Part 1: Chapters 1-4 Summary

Switching to present day Atlanta, Georgia, Chapter 1 begins in a courtroom. Rachel Cutler is presiding over a case. The defending lawyer presses for a mistrial. Rachel reminds the lawyer that he has addressed her as "sir" several times. The Lawyer, T. Marcus Nettles, is trying to offend Rachel so that he can insist she shows bias as a judge. Rachel does not fall for the tactic and insists that Nettles come to her chambers after court. In chamber, she vigorously reprimands Nettles. After Nettles calls her several derogatory terms and curses her, she finds him in contempt of court and throws him in jail.

In Chapter 2, Rachel reflects on her career as a judge. She has enjoyed being a judge and is rated as one of the best judges in Fulton County. This year is an election year and...