Johnny Bellow arrives home from the Navy to discover a gang had taken over the town. They decide to rob his parents's store,but he kills the gang. Johnny is convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. It is there where he sees a pattern and decides to do something about it. After being subjected to grievous indignation, he makes his knowledge known and is sent to a mental institution. He escapes with the aid of a prison buddy, Julian "Manny" Manfred and hide for a while. Johnny and Manny are put on trial and are convicted of minor offenses. Johnny pursues about why the Tappan County Political Machine had him convicted of killing the gang. He receives help from his lawyer's paralegal, Doreen Norman, only to put her life and his in peril.