Attorney Scott Ellis has returned home to Catawba, North Carolina. When Lester Garrison, a teenage racist with a shaved head and lightning bolt tattoos, is charged in the Hall's Chapel shooting, Scott agrees to defend him. Determined to make his mark in the unpopular case, Scott throws himself totally into building a defense.
While fighting for Lester's freedom, Scott volunteers as the advisor for a mock trial team at Catawba High School. To his surprise, the team sponsor is teacher with a familiar face, Kay Wilson, the girl of Scott's high school dreams. Should he pursue a relationship with Kay or forget his rekindled feelings?
The darkness in Lester Garrison's eyes is not the only evil Scott faces. Frank Jesup, a student on the mock trlal team, has his own problems threatening to explode. What Frank needs seems beyond Scott's capacity, but what will be the cost if no one reaches out to the brilliant young man? Ultimately, the stakes are much higher than Scott Ellis imagines, and the survival of many lives hinges on an unexpected sacrifice. ( )