The Bold Ones: The Lawyers/The People Against Ortega

The People Against Ortega
Season 1, Episode 2
Airdate	October 12, 1969
Written by
Directed by
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The Bold Ones: The Lawyers — Season One

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The People Against Ortega is the second episode of the first season of The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, and the fourth episode overall.

Starring:

Guest Starring: Robert Webber (Assistant D.A. Sam Rand), John Randolph (Judge Murchison), Frank Ramirez (Jesus Ortega)

Co-Starring:

Plot Overview

Brian, brought in to defend poor Mexican Jesus Ortega on a rape and murder charge, is unable to secure an acquittal for his client, but stays on to defend the man through appeals of his death sentence at the urging of his friend, Assistant D.A. Sam Rand. An unusual series of events soon unfolds: a death row inmate in Texas admits to the crime that Ortega is accused of (though Ortega doesn't hear of it until later), an accident involving the van transporting Ortega allows him to escape with a gun, and Ortega barges into Rand's house with the gun (with Brian present) to get the prosecutor to admit he made a mistake. While Brian tries to reason with his client, Sam throws a vase at him, hitting him in the head and causing his gun to involuntarily fire and accidentally kill Rand's wife. Brian is back in court with Ortega, defending him even though he is a witness to the events, and causing a serious strain on his friendship with Rand.

Trivia

Allusions and References

Roy Huggins created The Fugitive, which featured a spectacular train wreck that allowed falsely accused Richard Kimble to escape and try to prove his innocence. This episode features a prison van that overturns, causing a falsely accused man to break custody. Huggins also created The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, under the pseudonym of John Thomas James (made up of the names of his three sons).