MADISON - The New Glarus High School Mock Trial team competed in its ninth regional tournament on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013 at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, against ten other teams from across southern Wisconsin.
The students mastered more than 80 pages of rules and procedures and 25 pages of witness statements, exhibits and legal standards, meeting weekly since early October last year. The students assumed roles as either lawyers presenting the case and making arguments or as witnesses who must make a convincing presentation of their facts. The witnesses were then cross examined by student attorneys from other teams before the panel of three judges determined which side had "won" that particular trial.
This year's case involved a prosecution for attempted first-degree homicide. High school student Rashawn Anderson, played by Natalie Wright, was allegedly shot numerous times in broad daylight on the streets of the fictional town of Clearwater by Leslie St. Peter, played by Jamie Statz. Prosecution lawyers were Lauren Dearth, Bernadette Hawley and Dakota Rose Pockrus. Witnesses for the prosecution included Detective Cary Agos, played by Rachael Schieldt, and an eye witness, Avery Logan, played by Savannah Bettin. Defense lawyers were Savannah Bettin, Jonathan Sheridan and Lauren Dearth. Witnesses for the defense included Sheriff's Deputy Morgan Mansfield, played by Jana Hakim, and the quasi-alibi witness Jamie Sanders, played by Isabelle Stern.
The students presented three 90-minute trials over the course of the day, presenting once as a prosecution side and twice as defendants. While they did not advance to the semi-finals, they did obtain an overall point score of 632, which was just 22 points below the second place finisher.
The Mock trial program is prepared and financially underwritten by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
The students mastered more than 80 pages of rules and procedures and 25 pages of witness statements, exhibits and legal standards, meeting weekly since early October last year. The students assumed roles as either lawyers presenting the case and making arguments or as witnesses who must make a convincing presentation of their facts. The witnesses were then cross examined by student attorneys from other teams before the panel of three judges determined which side had "won" that particular trial.
This year's case involved a prosecution for attempted first-degree homicide. High school student Rashawn Anderson, played by Natalie Wright, was allegedly shot numerous times in broad daylight on the streets of the fictional town of Clearwater by Leslie St. Peter, played by Jamie Statz. Prosecution lawyers were Lauren Dearth, Bernadette Hawley and Dakota Rose Pockrus. Witnesses for the prosecution included Detective Cary Agos, played by Rachael Schieldt, and an eye witness, Avery Logan, played by Savannah Bettin. Defense lawyers were Savannah Bettin, Jonathan Sheridan and Lauren Dearth. Witnesses for the defense included Sheriff's Deputy Morgan Mansfield, played by Jana Hakim, and the quasi-alibi witness Jamie Sanders, played by Isabelle Stern.
The students presented three 90-minute trials over the course of the day, presenting once as a prosecution side and twice as defendants. While they did not advance to the semi-finals, they did obtain an overall point score of 632, which was just 22 points below the second place finisher.
The Mock trial program is prepared and financially underwritten by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
