The trial commenced on 10 May. The prosecutors were sympathetic, and Thonen was recommended to mercy. The judge expressed his pity, saying: "You appear to be a young man of extraordinary talent and ability, and I very much regret seeing you in your present unhappy position. It is a pity your abilities were not directed in a proper channel." The court found that Thonen had acted without premeditation. In October 1851 he was given a one-year prison sentence.
