Berlin 1865. Julius Bentheim, a young law student, earns extra money as a crime scene sketch artist. When a prostitute is brutally murdered, he follows the investigation. As all evidence points to the philosophy professor Botho Goltz, he is brought to trial. Julius attends the proceedings against the alleged murderer. Soon, he realizes the professor's opaque strategy, which could ultimately lead to the capitulation of the Prussian legal system.