In a tiny West Texas town, Roy Bean is an imperious, self-appointed judge whose intimidation tactics keep the local residents living in fear. The towns people finally manage to tie Bean to the back of a horse and drag him out to the Badlands where he's rescued by a young girl named Maria. He returns to the town, murders everyone in the saloon and re-appoints himself as the sole arbiter of law and order. Strangers passing through the town, are either killed or robbed. But when Maria dies, the fed up locals begin to stand up to Bean and try to take back their town.