A jury deliberating the case of Theodore Sterling, a privileged young man accused of sexual assault of a 20-something African-American woman. The prosecution is led by Assistant State Attorney James Jones, an overworked yet determined prosecutor, who faces off against Greg Sims, a veteran defense attorney with an unbroken 25-year winning streak. 

As the New Madrid Fault threatens to tear the U.S. in half, a desperate team of seismologists and government agents race to prevent disaster while the clock ticks down.