all turned out. I will say though, that it's not fair to heap all of the blame Dante here. He was going off the notion that at 17, Michael was a minor, had a clean record, and his honesty would result in a slap on the wrist if not acquittal. It was the judge who made an example out of Michael--mostly to punish him, his parents and lawyer for wasting police resources and participating in a cover up. I am on the fence on if it was fair, but it was within the judge's power to do so. A judge can reject a plea deal and if they feel too lenient or harsh--also up or lower a sentence.
This was one of my favorite trials. At the end of the day, he gave him the minimum. Goodness, I hated Dante's hair back then.