In Monster, does Mr. Harmon think Steve is innocent or guilty, and why?
There is conflicting evidence in Monster about whether Mr. Harmon thinks Steve is innocent or guilty. When he visits his son in the detention center, he remarks that Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is not optimistic about the way the trial is going, but things may improve when Steve has a chance to give his own testimony. This suggests that he thinks Steve at least has a strong case to put to the jury. However, his subsequent comments about his own disappointment point to a belief that his son is guilty. In particular, he talks about his hopes and dreams for Steve as though Steve's life were already over. This detachment leads Steve to conclude that his father sees him as a monster, just like the court officials and the jury.
The only thing that is clear in Mr. Harmon's relationship with his son is the lack of clarity. Mr. Harmon...
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himself does not seem to know whether he believes in Steve's innocence, and this is only natural, since he does not know Steve. The testimony of Mr. Sawicki, Steve's film teacher, makes it clear that he knows Steve much better and is more of a father-figure to him than Mr. Harmon, whose aspirations for Steve have remained the same since he has been a baby. Mr. Harmon has become so distant from his son that he has no way of deciding on such as vital matter as his guilt or innocence.
What evidence suggests Steve Harmon is guilty in Monster?
Although Steve Harmon is found not guilty of participating in the robbery/murder of Alguinaldo Nesbitt, there is evidence that suggests he did have a role in the robbery and participated in the crime. In Steve's personal diary, he admits to being in the grocery store on the day of the robbery. There is also a photo in the book from a security camera that shows Steve Harmon in the store just before the robbery took place. Despite being in the store before the robbery, Steve tells himself that he did nothing wrong because he did not give James King or Richard "Bobo" Evans a signal that the coast was clear.
Steve also lies on the witness stand when asked where he was at on the day of the robbery. Instead of confessing that he was in the store, Steve tells the prosecuting attorney that he was out taking mental notes for his upcoming film project. While Steve's participation is ambiguous, he did speak with James King, agreed to participate in the robbery, and was in the store shortly before James King and Bobo robbed the store. The reader is led to believe that Steve may have changed his mind while in the store acting as the lookout, which is why he never gave a signal upon leaving the store. The fact remains that Steve plotted with the criminals and agreed be the group’s lookout.