"Justin Maricle" stars Gary Sinise as the lead character, a former TV producer in Pittsburgh and later San Francisco who, after a trial in which he was accused, albeit falsely, of killing his wife Kathleen and their two kids-son Tyler and daughter Alexis, and was finally exonerated of all charges when the real killer-a would-be robber-confessed, to the chagrin of D.A. Wanda Russell [Dinah Manoff], moves to Cleveland to become a lawyer, if only to correct the flaws in the judicial system. Justin lands a post at a law firm run by Walter Bruce [John Bourgeois], who frequently objects to Justin's brash manner, but Justin manages to win Walter over. Also featuring Anne Lockhart as Serena Morgan, the attorney who represented Justin, who encouraged him to study law, and was so attracted to him [in spite of his pipe-smoking habit] that she moved with him from San Fran to Cleveland.

In the two-hour pilot, Justin details the circumstances that led from his being a successful TV producer in San Francisco to a lawyer in Cleveland. The death of his family and his being accused of having committed the crime [he was seen by detectives as having held the gun in spite of the fact that he had just arrived home from work], as well as his being relentlesslt prosecuted by D.A. Russell-whom Serena-defending Justin-calls Wanda the Witch [after a character seen on early Sesame Street episodes].

Justin becomes a legal guardian to a young boy named Scott-played by Jimmy Jax Pinchak-who runs away from his drunk and abusive foster parents-played by James Cromwell and Kelly Lynch. Wanda defends the parents who are subsequently declared unfit.

Justin represents an auto racing league accused of sabotage and negligence in the death of a female race car driver in a fiery crash-unknown actress. The driver's parents-played by Robert Picardo and Gail Strickland-claim that sexism, in addition to the aforementioned charges, played a role in the driver's death.

James Woods guest stars as an author who is sued by a Gloria Steinem-type feminist figure [Helen Hunt] after the writer announces he is penning a tell-all book on the figure. Justin defends the author citing free speech. Wanda represents the feminist, who screams slander and conspiracy to smear her. The author's book, among other things, states that Linda Rose [Hunt] wanted to kill all the men in the world, and that she attended various functions wearing furs.

Austin O'Brien and Jenna Dewan guest star as Doug and Joanna Barber, a young couple battling stories about Doug-an up-and-coming actor-having affairs with other women. Doug is also charged with assaulting a reporter. The couple turn to Justin for help. Joanna is also pregnant. Mary Page Keller joins the cast as Diane Sanders, who becomes Justin's Girl Friday.