Judge Abby Stone follows in the footsteps of her late father Judge Harry Stone as she takes over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court. When the court finds itself in need of a public defender, Abby sees potential in an unlikely candidate from her father's past: former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding.

After Abby makes a mistake in the courtroom, she decides to adopt an all-business approach to get things back on track, but her new style catches everyone off-guard.