Steve Harmon Character Analysis

As the severity of crimes in the United States escalates the requirement for adequate punishment to match this increase also rises. In short, the more violent the criminal offense the more severe the sentence to be served will be, and the judicial system has often escalated the means by which this can be achieved, by enforcing the law upon persons as young as fourteen. In the case of the fictional character Steve Harmon, from the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers, he is a sixteen year old being tried as an adult, pending the charge of felony murder. He is being defended by his lawyer Kathy O’Brien, and being prosecuted by Sandra Petrocelli, from the state of New York. The charge felony murder, where a group of persons unknown entered a drugstore,
Cruz also has a “tough guy” reputation and persona, he is clearly an insubordinate, regarding his response to Steve. Which makes it ever more likely that he would lie under oath in order to incriminate Steve, who had challenged his authority. The woman who said that she was in the store shortly before the actual robbery and murder took place, her statement only places James King in the store during that time. By her account she was the only one in the store prior to the arrival of the two perpetrators.(162-164). The character witness for Steve Harmon was George Sawicki, high school film teacher, his testimony shows the true side of Steve, “I think he is an outstanding young man. He is talented, bright, and compassionate.” (235) In a diary entry by Steve on Thursday July 9th, (93) Steve reveals “That was what I was thinking, about what was in my heart and what that made me… I know that in my heart I am not a bad person.” The above compiled evidence has revealed Steve Harmon’s true nature, that of