Amy hat vor Gericht über einen komplizierten Fall zu entscheiden: Es geht um den Jugendlichen Eric Oldham, der seine Mutter Sonja zusammengeschlagen hat. Zunächst lässt Amy sich bei ihrer Urteilsfindung von Vorurteilen leiten, doch dann erkennt sie, dass Sonja an der Eskalation nicht unbeteiligt war: Sie hat Erics geliebten Pitbull mit einem Baseballschläger erschlagen. Daraufhin verurteilt Amy den jungen Mann lediglich zu 18 Monaten Jugendstrafanstalt und empfiehlt, dass er innerhalb eines Rehabilitationsprogramms Blindenhunde abrichtet...
Lauren announces to the family that she has decided to become a vegetarian. Amy has a confrontation with Lauren's spiked-haired friend Reagan about the issue when Reagan and her brother stop by to take Lauren to school.
Amy hears a case in which a teenage boy is accused of assaulting his mother and locking her in the basement. The boy admits that his mother beat his pit bull to death and also used to leave him home alone when he was a small child.
Maxine investigates a child abuse allegation involving an autistic child. The child was screaming a lot because he missed his mom's boyfriend.
Peter becomes concerned about what Gillian did during their separation. They decide to drop the issue and make up.
L'atteggiamento ribelle di Lauren mette alla prova la pazienza di Amy, che è turbata quando la figlia le rivela di essere diventata vegetariana.
Amy må afsige dom i en sag, hvor en 15-årig teenagedreng står anklaget for at have banket sin mor med et baseballbat og efterfølgende lukket hende inde i kælderen. I håb om at han kan undgå at blive dømt som en voksen kriminel, forsøger Amy, alt hvad hun kan, at finde nogle formildende omstændigheder i drengens voldshandling. I mellemtiden må Maxine tage stilling til, hvorvidt et autistisk barn skal tvangsfjernes fra sit hjem eller ej.
