Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) must face the consequences of his vigilante actions in a court of law following the heinous rape and injustice inflicted upon his young daughter. In a town clouded with racial division and perceptions, Carl and his lawyer must fight for his daughter's equal justice under the law as well as his own. As Carl is faced with the life defining decision of the jury, his lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) is faced with the challenge of getting the jury to see beyond race and their own prejudices, freeing his client from a long fate in jail. With Carl's help, Jake learns to harness people's personal prejudices in a way that justice becomes color blind.