The police have arrested a Latino teenager caught pawning a murdered attorney's stolen Rolex. To complicate matters, the suspect's sister wants McBride to defend her brother - despite the fact that the victim was a close friend of McBride's.

McBride is a former cop-turned-defense lawyer with a penchant for taking on "lost cause" cases. After serving as a juror on an attempted murder case, McBride reluctantly agrees to represent the defendant in her retrial. Assisted by the case's former public defender, Phil Newberry, and McBride's ex, Roberta, the three attempt to unravel the mystery of a tycoon nearly poisoned to death, and the many mysteries surrounding the case.