the payroll, and when one of them winds up dead, it's Matlock to the rescue.
When personal trainer Harry Slade is murdered, Matlock agrees to defend his roofer, George Wilton, on the condition that George finish Matlock's roof like he promised. The case is complicated when it turns out that not only was Harry sleeping with beautiful blonde DeeDee, but also Bridget Laird, and Harry's wife and step-daughter!
When Ed Tobias is found murdered after exposing his dirty co-workers to the top brass (they sold the drugs they didn't turn in), Lt. Brooks asks Matlock to defend his accused killer, Johnny Bauer, the only one in the unit who wasn't on the take. In between playing catch with Conrad, Matlock agrees to defend Bauer, even though he feels Bauer is just as dirty as his friends were because he knew what they were up to and he kept quiet.
When a gambler is accused of killing his bookie, Matlock agrees to take the case, believing that someone from the bookie's past is the guilty party.
Matlock sends Conrad to Chicago to collect the evidence that will prove his client is innocent.
Lowell Carr is a brilliant plastic surgeon. When his partner is found murdered after the two had a loud argument about dissolving their business, he is the immediate suspect...until Matlock meets his twin brother, Gary.
Conrad is thrilled to introduce Matlock to his new girlfriend Carla Royce. When Carla's boss is murdered, Matlock defends the accused at her bequest.
After Nicky, a well-known actor with a bad reputation, is murdered on his way into a premiere, a judge friend of Matlock's asks Matlock to defend his son Cliff, a biker who had been fired earlier from his job as Nicky's bodyguard.
When stockbroker Richard Wagner is murdered, his former partner Avery Campbell needs Julie's help to prove his innocence.
When fighter Billy Leon is accused of murdering reporter Nick Underwood, a man he thought was his friend who announced in the paper that he was using steroids, Matlock agrees to take him on as a client.
Matlock has known Sam Spelvin since he was six years old, so he agrees to consult on Sam's play, Lovers and Lawyers. Unfortunately, the play is truly awful. When noted critic John Bosley Hackett, who felt the play was truly one of the worst in history, is found murdered, Sam is arrested. Matlock agrees to defend Sam, even deferring his payment while they wait to see if the play is a success, and manages to find a few more people who would be more than happy to see Hackett dead...and to see Sam's play fail.
Howard and Amy have all their dreams answered when Jill plans to give them the child she was carrying. After Jill changes her mind and is found dead, Howard and Amy are the prime suspects in her murder, and Matlock sets out to prove that the birth father may have also had a motive.
Matlock is all set to be honored as the man of the year, but when his car breaks down and he's forced to ask his housekeeper for a ride, a simple twenty minute trip turns into a flat tire, a hostage situation, and an afternoon in jail.
Marvin Sheam and Sid Franklin have been in business for 32 years. When their bank loan is denied and they can't pay their bills, Marv tries to talk Sid into hiring an arsonist to torch their business so they can collect the insurance money and rebuild from scratch. Just before Marv has a chance to talk to the arsonist again, he winds up dead outside his daughter's wedding reception, and Sid gets blamed.
Matlock receives a call in the middle of the night from a young man who once painted his house who claims he's been arrested for stealing the formula to cure baldness from a company who fired his friend and stole his work. Twenty-four hours later Ben gets another call from the same young man, who has been accused of murdering the man he claims he stole the formula for. The biggest problem is that none of what Jeff Duvall claims seems to be true; not only did Tim Crider not ask him to steal the formula, but he was never fired in the first place!
When assistant D.A. Howard Wright is murdered in his workshop, the attorney general approaches Matlock and asks him to take on the assignment of special prosecutor. With Michelle and Conrad's help, Matlock begins to investigate Wright's past, and realises the man was spending money that he could not have earned legitimately. In investigating names that Wright had left behind, Matlock finds himself embroiled in a lawsuit involving Maxwell Toys.
Matlock manages to figure out what's going on, but his competition ices him out of the final round...or so it seems.
Eugene Dobbs and Nolan Wheeler are the perfect combination -- Dobbs presents the cases, and Wheeler does all the legwork. After Dobbs is unable to keep the promises he makes to football coach John Kramer, Dobbs meets his maker one night at the office, with Kramer as the prime suspect. Matlock takes the case, in part to prove to Kramer that not all lawyers are schmucks like Dobbs, and in part because the list of people who want Dobbs dead is getting longer by the minute as Matlock and Conrad find an interesting link between Dobbs, the owner of a local water park, and Dobbs' wife.
Ben defends a one time movie queen who is now a cosmetics mogul who is accused of murdering her ex-lover to prevent the publication of some revealing photos of her.
Matlock goes back to his hometown for a family reunion, but things turn sticky when a good friend of his nephew's son dies, and his rival is charged with murder. Not only that, but the whole town seems to hate Matlock, as many of them believe he thinks he's better than them because he's a big city lawyer.
Serial killer Jeffrey Speidel strangles his victims. When Matlock gets inovlved in the case, Speidel makes a point of turning Matlock into his next target...his goal is to ruin Matlock publicly before killing him.
After a bump on the head, Matlock has a nightmare where he is trapped in the Old West, and needs to save Conrad from an angry lynch mob when he is accused of murder. His is frequently distracted by Michelle, a beautiful saloon girl, and Julie, the vengeance-seeking sister of the dead man.
When a marriage counselor is murdered, the suspects include not only his fellow co-workers, but also the couples he was treating...apparently part of his treatment involved seducing the female half of the couples.
While dining with Julie, a chance meeting with a woman causes Ben to relate the story of his investigation, many years earlier, of a widow that Ben's father (played by Andy Griffith) believes may have been involved with the death of his friend - her husband.
Matlock defends a wealthy widow charged with the murder of her husband, while Michelle helps to defend a father accused of murdering the drug dealer who got his child hooked...a dealer who just happened to be a cop.
Teenager Danny Hayes is on trial for the murder of his father. Danny honestly believed that his father was about to kill his mother as he threatened to, but the testimony of his father's best friend threatens Danny's chances at freedom.
When the producer of the popular It's About Time gameshow is murdered, Matlock defends the aging host at the request of a friend of Conrad's, while Michelle goes undercover as a contestant.
Matlock reluctantly agrees to defend millionaire Ellis Blake when he's accused of murdering his daughter's fiancé, Jeffrey Holden, an enterprising golf caddy who supplemented his living by blackmailing the men he caddied for. At the same time, Matlock is dealing with a brand new deputy district attorney, Lauren Richmond, who just seems too sweet to be real.
After much persuasion, Matlock agrees to help his disagreeable cousin locate her erstwhile husband, using a doctored photograph to help find him.
Matlock successfully defends his cousin on charges of murder, but when it's all said and done, he still can't stand the woman.
Matlock retires from law after bungling up a case and forgetting his client's name. He heads out of town to do some fishing, but after a hitchhiker he gave a lift to dies mysteriously, he sticks around to investigate the case.
Michelle helps an insurance investigator prove that a man killed his wealthy wife to collect on the insurance money.
Matlock has every intention of preserving lawyer/client confidentiality, but when a group of mobsters kidnap Michelle to extort information from Matlock, he has to weigh his professional ethics against her life.
Conrad asks Matlock to defend Anne Johnson when she's charged with the murder of her cheating ex-boyfriend Dwayne Meeks. It's not long before Matlock realises that Anne's son Jimmy is the key to the whole mystery.
A TV anchorwoman plans to frame a TV reporter for murder. When the intended victim fakes their own death, the reporter is arrested for a crime that was never committed and Matlock has to work to get them off the hook.
The real murdered winds up murdered himself, which doesn't help Matlock's client much...not only that, but there's a real estate scam looming in the wings that also affects the case.
When the local mayor is assassinated, Matlock's daughter Leanne comes to town to prove the case. The case takes a different turn when a judge is accused of murdering a local man's wife, and Ben and Leanne have to work out the problems in their relationship to clear Eller of murder.
Matlock and Leanne head to the beach where Leanne reunites with three good friends from college, and Matlock reunites with someone from his past who just happens to be the brother of the woman whose heart Matlock 'broke' years earlier.
After Brian Martell is arrested and charged with the murder of Arthur Kendall, Matlock decides to get involved because, years earlier, his father Charlie had been a suspect in the murder of Arthur's father Jake -- a murder Brian's father Lee was convicted of. Brian is convinced that Matlock is doing it to make up for Lee spending years in prison for a crime that Charlie Matlock convicted, but Matlock swears neither man committed the crime. While investigating the murder of the playwright, their trail soon leads to the woman he was having an affair with, and her very angry son young son.
Mike Wilson begs Matlock to help his wife Janice out when she is accused of a crime. Matlock approaches Janice's lawyer, who thinks Matlock is pulling his leg when he says that Mike talked to him, because Janice is on trial for killing Mike. Matlock finally accepts that he is seeing a ghost and, after doing a little investigating on his own, convinces Mike's wife to allow him to defend her. Unfortunately, Matlock has more than just a ghost to deal with. It seems almost everyone who knew Mike Wilson had some reason to kill him.
Matlock talks to a law class about his career, and the subject of 'the perfect murder' comes up. When student Eddie Price disappears after getting into it with Mark Randall, the university believes that Matlock's speech may have incited one of the students to murder. To clear his name, Matlock and Leanne decide to engage the students into an investigation into Eddie's disappearance, and soon learn that Eddie had more than they thought in common with not only Mark, but also Bobby Simpson as well -- they had all shared the same girlfriend.
Matlock defends a producer accused of killing a singer, and tries to prove that one of the other men at the recording studio was guilty.
When Billy Wheeler comes back to town $250,000 richer after having won the lottery, he soon falls for contractor Judy Wilson. Unfortunately, when she takes him and every other partner for a ride, Billy is accused of her murder, and Matlock has to clear his name.
Matlock is planning a birthday fishing trip with Leanne, but when he is called up for jury duty it puts a damper on their trip. Despite his convictions that no lawyer would want him on their jury, Matlock ends up being juror number six, and while everyone else on the jury wants to convict Travis Spaulding of the murder of his wife, Matlock alone thinks they need to take a closer look at the evidence before sentencing the man to death. Unfortunately, tempers flare in the jury room as the jurors soon become divided between guilty and not guilty.
The nephew of an eccentric millionaire is accused of murdering his uncle after they were seen arguing and Cliff is sent to work in the uncles' zoo in order to gather information to exonerate him. Meanwhile, Billy persuades Ben to defend him in court after he becomes involved in an investment scheme gone awry.
When Leanne's ex-husband Peter is charged with the murder of his friend and boss, once the truth comes out about Peter's possible motive in the killing, Matlock despises his ex-son-in-law more than ever.
Matlock witnesses a robbery at a convenience store, but when things start happening that make him look like he's losing it, including messing with his papers, sending him to the wrong parties, and submitting phony pictures of his hind end to the papers, Matlock begins to realise that someone is trying to set him up. He, Cliff and Conrad begin to go through some of his old cases, trying to figure out which recently released killer is out to get him, but everyone they think of seems to have an alibi.
Even from his hospital bed Matlock can't get the case of a TV star accused of killing a therapist out of his mind.
Duncan and Clara Farmington seemed to have the perfect marriage. Now they want to have the perfect divorce. What starts out as a simple division of property turns nasty as Leanne represents the wife and Ben the husband. At the same time, a scam artist tries to sue Matlock for millions after injuring himself on Matlock's property.
Matlock invites homeless man Lenny to live with him while trying to find out if the archbishop was meant to die in a plot including an ex-football player, his wife, her lover, and the mafia.
Matlock refuses to believe that a young piano player committed suicide, nor does the father of the girl who hires Matlock to find out what really happened.
After an actress in The Last Cry of the Hounds is murdered, Matlock agrees to represent the director of a local community play...on the condition that the director not cut him from the play.
Matlock, Leanne and Cliff go to North Carolina to attend Billy's sister's funeral. While there, they end up getting involved in a pair of murders connected to two young women. As a way to catch them, Leanne sets up a trap using Cliff as bait.
Matlock and Leanne are convinced that Carrie and Ashley are guilty of not only extortion but murder as well, but the two girls seem to have perfect alibis.
Matlock takes Leanne to meet Martha Jordan, the wife of his very first client back in 1962. Stan Shaw was the cook at the local diner when he was accused of killing the local sheriff after a disagreement in the diner. Charlie Matlock pushed Ben, who had recently quit his job as a district attorney to take the case, but not everyone in town was happy with the Matlocks siding with the black cook accused of killing the white sheriff. Despite Cyrus Jordan's attempts to get the Matlocks to drop his case for their own safety, father and son were determined to prove that Cyrus never killed anyone.
Matlock realizes he has become a witness in a murder case involving two theater actors and an unhappy husband.
A comedian becomes accused of murdering another comic who had insulted him on stage.
Matlock continues his five-year struggle to save a con artist from the electric chair.
While Cliff investigates a suit of medical malpractice and ends up getting more involved than he should with his client, Matlock investigates the case of the mysterious Rod Greenwood, who happens to bear an eerie resemblance to a dead businessman. Soon Cliff and Matlock realise that their cases are tied together.
Matlock defends a lawyer accused of murdering an associate who'd accused him of botching a lawsuit involving toxic waster polluters.
Matlock dreams that he, Leanne, Billy and Cliff are in 1932 and are involved with the murder of a sax player.
Leanne falls for Matlock's new client, a philanthropist accused of murdering his business partner.
Abductors try to kidnap Leanne but take Billy instead and hold him for ransom.
The FBI agent who was in charge of Billy's kidnapping case is now accused of killing another agent.
A thug tries to make Leanne fall in love with him by using her journal that he stole from her house.
A thief is accused of murdering the man who closed the book on his thefts.
Matlock reluctantly agrees to spend the weekend as part of a murder mystery with Cliff, Leanne, and three people who each paid $10,000 for the privilege of matching wits with Ben Matlock. When the pretend victim turns up really dead, they know that one of the three paying visitors killed him. Leanne has her father keep the three suspects occupied with stories of previous cases while she and Cliff investigate.
Ben vies with a formidable D.A. while defending a client accused of killing a city councilwoman, and discovers a secret hiding in the D.A.'s past that is affecting his judgment in this case.
A P.I.'s daughter shoots some photos that get the wrong man accused of murder.
Matlock reluctantly agrees to host a reception for his goddaughter's wedding at Leanne's prompting, but when one of the best men is murdered after the bachelor party, Matlock agrees to defend the brother of the bride when he is accused of murder. The case is hindered by cheating lovers, a bad history between the victim and the accused, and an increasing number of houseguests at Matlock's home, none of which were invited.
A lawyer who is a fan of Matlock's is accused of murdering a blackmailing P.I.
After a journalist claims to have killed a mobster in self-defense, Ben Matlock takes her case and tries to clear her name.
Matlock's defense of an attorney who killed her boss gets complicated when he uncovers the law firm's history of sexual harassment.
To prove that Matlock could not solve the perfect murder, a demented millionaire (Terry O'Quinn) kills Ben's friend and challenges Ben to solve the crime.
When a senatorial candidate is accused of killing a tabloid editor who disgraced her in print, Matlock comes to her defense.
It's no slam dunk for Matlock when a basketball coach is the prime suspect in the murder of a booster.
When Cliff s friend is accused of murdering a woman he met through a dating service, Ben and Jerri enter the video dating arena in order to corner the real killer.
Prosecutor Julie March (Julie Sommars) returns, looking for Matlock's help to vindicate a thief she wrongly convicted.
When a radio personality is accused of murdering his on-air partner, Matlock comes to his defense and must discover who left the DJ DOA
Matlock defends an ex-con accused of robbing the same bank he knocked off years earlier. But the young witness who can clear the ex-con's name demands a favor from Ben before he will tell the truth.
An assistant district attorney, who's new in town, is assigned a tricky first case: prosecuting a contractor and alleged killer who is also her ex-flame ... and who is now Matlock's client
When a malpractice suit results in a doctor's murder, Matlock defends the nurse who is the alleged killer — Jerri Stone's sister
An explosion at sea results in a judge's death, but Matlock fears he was the killer's real target
On his birthday, Ben is mugged in the city. A young man comes to his rescue, and to return the favor, Ben represents the hero...who is accused of trying to kill his negligent landlord.
While at the beach to cheer on Cliff in a triathlon, Ben runs into an old friend and retired FBI agent who's handling unfinished business. VVhen the Fed is accused of murder, Matlock defends him.
Cliff gets entangled in the case of his old college buddy, a defense attorney being blackmailed to sabotage his current case. But when the blackmailer turns up dead and Cliff stands accused, it's Matlock to the rescue.
