| Director | Peter Yates |
|---|---|
| Genre | crime film, drama film, mystery film, thriller film, trial film |
| Runtime | 117 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $14.5 million |
| Box office | $18.7 million |
Elizabeth Quinn, a law clerk, stumbles onto something while working on the transcripts of a 17-year old case. She approaches the trial judge, who gives her a cassette tape before committing suicide. The clerk is found murdered shortly thereafter.
A homeless man is accused of the murder after being caught with the clerk's wallet and a large knife. To face trial, the homeless man is assigned a public defender, Kathleen Riley.
Political lobbyist Eddie Sanger wants to get out of jury duty but impresses Riley with his extreme attention to detail. Riley does not believe the homeless man, a violent left-handed deaf-mute Vietnam veteran, was the murderer and reluctantly teams up with Sanger to find the real murderer. Judge Matthew Helms wants a speedy trial for personal reasons and denies Riley's request for more time to investigate the death of a potential witness.
Riley discovers the cassette tape in the law clerk's car and listens to the confession recorded by the judge who committed suicide. Armed with the tape, Riley reveals in court that Helms was the prosecutor "fixing" the case discovered by the law clerk. Riley further reveals that Helms was the real murderer. Riley and Sanger, who became romantically involved during the trial, celebrate in her office.