Executive produced by Victoria Principal, she is San Diego Assistant District Attorney Joanne Dawson, having an affair with Judge Jonathan Morris (James Farentino) who has accidently murdered a prostitute Mary Kyle (Bonnie Burroughs) and injured her blackmailing pimp Jack Ross (Douglas Roberts). Ross is arrested for the murder of Mary, with Jonathan the presiding judge, and Joanne prosecuting. However weaknesses in her case finally allow her to learn the truth about Jonathan's involvement.
Principal has multiple sex scenes with Farentino, with one suggesting the bondage and discipline he presumably gets from prostitutes, but it isn't until Jonathan is found out by Joanne that Farentino breaks through his reserve towards her. Principal has the presence to look comfortable in a courtroom, can stare down Berger when she doesn't agree with him, snaps an angry impulsive `shut up', and delivers the damning evidence in court with a slow sadness.
The teleplay by Timonthy Wurtz, Glenn M Benest and John Robert Bensink give Joanne an annoying sidekick in Andy Fensinger, and plot contrivances like Ross not identifying Jonathan the moment he sees him in court, and has Joanne provide a `perfect match sample' of Jonathan's hair taken from her bed. Joanne is shown to collect stray cats but one gasps at the the way she throws one out of her way when she is busy making love with Jonathan, perhaps a prophetic moment. There is one amusing line of dialogue, between Joanne and a prostitute Jonathan has seen. Joanne asks `Any chance your name Sylvia', to which she replies `That's what they call me. And they always call me'.
Director Richard Colla uses split screen for various telephone conversations, but otherwise his pacing is plodding, even if he does complement Principal's beauty.
