The Law Is a Fool (5 Jan. 1983)

Director:

Georg Fenady

Writers:

David Karp (teleplay), Jack Klugman (story),

Stars:

Jack Klugman, Garry Walberg, John S. Ragin

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Klugman	...	Dr. R. Quincy, M.E.
Garry Walberg	...	Lt. Frank Monahan
John S. Ragin	...	Dr. Robert Asten
Val Bisoglio	...	Danny Tovo
Robert Ito	...	Sam Fujiyama
Joseph Roman	...	Sgt. Brill
John O'Connell	...	Deputy DA Larry Bogasi
Jeff Pomerantz	...	Carl Norman
Sam Weisman	...	Attorney Jack Wray
Claire Malis	...	Evelyn Hillman
Mary Carver	...	Mrs. Kendall
Lew Ayres	...	Prof. Henry Lester Hillman
George Petrie	...	District Attorney (as George O. Petrie)
Vince Howard	...	Judge James Parker
Denny Furey	...	Police I.D. Kit Operator

Storyline

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1983 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Good Quincy episode without much Quincy.

Quincy M.E.: The Law is a Fool starts as Carl Norman (Jeff Pomerantz) kidnaps a young girl named Debbie Hillman by taking the place of her usual cab driver. A search gets underway & Quincy (Jack Klugman) is brought in to help with any forensic evidence, however after a picture of Norman is broadcast on the news he turns himself in to the police. He won't tell anyone where Debbie is & demands to be tried for her kidnap, all of the D.A.'s evidence is circumstantial & if he is acquitted the double jeopardy law comes into effect in which he cannot be tried for the same crime twice no matter what happens. Norman says that if he is acquitted he will tell them where Debbie is for a small half a million dollars & even if he does tell them therefore admitting to the crime he can't be tried for her kidnap because he'll have already been found not guilty...

Episode 11 from season 8 this Quincy story was directed by Georg Fenady & is a decent episode of Quincy even though he only gets about 5 minutes worth of screen time & is probably one of the few episodes where he doesn't perform an autopsy on anyone. Since this is the moral heavy season 8 there just has to be a social issue here & it comes down to believing in the law or whatever you place your faith in & sticking with it as it'll work out for the best in the end & won't let you down if you put the effort in, I mean they were always going to find a way to nail Norman weren't they? The lack of any real Quincy related action does hurt this episode somewhat & I'd have liked to have seen Norman get away with it & his plan work which technically it should have but you can't have everything I suppose. The Law is a Fool is a perfectly entertaining way to pass 60 odd minutes although as usual it's rather predictable & has a bit too much moralising & not enough detective work.

This one looks alright, lots of studio bound offices & prison cells you know the sort of thing. You know based on the evidence I don't think Norman would have been acquitted either, the fact that his were the only finger prints on the steering wheel, the cab drivers testimony, the lack of any other suspects, his connection to Debbie's Grandfather & the fact he didn't deny kidnapping her would have probably been enough for a majority verdict, what do you think? The acting here is OK but nothing Oscar worthy.

The Law is a Fool is an OK Quincy episode for sure, it's a fine way to pass an hour but Quincy's barely in it & he doesn't perform an autopsy either which just seems plain odd, a Quincy episode without much Quincy.