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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Paul J. Bartel 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 Paul J. Bartel!

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 agrees to defend a man who has been accused of murdering the relationship columnist whose response ended his relationship.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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.

After a second young man dies under mysterious circumstances, Matlock continues to do his best to defend Russ Gifford, and tries to keep his animosity with the town at a minimum while Julie makes friends with the local women, and Conrad investigates the tattoo that ties the whole case together.

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.

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.

While defending Judge Eller in his murder trial, Conrad uncovers the connection between the killing of a mayor and a pornography production using underage girls.

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.

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.

Even from his hospital bed Matlock can't get the case of a TV star accused of killing a therapist out of his mind.

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.

Abductors tries to kidnap Leanne but takes 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 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.

Matlock defends a journalist who killed an underworld figure in self-defense after meeting with him for an interview.

Michael defends U.S. senatorial candidate Carol Davis when she's accused of murdering tabloid editor Ross Buckley. Jerri goes undercover at the paper to prove that someone there may have had an even bigger motive than Carol.

A radio personality is accused of killing his partner, but Ben suspects the victim's girlfriend. The only problem is that she seems to have an airtight alibi...Ray's neighbor, Mr. Yates, watched her 'find' the body.

While Cliff, Jerri and Billy plan to throw Ben a surprise party for his birthday, Ben goes to the city to pick up barbecue. While there, his car breaks down, he's mugged, the phone eats his last quarter ... and by the time he is rescued by activist Stan Johnson and returned to his car, it's half-stripped and they've stolen his barbecue. Matlock is very impressed by the young man, and when he's accused of trying to kill the landlord of the apartment complex he lives in, Matlock steps in to defend him and to stand up to the landlord, who is a very respected man in the legal community.