Criminal lawyer Barry Brandon visits the nightclub of Denny Larkin, his primary client, with spoiled society girl Betty Walker. The police raid the club and Brandon pleads that the whole group is guilty, just to get even with Larkin for a rebuke. On the same night in court, Madge Carter is on trial for disorderly conduct; Brandon volunteers to defend her and proves that the case against her is a frame-up. Finding that she is penniless, Brandon hires her as his secretary and falls in love with her. Brandon is appointed district attorney and has ambitions of becoming state governor. When he has dinner at Betty's home and gets drunk, she maneuvers him into marrying her. Later, Madge is a witness when Larkin shoots down a fellow gangster. By threatening Brandon's life, he forces her to commit perjury at his trial and say he fired in self-defense. Brandon, the prosecuting attorney (who has had his marriage to Betty annulled) knows she is lying but doesn't know why.