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The government held a local trial which opened in Ely before three judges, three lawyers represented the prosecution and three lawyers represented the prisoners. Witnesses appeared in court to be examined and cross examined. The prisoners themselves were not allowed to be questioned in court because juries were supposed to make their minds up on the evidence of witnesses who saw what happened. However prisoners were allowed to make personal statements and ask questions of witnesses if they wanted to. There were many changes against the prisoners. The main charges that carried the death penalty were; burglary, direct robbery from a person and also stealing. In the summing up, one of the judges Mr Justice Abbott pointed out that about three hundred people had been involved in the riots. Of these 300, about 80 were put on trial. Of these 80, 24 were found guilty of offences that carried the death penalty. In the end 19 of the 24 were reprieved and either sent to prison or transported to Australia as punishment. The five who were sentenced to death were William Beamiss, George Crow, John Dennis (the leader of the Littleport rioters), Isaac Harley and Thomas South.

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