Public defender Julia Gearyâs star is rising, and now sheâs got her first murder case defending local denizen Ray Belmar in the death of a homeless man. But Juliaâs professional and personal challenges are mounting. First, sheâs assigned an intern whose arrogance is insufferable. Then, her widowed mother-in-law, whose home Julia and her son Calvin share, announces her plans to re-marry, meaning theyâll have to find a new place to live. And to top things off, Juliaâs boss removes her from the case, saying that sheâs lost perspective, replacing her with an attorney who advises Ray to plead guilty. Julia canât shake the suspicion that the murder, and the subsequent killing of a homeless woman, is linked to the death of a state legislator who had been crusading for political reform. With the help of Duck Creekâs homeless community and her old friend, Sheriffâs Deputy Wayne Peterson, she launches her investigationâbut then the anonymous threats start pouring in. Just as Julia begins to uncover the ways the system is shockingly stacked against those on the fringes of society, she makes an even more damning discover: someone close to her is harboring a dark secret they are desperate to protectâeven if that means silencing Julia once and for all.