Michelle Thomas (Matlock)

These are the characters of the American television legal drama Matlock.

Benjamin Leighton "Ben" Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who charges a fee of $100,000 to take a case. He is known for visiting crime scenes to discover overlooked clues, as well as his down-home style of coming up with viable, alternative theories of the crime in question (usually murder) while sitting in his office playing the banjo or polishing his shoes. Matlock also has conspicuously finicky fashion sense (wearing nothing but grey suits) and an insatiable appetite for hot dogs (an explanation for this is featured in the Diagnosis: Murder cross-over double episode "Murder Two", which also marked the last appearance of Matlock on television). Despite his high fees and apparent wealth, he is something of a cheapskate. He's the show's main protagonist. Andy Griffith appeared in every episode of the series.

Charlene is Ben's daughter and is also a lawyer. She assists her father at his law practice in Atlanta for a short time, appearing only in the first season of the series. Purl replaced Lori Lethin who appeared as Charlene in the pilot "Diary of a Perfect Murder".

MacIntyre is Matlock's daughter. After divorcing her husband, of whom her father did not much approve, she moves back to Atlanta to help him with his legal practice. She assists her father for three years before leaving for her own practice. During that time, she works with her father on numerous cases, including defending him on one occasion. They once found themselves on opposite sides of a divorce case, though she also defends her father in a personal injury case simultaneously during the same episode. Leanne uses the same courtroom techniques her father at times, which often results in her clients being proven innocent. In the Season 9 episode, The Accused, it's implied that Leanne may now be living in Los Angeles. She left the show in 1994.

March is the assistant D.A. of Atlanta, and a good friend of Ben Matlock. After a chance meeting with Ben Matlock in an elevator, the two hit it off, and Matlock was surprised to learn that she would be the prosecutor for the case he was working on. The two lawyers soon become friends, though their relationship is never really defined much further than that, and upon Julie's return in the season nine episode "The Confession", she reveals that she has feelings for him. Sommars is the only actress to appear in fewer episodes, she left in 1992.

Thomas is Ben Matlock's assistant, whose hobbies are those of history, mythology and sports. Before working for Ben Matlock, Michelle was an American attorney, residing in England. While working with Ben, she is approached by college classmate Andrea Morrow to defend her, after she is accused of killing her ex-husband. She also has a few dates with men. Prior to working on a case with Melinda Stuart, she dates Jed Palmer for a while. She also dates Arthur Saxon, Ben's corrupt client who is found innocent in the murder of Robby Moore. While in Chicago, she also works with writer Paul O'Neill, who helps her boss out in the murder of Mayor Brian Barelli, when popular court officer, Judge Stuart Franklin hires Eddie Lomax in killing both the mayor and Joseph Chan. Hence, he is found guilty, after the actual killer is murdered himself. Nancy Stafford's appearances were reduced, beginning with her second season in 1988, who left the show in 1992 (with Sommars), when she didn't want to move to North Carolina.

...
Wikipedia