The right honorable Joseph bailey is 50 years old has a wife and a son Jack aged 18. Tthe judge is a man of both strength and sensitivity, a fine combination in anyone but most especially in a man who holds and must exercise the power to dispose the futures and sometimes very lives of others.

Today he must pass sentence on a murderer a man who has murdered his adoptive father. Jack  feels very strongly that this man has to die and believes his father should pass the death sentence. However the Judge passes sentence of 20 years to life as he believes that the murderer if released will not commit murder again. 

Jack cannot understand his father's decision and becomes obsessed with the murderer. He needs to visit him to find out if he has any regrets or remorse for his crime.