Canton, Mississippi. Carl Lee Hailey's 10-year-old daughter, Tonya, is viciously brutalized and raped by two white racist rednecks. The two are found at a roadside bar, bragging about what they did to Tonya. Carl Lee remembers a case where four white men raped a black girl in a nearby town and were acquitted. Carl Lee is determined to not let that happen again. While a deputy is escorting the men up to the court room, Carl emerges with an assault rifle. He kills the two men. Carl is arrested. He wants to be represented by his friend, Jake Brigance. Helping Jake on the case are his former law professor Lucien Wilbanks, fellow attorney Harry Rex Vonner, and law student Ellen Roark. Ellen has had experience with death penalty cases. Revenge is sought in the white community with the help of the Mississippi branch of the KKK. The KKK plants a bomb under Jake's porch. The National Guard is called to Canton to keep the peace during the trial. Jake puts everything into Carl's defense.