During Vegas's latest Heat wave of triple digit temperatures, Gil and Catherine investigate a baby locked in a car. Warrick investigates a man dead of an apparent heat stroke in his house. Nick and Sarah investigate a woman's body found floating in the lake with a blow to the head.

Warrick's appearance at the preliminary hearing on a rape and murder case goes terribly wrong when the only piece of evidence is thrown out on a technicality. Grissom and the team have 24 hours to make the case with new evidence or the killer will go free.

Grissom is confronted with new evidence while on the stand of a murder trial of a restaurant owner. This development requires the reopening of the case and Eckley initiates an inquiry into Grissom and his team. The results of the inquiry lead to dramatic changes of the CSI team and the series.

The CSIs investigate a man's claim that his wife fell down a set of stairs in their home.

A 28 year-old single mother is found dead. Initially, it's believed to be a suicide, but Catherine determines she was murdered. Also, Ecklie summons Grissom to refute the testimony of an entomologist in a murder trial.

When a student is arrested and tried for the murder of a popular high-school girl, the suspect's 12-year-old sister confesses to the crime. This results in the judge giving the prosecution 72 hours to re-examine the evidence before the jury delivers its verdict.