Mock Trial States Competition

Between a broken security scanner that stalled the morning and a 7:00 p.m. deadline that demanded I cut a four-page draft in half, my day at Mock Trial States was a race to capture the courtroom drama before the clock ran out.

My day began at the Larimer County Courthouse, where, before any trials could even begin, a long line of mock trial students stretched around the entire building. This line was caused by a broken bag checker, which meant that guards had to inspect every bag by hand. As a result, the line moved very slowly, and it took a long time just to get inside,  causing the team I was observing to be 30 minutes late to the trial. It was not the typical efficient start one might expect at a courthouse, requiring extended patience.

Once I made it inside, the atmosphere shifted and narrowed in focus. I took my seat in the jury box during Round 1 and began observing the trial closely. As the attorneys questioned witnesses and presented their arguments, I took detailed notes on what was being said, paying attention to how each side built its case and trying to identify the most important pieces of evidence and testimony. It was interesting to see how the different parts of the trial came together and how each attorney approached their strategy.

After a short lunch break, Round 2 began. This was the trial I would be writing my article about, so I approached it with even more attention to detail. I remained in the jury box and carefully tracked the flow of the case, making sure to record key moments, quotes, and names accurately. I focused not only on what was said, but also on how it was said, including the tone and effectiveness of the arguments. I knew that having detailed, clear notes would be essential when it came time to write.

As soon as the trial ended, I left the courthouse immediately to find a quiet place to begin writing. My article was due at 7:00 PM that day, so I had to work fast. My first stop was the library, which was the perfect location. It was quiet,  had plenty of workspace, and free wifi. However, it closed at 6:00 PM. I hadn’t quite finished my article by then, so I had to find a new place to work. My dad and I headed to downtown Fort Collins, where we encountered another challenge: finding parking on a busy Friday evening. This added extra stress and took up valuable time.

Thankfully, my dad helped me remember that my article wasn’t allowed to be longer than two pages. In that time at the library I had written 4 pages, and I still had more to say. This challenged me to really think about what details are most important. 

Eventually, we found a spot and settled into a nearby coffee shop. There, I continued working with a blackberry Italian soda beside me as I focused on finishing my article. The writing process itself was challenging, as I needed to condense nearly two hours of detailed information into less than two pages. This required me to carefully choose which details were most important and ensure that my writing remained clear and organized.