Was Matlock's per case fee of $100,000 sound about right for a big shot criminal defense attorney from the mid 80's to mid 90's, or would that have been considered insanely high? I mean at that rate, only the very wealthy could've afforded his services. I mean I know he didn't always take a case for money, but that was how he made his living.
Thoughts?
There are actually several episodes where he takes peoples' cases for free who can't afford to pay him that much. Actually in the episode from Season 1 where Dick Van Dyke plays a judge he takes the case of the young boy charged with killing his girlfriend. But in the end it turns out Dick Van Dyke's character killed her.
"You want me to roll 6,000 of these!? What? Should I quit my job!?" George Costanza, Seinfeld
Ben Matlock was a lawyer like Johnnie Cochran, who was one of the lawyers who got O. J. Simpson off, the only difference between Ben Matlock and Johnnie Cochran is Matlock will find a way to "hang" his client, if he figures out the client is guilty. I am going to start another post, "Why is Matlock so cheap, he makes $100,000 a case?"
If a person with multiple personalities threatens to commit suicide, is that a hostage situation