When legendary high school football coach Bud Crisler returns to his tiny hometown of Oakdale, Mississippi, pundits around the state think he's lost his mind. But his no-nonsense approach is wildly successful, as Oakdale embarks on a streak of six straight state titles and routinely knocks off much larger schools. He's the toast of the town, his beloved alma mater having reclaimed its spot as king of the hill.  But Crisler has two big secrets. And one powerful enemy.
Gary Quinn, now an Oakdale police officer, was swiftly cut when he tried to make Crisler's first squad. Not only does he hold a grudge, he carries the torch for his late father, who was harassed by Crisler and his pals in high school a generation ago. Quinn, who often uses his badge to intimidate, plots revenge when he learns of Crisler's skeletons. Quinn tightens the screws just before a crucial playoff game, leaving Crisler to fear for his safety, as well as that of his players, coaches and wife during the highly-anticipated contest.

More than just a tale of extortion and football, JUDGMENT DAY introduces a highly diverse group of people who are all at crossroads in their lives and facing monumental choices and decisions. Everybody knows everybody's business in the small town of Oakdale, and the whirlwind of events which brings them together on a cold, winter night will link them forever...not only in tragedy, but in triumph of the human spirit.

 
Beautiful young television anchor Shawn Forrest is found dead in her Jackson apartment, an apparent victim of foul play. Homicide detectives Jerome Washington and Tim McDaniel swiftly discover that although Shawn was adored on camera, she made her Channel Five colleagues miserable and was despised by them. Did one of them kill her? Or was it Shawn's husband, who is also in television and admits to an affair with a college student? Was it the fast-talking, drug-dealing bartender who admits he stalked Shawn and had a key to her apartment, or was she murdered at all? Even the medical examiner isn't sure.
As Washington and McDaniel pursue their leads, Channel Five reporter Carolyn Davis does her own digging inside the newsroom. She uncovers crucial evidence, then finds a knife jammed into the front door of her house. Terrified that she's the next target, she confides in Washington and turns the investigation on its side. In the end, seven people are indicted by the ambitious district attorney, including murder charges filed against Shawn's husband. The stage is set for a highly-anticipated trial which attracts the attention of the national press, but a stunning series of events leaves the case against the husband in pieces and many questions about Shawn's death unanswered.
Maureen Lewis is a powerful force in Mississippi State government. Already the Consumer Protection Director for the Attorney General's Office at age 34, her Consumer Protection Act is signed into law and gives her department real firepower in fighting con artists and fraudulent business practices around the state. What Maureen doesn't know is that Attorney General Frank Cash and several other influential people are embezzling from the office and prepared to frame her if the scheme goes awry. One runs a car dealership which is scamming thousands of dollars from customers in its service department. The car dealer - who is in on the scheme - is Maureen's first target after the bill becomes law.
Angry when she is pulled off the case and suspicious when she is forced to transfer to a position she doesn't want, Maureen and a fellow employee stage a risky break-in and retrieve crucial e-mail correspondence from the computer of the woman chosen to replace her. She not only uncovers evidence of the scam, but clues that point toward a web of corruption originating from the office. She resigns and makes her concerns public through the media, which results in a series of anonymous e-mails sent to her home. Now convinced that her safety as well as her reputation is in danger, Maureen enlists the aid of two friends and conducts her own investigation - with terrifying results.