• and never discussed the robbery.
• O'Brien then touches on the fact that Lorelle Henry never saw Steve in the store and Bobo Evans testified that Steve never gave a signal.
• O'Brien also reminds the jury that Bobo Evans and King casually ate chicken after the robbery and murder, and Steve never received part of the profits from the crime.
• She then proceeds to comment on the fact that both Osvaldo Cruz and Bobo Evans were offered plea deals to testify in order to receive reduced sentences.
• She once again reminds the jury of Bobo's ruthless personality and says that he is accusing her client because Steve Harmon is simply another "getover" in his eyes.
• O'Brien ends her closing arguments by encouraging the jury to consider Steve Harmon's character against the character of the State's witnesses. She argues that her client is an innocent man who has been taken advantage of by ruthless criminals seeking to reduce their sentences.

In Chapter 18 of Monster, Steve's defense lawyer makes her closing argument. This the final chance for a lawyer to go over the important points of the trial, as well as stir up the jury's feelings towards her client. O'Brien focuses on several things:

• The prosecution is not even accusing Steve of actually shooting the gun, just of being involved in the robbery. Furthermore, they haven't been able to prove that he was involved, only that he knew the guys and talked about basketball with them.
• O'Brien points out that witnesses only saw Steve walk out of the store, not give any signal that the store was clear and ready to be robbed. And, if he had been the lookout, he did a terrible job at it. Lorelle Henry was still in the store at the time of the robbery.
• O'Brien reminds them that only Bobo and King ate the chicken dinner after the robbery and split the money; Steve did neither of those things.
• She also tears down Bobo as a witness. His testimony showed him to be both foolish and cold-hearted, which doesn't reflect well on the prosecution or their case. O'Brien suggests that because Bobo doesn't value the lives of others, he wouldn't have a problem blaming Steve for the robbery.
• She ends with the good points of Steve's character: his openness and honesty and his marked difference from the actual criminals who were brought to testify.  

In Walter Dean Myer’s novel Monster, Sandra Petrocelli is the prosecutor. Her role in the story is to make the jury see Steve, James, and Bobo as guilty for their role in the crime. Throughout the case, she works to portray the boys as monsters who must be put away. In her final statement to the jury, she reminds them that the case is about facts; most importantly the fact that Mr. Nesbitt was brutally murdered. She acknowledges that James was the killer, but since Steve was the lookout, she believes he is complicit in the crime. Just because he wasn’t a good lookout, he still was the lookout and thus a part of the crime. Finally, Petrocelli addresses that though Steve may look innocent, she reminds the jury that he made the “moral decision” to participate and therefore must be convicted as guilty.