Sniffing out the case, the mock trial team is beginning preparations for its third year of competitions which was started three years ago by the current senior president, Annikah Ramsey, who has been its president all three years.
“It actually started with our current president coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, I really want to do this. Can we make it happen?’” faculty sponsor and team coach Dawn Benish said.
The mock trial preparation process begins on November 1st when participants are assigned their case for the trial. Preparations begin immediately after they receive their case and continue until the day of the trial in February.
“They release a case on Halloween at midnight, and every year it’s either a civil case or a criminal case,” Benish said.
This year’s trial centers on a personal injury lawsuit filed against a social media influencer. The defendant is being sued for recommending the non-standard, nasal administration of an oral skin supplement, ‘Thera Blue,’ to her viewers, claiming it would yield superior results. The plaintiff, a follower who attempted this advised misuse, suffered the permanent loss of their sense of smell (anosmia) as a direct result, and is now seeking damages.
(Tymber Haney)
“This is a civil case. So the plaintiff, Jordan Peterson, is arguing that an influencer, Riley Quinn, was negligent in what she put out,” Benish said
The practices start with the team not knowing what their roles will be, simply familiarizing themselves with the case so that they know it as well as possible.
“We looked at different stipulations and jury instructions [so] all of you know what our goal is in the case,” Benish said.
As the trial date gets closer, their preparations become more in-depth. They are given their roles and can begin to deep dive into what they need to know for their specific part of the case.
“You are given a person to cross-examine and a person to direct-examine, and you formulate questions based on their testimonies,” Ramsey said.
Once the trial day arrives, the team travels to the Jefferson County Courthouse to compete. When they arrive, they are assigned a courtroom and prepare all their materials.
“There’s a judge, there’s a jury, and they do the case, [which] lasts about an hour and a half to two hours. And then we break for lunch, come back, and then the plaintiff goes if the defense went,” Benish said.
After the trial is over, the case isn’t ruled; It’s scored by the judges based on categories, determining their performance throughout the trial.
“We get scores from the jury. That’s how it’s a competition,” Ramsey said.
The mock trial process, from start to finish, requires a great deal of hard work and dedication from all participants.
“Mock Trial is really a unique type of program because it attracts very analytical thinkers, people who really like the idea of controlling a courtroom—lawyer types,” Benish said.
