Characters
This intense lead prosecuting attorney tries to strip away the defendants' humanity by labeling them "monsters" in her opening statement
Who is Sandra Petrocelli?
The group of citizens selected from the community to hear the evidence in court and decide the final verdict
What is a jury?
Steve's primary motivation for writing his experiences down in the format of a film script
What is to understand his life?
OR
What is a distraction?
The specific inventory items stolen from the drugstore that created the chain of custody leading directly to the arrest of the suspects
What are cigarettes?
The family member who deeply struggles to understand Steve's situation, recalling instead his early dreams of Steve going to college
Who is Steve's father (Mr. Harmon)?
Steve's defense lawyer who insists that her main legal challenge is making the jury see him as an individual human being
Who is Kathy O’Brien?
A formal court ruling that declares a criminal defendant "not guilty," allowing them to walk free
What is an acquittal?
A camera angle taken from a great distance to establish a scene's setting or capture the vastness of an environment
What is a long shot?
The responding investigator who admitted to the defense that the police failed to secure any fingerprint evidence linking Steve to the crime scene
Who is Detective Karyl?
The terrifying prison environment reality that Steve explicitly states is his single greatest fear while being locked up
What is being attacked by other inmates (violence)?
The twenty-three-year-old co-defendant sitting next to Steve whose physical presence makes Steve realize he is already living in a world of fear
Who is James King?
The conditional, supervised release of an inmate from prison before their full sentence has been served
What is parole?
The word Steve repeatedly scribbles on his notepad during the trial, which also serves as the title of his movie
What is "Monster"?
The prison inmate who testifies that he bought stolen drugstore cigarettes from Bobo Evans in hopes of securing a lighter sentence
Who is Wendell Bolden?
The core thematic conflict Steve faces when trying to reconcile how the prosecutor and guards view him with how he views himself
What is perception vs. identity (or self-image vs. public image)?
The defense attorney representing James King who actively attempts to pick apart the credibility of jailhouse informants
Who is Asa Briggs?
The legal term for lying under oath while giving testimony on the witness stand.
What is perjury?
The state of mind Steve describes experiencing during the trial, feeling completely detached from his own reality
What is disconnected and fearful?
The teenage gang member who testified that he only participated in the robbery out of fear, whose tough-guy reputation was challenged by the defense
Who is Osvaldo Cruz?
The tactical approach used by the prosecution to play on the jury’s fears and prejudices rather than presenting hard physical evidence
What is appealing to emotion (or prejudice/fear)?
Steve's film club mentor who steps forward to testify about Steve's honest character and artistic potential
Who is Mr. Sawicki?
The legal standard of proof that defense lawyers argue the prosecution has failed to meet, meaning the jury cannot convict
What is reasonable doubt?
The creative medium Steve uses to turn his raw, terrifying courtroom reality into something structured that he can actively direct
What is a screenplay (or movie script)?
The Rikers Island inmate who did not buy stolen goods directly but traded a rumor he overheard from his cellmate in exchange for protection from jailhouse violence
Who is Salvatore Zinzi?
The theme illustrated by the fact that many of the trial's key witnesses are willing to lie, manipulate, or trade information purely for self-preservation
What is the compromise of truth for survival?