There are crimes of blood, and there are crimes which are . . . just crimes. The people of Clanton, Mississippi, have no doubts as to which is which when Carl Lee Hailey guns down the hoodlums who have raped his ten-year-old child. So when people outside of Clanton hear that a black man has killed two whites, the town is filled with an angry mob determined to tear down, burn and destroy anything and everyone that opposes them. There are cases which can make or break the career of a young lawyer and such a case is the defence of Carl Lee Hailey to Jake Brigance. In the maelstrom that has become Clanton he'll do anything to defend his client, his case and ultimately, his life and the lives of his family.