Benny Avrile, an impoverished hood in New York City, is about to hit the big-time. His mark is a retired oil man who is visiting his mistress with $10,000 in his pocket. Benny is told that if he carries out the robbery he'll get a share of the profits - an offer that is far too good to refuse. But as he walks up to the oilman's car, gun in hand, a shot rings out, and the oilman falls dead. Benny is arrested and sentenced to death. Representing people on death row is what trial lawyer Jack Tobin does best. Based in Florida, he is meeting with Henry Wilson, a drug-user, career criminal, and one of the biggest men Jack has ever met. Henry has been on death row for seventeen years now and his execution by lethal injection is just six weeks away. Jack is convinced that Henry is innocent, but whether he can find a legal basis to delay execution and get Henry a new trial remains the question that may save Henry's life.
