In a sly bit of typecasting, Jerry Springer plays Marty Rockman, a reality-TV producer who hits on an idea to try criminal cases on-air, with the audience acting as jury. If the convicted is sentenced to death, the execution will be televised. Down-on-his-luck lawyer Sam Patterson (Armand Assante) signs on as the show's defense attorney, only to discover that his client charged with murder may be innocent and that the trial's rigged for ratings.