NEW GLARUS - The New Glarus High School Mock Trial Team, coached by attorneys Dan Gartzke and Faun Phillipson and teacher Lexa Speth, took second place at a regional tournament at the Rock County courthouse in Janesville Feb. 14. The regional tournament included four trials against nine other teams during the all-day event.
The students have been working since October to understand and prepare trial cases from the 120 pages of materials, including witness statements, exhibits, rules of evidence and procedure, and legal principles.
"Once again, these kids have been working hard at putting together their cases," Gartzke said. "I have done this for 11 years now, and I am always honored and pleased at how much work the kids put in and how much they get out of it."
This year's case involves an "accidental" shooting by one student of another law student. The prosecution believed that one disgruntled student was a little too quick to shoot what he claims was an intruder, but in fact was his roommate who had just beaten him out for a plum job. The defense claimed it was pure mistaken identity and an accident. The students work as either witnesses or lawyers and present their cases over 90 minutes.
To prepare for the regional tournament, the team participated in a practice trial against teams from Belleville, River Valley and Reedsburg high schools recently.
The students have been working since October to understand and prepare trial cases from the 120 pages of materials, including witness statements, exhibits, rules of evidence and procedure, and legal principles.
"Once again, these kids have been working hard at putting together their cases," Gartzke said. "I have done this for 11 years now, and I am always honored and pleased at how much work the kids put in and how much they get out of it."
This year's case involves an "accidental" shooting by one student of another law student. The prosecution believed that one disgruntled student was a little too quick to shoot what he claims was an intruder, but in fact was his roommate who had just beaten him out for a plum job. The defense claimed it was pure mistaken identity and an accident. The students work as either witnesses or lawyers and present their cases over 90 minutes.
To prepare for the regional tournament, the team participated in a practice trial against teams from Belleville, River Valley and Reedsburg high schools recently.
