In a home invasion, Clarence Darby (Stolte) rapes the wife of Clyde Shelton (Butler) before killing her and their daughter. Prosecuting Attorney Nick Rice (Foxx) is unable to securely convict Darby. Unwilling to take a chance on lowering his high conviction rate, he makes a deal with Darby, who pleads guilty to a lesser charge and receives a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice, Rupert Ames (Stewart); Ames only intended to steal goods from Shelton and flee, and was totally unaware of Darby's plan to kill Shelton's wife and child. Ames is convicted and sentenced to death, while Darby is released after a few years. Clyde feels betrayed by Rice's actions and the justice system.