SPOILER WARNING
When Matthau realizes who Balsam is wouldn't he have had to get a search warrant to arrest him and if so maybe Balsam could have had time to make a run for it with the money?
[deleted]
Green invites them into the apartment although when Garber and Patrone start nosing around he mentions a warrant. If Garber had seen the pile of money on the floor, before Green kicks it out of the way, it would be admissible because it was in plain site.
What I guess would (should) happen is Garber and Patrone would have taken Green into custody for questioning. They would have gotten a search warrant for the apartment, Garber would have applied based on the sneeze, Green's history for motive and having the right skills to pull it off and lack of alibi.
That would have led to the discovery of the money and Green's involvement.
If he was smart, Green would have confessed to take the death penalty off the table (although I don't know if NY had the death penalty at the time the movie is set). Even though he didn't kill anyone himself there were people murdered during the commission of the felony so the felony murder statute would apply.
There was no death penalty at the time. Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) asks Lieutenant Garber (Walter Matthau) if NY still had the DP and Garber replied "No" thus the reason Mr. Blue stepped on the third rail and electrocuted himself. I guess to him death was better then jail.
Praise the Lord and pass the martini's - Lennie Briscoe
I can't believe I forgot Blue asked that. You are absolutely correct.
I agree, for Mr. Blue, being who he was, would think that being put in a common prison was beneath him and he'd rather just be dead. He knew he would get a life sentence.