Mrs. Hope Ames, a wealthy socialite, is acquitted of her husband Perry's murder, despite the earnest attempts of prosecutor Matt Logan. Logan is placed in contempt of court because of his angry outburst when she is acquitted. When Hope's malicious mother-in-law, Mrs. Livingston Ames, turns her little son Bobbie against her and intends to take her to court to adopt him, Hope bails Logan out of jail. She hires him to prove her innocent of her husband's murder, believing that there is insufficient evidence to prove her guilt, and promises him $25,000 if he does prove her guilt. Logan believes this is a ploy to keep him from investigating her further, and decides she is guilty based on circumstantial evidence. Hope's lawyer, Lawrence Waterson, who was also a friend of Perry's, advises her to allow her mother-in-law to adopt Bobbie, because he believes her to be guilty even though he defended her. Hope acts as her own defense counsellor against Mrs. Lawrence when it is apparent that her lawyer has been paid off. In the meantime, Matt discovers that Perry was unfaithful and when Hope tells him that Lawrence believed her guilty, he becomes suspicious of Lawrence's motives. In court, Matt comes in at the last moment and states that Lawrence murdered Perry because Perry knew he was embezzling funds from clients. Lawrence jumps out of the window, and after Hope is reunited with Bobbie, both he and Matt apologize to her for not believing in her all along. Lawrence survives his leap, and both he and his new wife Cora, are tried for Perry's murder.