Guilty? Innocent? Those questions aren't for high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail to decide. His job is to defend – especially if a case will put his name in the headlines and further his career. When Vail hears that a penniless altar boy is accused of murdering the local archbishop, he snaps up the case, eager for the media spotlight. Little does he know that it will uncover a viper's nest of corruption, pit him against a prosecutor who's his ex-lover, and test all his skill, judgement and even his win-at-all-cost attitude.