Gunsmoke (1955)

S1E2 Hot Spell

Matt steps in to defend Cope Borden, a former convict, when Rance Bradley claims Cope has stolen a horse and rallies a lynch mob. Although Cope is exonerated, he later finds himself in a deadly confrontation, killing Bradley's nephew during a gambling argument. This puts Matt in a difficult position as he tries to protect the morally questionable Cope from the respectable citizens of Dodge who are outraged by the violence.