Matt Demaree is a brilliant law clerk to Alabama Supreme Court Judge Preston Ratliff. An evening of drinking and a chance encounter with a young woman lead to a sexual tryst in the deserted courtroom. But the judicial center was not as empty as Matt believed. When Matt discovers two men standing over the judge's body, his promising career quickly crumbles. Charged with the judge's murder, Matt turns to Kisti Newcombe, a talented, street-smart African-American lawyer toughened by surviving breast cancer. Kisti aggressively works to build the case for the defense, but she and Matt struggle with issues of trust. Matt's faith in the judicial system wanes, and he seeks to take matters into his own hands. As the real killers close in, Matt faces an agonizing decision. If he takes the desperate acts needed to learn the truth behind the judge's murder, he will lose his promising career. If he doesn't, he and Kisti may lose their lives.