What happens
Jim Curtain, a former criminal lawyer who has given up that work, reluctantly takes on the defense of Johnny O'Hara, a young man accused of murdering William Sheffield. Curtain has known the O'Hara family for years and feels pressure from Johnny's desperate parents. As he begins questioning Johnny and those connected to the case, he finds the evidence against his client troubling and the details contradictory. His daughter Ginny, who worries about his health and his return to the courtroom, becomes drawn into the investigation. The assistant district attorney, Louis Barra, is preparing a strong case against Johnny, and Curtain must decide how far he can trust what he is being told.
Early 1950s New York area, including the Dalton Street fish market, the courthouse, and the Curtain home.
Characters: Jim Curtain, Johnny O'Hara, Ginny Curtain, Louis Barra, Jeff, Frank Corvac, Lanzetta, Lieutenant Ricks
Listen for: Johnny's first conversation with Curtain, the gun and suitcase evidence, and Curtain's warning to Johnny about the seriousness of the charge.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.