When the trial begins, the courtroom is full. Both Brady and Drummond are self-assured: Brady, because he has the support of the spectators and is confident that his fundamentalist views are right and will, therefore, prevail; Drummond, because he seeks the truth.
After the first day in court, which involves selecting the jury, Reverend Brown holds a prayer meeting, at which he delivers a fire-and-brimstone sermon. Becoming overzealous, he prays that Cates be destroyed. When his daughter, Rachel, tries to stop him, he condemns her as well. Uncomfortable with the tenor of the prayer and afraid that Reverend Brown's actions may hinder the support the townspeople have in him, Brady steps forward and curtails Reverend Brown's sermon by reciting the wisdom of Solomon.
The following day, the trial proceeds and witnesses are called. Cates' students testify, and Rachel, whom Brady tricked into revealing confidential conversations she'd had with Cates, also testifies. The judge excludes Drummond's scientific witnesses claiming that evolution itself is not on trial. Determined to challenge the Butler Law, Drummond shrewdly switches his tactics and calls Brady to testify as an expert on the Bible. Brady arrogantly and ignorantly agrees to take the stand. Drummond's cross-examination of Brady, in which he exposes that Brady doesn't interpret the Bible literally and destroys Brady's credibility by questioning his status as a self-anointed prophet, changes the course of the trial.
The jury finds Cates guilty, and he is fined $100. Brady protests the minimal punishment. Although he won the case, his victory is a hollow one. The real triumph belongs to Drummond and Cates, who win a moral victory for freedom of thought.
