So Help Me God

One of the best Rockford Files episodes ever was this one that as it says in its coda is quite the indictment of the Grand Jury system. It's also a great lesson as to the power of an unscrupulous prosecutor and how he can give a legal roust to any citizen.

It's a given that anyone with a criminal record is going to be subject to something like what Jim Rockford has done to him in this episode. One of Paul Newman's best films Absence Of Malice is even more eloquent on that subject than this Rockford Files episode.

James Garner gets called to testify before a Grand Jury given a subpoena not even telling what it's about and Gretchen Corbett tells him he has to show up. When he doesn't give the right answers prosecutor William Daniels has Garner thrown in the pokey for contempt. Twice even. The second time when he tells Daniels what he thinks of him and the Grand Jury system.

This is all over the disappearance of a union official which looks like a kidnapping, something like Jimmy Hoffa. This official on the day of his disappearance placed a phone call to Jim Rockford and Garner denies ever talking to him or knowing him.

What struck me about this whole story was that if Daniels wanted to really get at the truth he could have asked Garner like a human being and probably gotten what he sought. As it turns out Garner does know the man, but not under that name. Instead a whole lot of bad things happen to Garner because Daniels is on some ego trip. Just like Bob Balaban the prosecutor in Absence Of Malice.

I truly wanted to smack Stuart Margolin who tries to hold up his old prison buddy Garner after he's found out something Garner needs. I mean really Angel, the man is back in the joint and not really having access to cash. Still that doesn't stop our favorite con man.

One of the best Rockford Files episodes ever done and it still has a valuable point to make about our criminal justice system.