Criminal Justice

Young Ben Coulter takes his father's taxi without permission to meet a friend, but gets stood up last minute. As he keeps driving, a stranger mistakes the car for a real cab and gets in. Hitting it off, Ben follows her to her house, where they spend the night together fueled by alcohol and drugs. The next morning, Ben wakes up to an unimaginable sight—a tragic event that changes his life forever.

Ben's life in prison begins. To survive, he must quickly learn the rules inside. He has already made an enemy of reoffender Milroy, who holds a grudge after Ben reported him to a guard for stealing his cigarettes at the magistrates' court. Ben's father hires a higher-status lawyer than Stone, but Ticehurst, the new attorney, refuses to listen to Ben's side. Now, Ben is forced to make a major choice.

By obeying Graham, Ben secures protection inside prison. Because he refuses to plead guilty to manslaughter during the pretrial hearing, his team must build an entirely new defense. Taking over from Ticehurst, lawyer Alison Slaughter devises a plan to secure his release. However, this strategy forces Ben to lie once again about the events of that fatal night...

As Ben's trial reaches its core, the courtroom battle intensifies. The defense—led by Frances and Stone—and prosecutor Painter clash sharply over new witness testimony, keeping the jury on edge. Meanwhile in prison, tangled motives involving Graham and Milroy leave Ben utterly confused by his situation. With the trial's outcome hanging in the balance, interweaving emotions push the case into a new phase.

[Season Finale]Having been found guilty, Ben quietly accepts his life in prison. Seeing him like this, Hooch makes a major decision. Meanwhile, Frances remains unconvinced by the verdict and re-investigates the night of the murder. Tracing Melanie's final actions, she uncovers an unexpected truth, setting stalled events in motion. The revealed facts will profoundly reshape the fates of everyone involved.

Juliet Miller's life is turned upside down forever after an incident plunges her into the criminal justice system, while fighting for her sanity and the survival of her family.