In 1980s East Texas, Luther Holman, a local janitor, awaits trial for the murder of a prominent local, the same man potentially responsible for the murder of Luther’s young daughter, Summer.

Unexpected help arrives with a new legal aid attorney, who replaces the pliable local defender. As the trial opens, the certainty of Luther’s conviction crumbles as the capable defense attorney exposes the state’s falsified and contrived evidence. Determined that Luther will be convicted, the sheriff uses intimidation, physical abuse and threats directed at Luther’s mother and wife to try and force a confession.

In the midst of the trial, the sheriff’s worried secretary becomes aware that an earlier murder conviction rested on similar shady dealings. To find out what really happened to her dead friend, she dives into her own investigation of the earlier case, but soon realizes she must rely on a newcomer with a murky past to uncover the truth.

As the sheriff ratchets up the pressure on Luther, other citizens in the county are confronted by law enforcement’s continued endemic corruption. With the trial’s expected outcome constantly shifting, the conflicting aims of all of the parties combine to produce an unexpected climax.