Along with his father and Mr. Anderson, Brady attends J.T. and Digger's first court appearance. As J.T. walks in, he looks at Brady and nods, and Brady wonders whether J.T. had been "as tortured by it as [him]" (183).

The judge—Master Williams—enters, and asks whether J.T. and Digger understand the second-degree murder charge they are facing. Although Brady knew what was coming, he's still shocked: "In my heart I’d hoped for manslaughter, and hearing the word murder sent a frozen rod piercing right through the top of my head down into my toes" (184). He assumes that J.T. and Digger must hate him.

Master Williams continues, saying that both boys have the right to a lawyer. Digger's father says they can't afford one, so Master Williams says the court will assign one, and that the trial will take place in one month.

Over the next few days, a series of newspaper articles about the case are published. Brady's mother tries to distract him by cooking his favorite meals, and his father sits and talks with him every night. Eventually, Brady asks whether his father will ever forgive him, and his father says there's nothing to forgive, because "everybody says things they don't mean" (186).