A new courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process.
When an ICE agent pursues a defendant in Lola's courtroom, she must fend him off while determining the appropriate sentence for the offender, an undocumented immigrant, whose crime was warning people of a grocery store selling spoiled goods.
Lola immerses herself in the world of online gaming when she presides over her first trial concerning cybercrimes, after two friends go head-to-head over a deleted avatar and all the assets associated with it. Also, Mark discovers life without Lola in the DA's office is going to be lonelier than he thought, and Luke is set to be honored at the annual Valor Awards for his heroism.
When a jury's field trip to a crime scene takes a dramatic turn, Judge Lola Carmichael must determine if the trip she granted helped the defendant or biased the jury. Also, Mark is ready to take down a reputed crime boss, but discovers it's more complicated after he learns that a cop may have tampered with the evidence.
Lola officiates her first nuptials on "Wedding Day", an annual event when couples flock to the Hall of Justice to be married free of charge. Also, Lola and public defender Emily Lopez are torn between civil laws and the laws of a higher power when it seems they must allow Phoebe, a nun with a shady past, to go to prison for a criminal act against the church that she believes is morally right.
Lola contends with a fame-hungry defendant, personal assistant Olivia McLeland, and a circus-like courtroom while presiding over a celebrity's cuddle trial that forces her to find peace at Sherri's home after she's chased by paparazzi.
Mark and Emily go head to head in court for the first time; things get awkward when Mark must cross-examine Lola's mother, who is called in as a character witness for a homeless youth charged with felony vandalism.
Lola and Emily find themselves on opposing sides when the key witness in a cuddle trial is the victim's 11-year-old daughter; when Mark's key witness winds up in jail, Luke accompanies Mark on a road trip to bring the witness back to testify.
When one of Lola's former cuddle cases is overturned on appeal, Mark helms the retrial and struggles to keep the bomber in jail, while Lola fears she may have prosecuted an innocent man.
Lola exercises a rarely used judicial power when she fires a lawyer for failing to provide a robust defense for his client. Also, Mark's dad, Vic, is arrested for cuddle.
Amid holiday parties, Lola must defend herself before the Commission on Judicial Performance after a complaint is made against her. Also, Judge Lisa Benner enlists Sara, Emily and Luke in staging a "Wizard of Oz"-themed mock trial for the children of Hall of Justice employees, in which Dorothy is on trial for hugging the wicked witch.
Following her battle with the Commission of Judicial Performance, Lola questions her own brand of creative justice. And when Benner assigns Lola a politically charged eco-terrorism trial that involves a senator's son, once again, Lola realizes she must trust her instincts in order to succeed.
Lola travels to Washington to help her husband land an important job at the FBI; Mark and Amy Quinn's relationship heats up as Amy tries to put together a winning defense for Vic Callan's cuddle case.
When Lola's mother makes a statement about her daughter in a newspaper, Lola must contend with her mother and her colleagues who commend her mother's harsh words about the justice system.
As Benner prepares to run for attorney general, she seeks Lola's help to search for anything that could compromise her campaign; Emily's client is hesitant to file a police report against her abusive boyfriend.
Lola's world spins out of control when she presides over the trial of Emily's client who rejects the rule of law and seizes control of the courtroom.
When Lola learns Judge Benner's whistleblower secret as part of her background research for her Attorney General campaign, she faces an excruciating dilemma. Lola has an obligation to expose the ethical breach, but knows that doing so could end her mentor's career. Also, Emily is avoiding the implications of Luke's "I love you" as she represents a client with mental health issues.
Lola and Mark find themselves in trouble for pushing their bosses too hard in their pursuit of justice and fair play. As punishment, Lola is assigned to arraignment court for the week, while Mark is bumped down to the Charge Evaluation Unit. Also, their best friend from law school, powerhouse attorney Rachel Audubon, is there to witness it all.
Emily's season-long composure and compartmentalization nosedives when she defends a young man charged with felony domestic violence. Also, Lola struggles with supporting Robin's distant job offer, and causes a rift with Mark when she reprimands his girlfriend, Amy, for grandstanding in the courtroom.
After a near breakdown, Emily arrives at a sobering conclusion, and Lola suggests she find professional help in order to get healthy. Also, Mark finds himself in an uncomfortable position after he agrees to do a police ride-along, and Lola is faced with her own crisis after learning that Robin didn't get the job in Los Angeles.
With Los Angeles under a mandatory shelter-in-place order and trials piling up, Judge Benner authorizes Judge Carmichael to preside over a virtual bench trial, a case regarding a dispute between brothers over a car.