Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort: Ein gefährlicher Fund (1983)

Thomas “Stoni” Eckert is the singer and star of an amateur rock band. Although he is reasonably successful within his limits and has some talent as a lyricist and composer, tensions arise within the band, partly because of Stoni’s overconfidence and unreliability. He is also beginning to suffer from alcoholism, accompanied by severe stomach problems. Around the same time, Martin Schadow, Stoni’s bandmate and future brother-in-law, finds a revolver and ammunition while clearing out the cellar. Shortly afterward, his mother, Margot Schadow, also learns of the discovery. She urges Martin to hand the weapon over to the police. But as a gun collector, he does not want to report finding it and intends to keep the revolver. He secretly tries it out and discovers that the ammunition apparently does not work. Eventually, his mother becomes uneasy about having the gun in the house. She takes the revolver and claims that she is going to hand it over to the police. In fact, however, she buries it in the garden, believing that this will keep it safely out of reach. Martin watches her, though, and secretly digs the gun up again. Meanwhile, tensions within the band have grown, partly because bandleader Werner Marbach has brought the young Till into the group as an apparent—or possibly actual—replacement for Stoni. Ulrike Schadow, who feels morally obliged to stand by her brother as he deals with his problems, also finds herself increasingly caught between her boyfriend Martin and her brother. When Stoni happens to find the revolver at Martin’s, he thinks he has Martin in his power. Eventually, Stoni and Till have an open confrontation, which ends in a brawl in the hall. Stoni will have to pay for the damage caused. He comes up with a plan to blackmail Martin. Alarmed by Stoni’s hints, Ulrike questions her boyfriend Martin. He confides in her, also because he is already willing to put things right. Just then, a police officer arrives at the Schadows’ home to question Martin once more as a witness to the brawl. Ulrike promptly takes the gun and goes to Stoni. She lays the revolver on the table and intends to confront him. But Stoni “doesn’t want to be serious now” and starts playing with the gun. After he pulls the trigger several times without anything happening, a shot goes off, hitting Ulrike and seriously injuring her. Ulrike Eckert survives the incident, but is left with lasting health problems for the rest of her life. Thomas “Stoni” Eckert was later sentenced to two years in prison for failing to report the unauthorized possession of a firearm, attempted blackmail, negligent bodily injury, and intentional property damage. Martin Schadow and Margot Schadow were sentenced to prison terms of one year and six months, respectively, suspended on probation, for unauthorized possession of a firearm. Ulrike Eckert was not punished, because she had possessed the weapon only briefly, had confronted her brother about his attempted blackmail, and ultimately became a victim of her own violation of the law.