Two white supremacists (Nicky Katt and Doug Hutchison) come across a ten-year-old black girl named Tonya (Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly) in rural Mississippi. They violently rape and beat Tonya and dump her in a nearby river after a failed attempt to hang her; she survives, and the men are arrested.

Tonya's father, Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson), contacts Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), a white lawyer. Brigance admits the possibility that the rapists will walk free. Carl Lee goes to the county courthouse and opens fire with a 5.56mm M-16 full-automatic rifle, killing both rapists and unintentionally injuring Deputy Looney (Chris Cooper). Carl Lee is arrested. Brigance agrees to defend Carl Lee.

The rape and subsequent revenge killing gain national media attention. The Ku Klux Klan begins to organize in the area. Freddie Lee Cobb (Kiefer Sutherland), the brother of Billy Ray, …show more content…
He describes, in slow and painful detail, the rape of a young 10-year-old girl, recalling the story of Tonya's rape. He then asks the jury, in his final comment, to "now imagine she's white." The statement implies that, had the defendant been white, the father's motive in murdering the rapists would have been seen by the public as justified, and there would have been no prosecution. It also implies that if the jury can — at any time — be compelled to spare the life of a white man for a vengeful murder, then they must do the same for a black man.

After deliberation, an African-American child runs out of the courthouse and screams, "He's innocent!" Jubilation ensues amongst the supporters outside. The Klan, enraged, begins yelling in anger. Meanwhile Sheriff Ozzie Walls manages to arrest Freddie Lee for his crimes, as well as a corrupted deputy that was by Freddie's side.

The movie ends when Brigance brings his wife and daughter to a family cookout at Carl Lee's house to celebrate Carl´s