As a result of the trial, James King is found to be guilty and sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison. After a moment of incredibly heavy tension, it is announced that Steve Harmon has been surprisingly found innocent. He turns to hug his lawyer, but she rejects this completely. This shows that, though she did the job she was meant to do, O'Brien is not convinced that Steve is innocent, and some part of her may have wanted him to be convicted.

The result of the trial is a statement on how Steve is entirely too young to be in the situation that he is in. The justice system doesn't care about justice, only about putting someone away. Though Steve doesn't have to be that someone in a literal sense, his life is irrevocably tarnished by the entire ordeal, and his relationship with his family is never the same.

On Friday, July 17th, the verdict is read and handcuffs are placed on James King, which reveals that the jury found him guilty. As the jury foreman continues to read, Steve's mother puts her hands over her face then dramatically lifts her hands in the air. The two guards standing behind Steve then move away from him. Myers writes, "He has been found not guilty" (280). Steve then turns towards Kathy O'Brien to give her a hug because he is relieved about the verdict. However, O'Brien stiffens and turns to collect her papers without hugging him. Five months after the trial, Steve reveals that James King was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison, and Richard "Bobo" Evans remained in jail. He also mentions that Osvaldo Cruz was arrested for stealing a car and was sent to a reformatory. Even though Steve admits that his father was pleased that he was found not guilty, the distance between them grows larger, and his father moves away.