The murder of a journalist, coming shortly after the killings of a black teenager and a white cop, threatens to inflame passions in the city. To prevent a riot, Lieutenant Sam Danforth and District Attorney Leslie Washburn are determined to find the killer, even though they do not exactly get along with each other and disagree over procedure.
The builder of a high profile public housing project is murdered just as construction begins. District Attorney William Washburn has to walk a delicate line when he uncovers massive corruption during his investigation, as the publicity could jeopardize the project and lead to civil unrest.
Washburn decides to retry a well-spoken and charming convicted murderer who has managed to avoid execution for seven years through appeals he filed and argued on his own behalf. Washburn's case hinges on a newly discovered poem the man wrote the night of his first scheduled execution, which Washburn believes the jury will interpret as a confession.
Deputy Police Chief Danforth is under the microscope when accusations of police corruption surface after a series of robberies.
The death of a man carrying a plague from Asia leads the DA's office to a people-smuggling ring.
The DA's office gets involved with a case involving a church and an Army deserter who sought refuge there.
The DA's office comes under the scrutiny of a group of angry parents when the police arrest a busload of students as part of a drug bust.
