Synopsis
Carl Lee Hailey, a Mississippi black man, fears the possibility that the two white men who brutally raped his little daughter will most likely go free. Even his friend, attorney Jake Brigance, cannot console him. Driven to the brink, Carl shoots the two men point blank as deputies transport them up the staircase of the court house. Now on trial for the double murders, Carl’s only hope for justice depends on Jake. The events have so riled up the community that both the KKK and the N.A.A.C.P. come out in force creating mayhem and chaos.