Harold T. Stone, newly appointed judge of a New York night court, shocks everyone with his unorthodox ways.

The court deals with a psychiatric patient who is posing as Santa; a nasty shoplifter casts a cloud over the holidays.

After starting a pool on how old Judge Stone is, his records are searched by the staff who then discovers that the judge has a criminal record. Mean while a reporter is trying to get dirt on the court employees.