Judge, Me

Judge Spencer Rank stands in the well of his courtroom on a late afternoon surrounded by well-wishers. They stare at the beautiful cake and celebrate his destiny: elevation to the supreme court Monday morning. As he jokes with those in the courtroom, Whelan Browne, a vengeful reporter, rises from a rear seat. They lock eyes; the courtroom deputy confronts Browne and the judge listens as Browne poses a question that startles him. Cole Steele, a compromised and enigmatic criminal defense lawyer barred from the courtroom, enters. Judge Rank holds Steele in contempt and puts him in custody as Browne says an expose' that focuses on the judge will be published tomorrow unless the judge answers questions now.

The well-wishers are ordered to leave the courtroom and the deputy escorts Steele to the judge's chambers as Browne claims the publication can only be stopped within the next few hours. As Judge Rank and Steele stare at each other, the lawyer insists he can help but only if he's out of custody and the contempt citation is revoked.

Judge Rank despises Steele, but grudgingly respects his courtroom skills. Steele persuades the judge that due to his experience in representing prison inmates, and his relationship with the prison group leader, use his courtroom and have group-therapy prison inmates motivated for a second chance appear by phone as a jury. They'll determine whether the judge should be in Browne's expose' of the justice system. The judge is suspicious of Steele, but is unable to reach his lawyer. Browne is brought to chambers. The judge and Browne antagonize each other, but Browne reluctantly agrees group-therapy inmates can mediate his dispute with the judge.

After the parties determine the ground rules with MS Garcia, a salty and confrontational group leader, and as Browne gives his opening statement to the jurors, Dog Walker, the judge's "Lil' Sizzler" and now his "thirty-year mistake" enters with her poodle and a flask of whiskey. If the judge had any reluctance to accomodate Browne, the reporter's initial comment to the inmates that his expose' focuses on The Overlord and Black Satins confirms he's too late.

The judge is harassed under oath as Steele deflects with his wily trial skills. Browne knows too much about unsolved, cold-case childhood homicides in the judge's neighborhood. Browne pursues the judge as he receives help on his phone from whom Steele says must be a prosecutor. Battered and worn-down, Browne then pivets and peppers the judge with questions regarding payments that land in his investment account each month after the judge recommends inmates to a treatment program.

Panicky, the judge believes Steele is ineffective. Judge Rank calls the governor and threatens him. Trapped, alone and desperate, he must rely on Steele to rescue him. Confronted by a history of debauchery and illegality, he tells Steele he'll become a reformed judge if Steele can save him from himself. In that moment the judge's career is salvaged until Celeste, a federal prosecutor advising Browne by phone,, enters the courtroom and arrests him.

All is lost until Sam Buehler, a former U.S. senator, appears. He and Celeste talk the same language and together they resurrect Judge Rank's career through power politics. Browne's expose' is cancelled, the group-therapy inmates are threatened with a life sentence if they whisper a word of the hearing and the judge learns who wants to destroy him.