NEW GLARUS - The high school's mock trial team has quite a case in front of them Saturday.
A man killed his girlfriend then himself, and now his psychiatrist is being tried on negligence charges in the high school mock trial Saturday at the Rock County Courthouse in Janesville.
New Glarus High School's team will be competing against 11 other schools in the regional tournament sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin. The event starts at 8 a.m. and is open to the public.
Eight New Glarus High School students have been preparing since October with the help of their advisor Becky Kuhl and attorneys Dan Gartske and Fawn Phillipson.
Cecilia Ford, a junior, and Zach Clark, a sophomore, are participating in the mock trial for the second year. Ford takes the part of a defense attorney, while Clark plays two roles, as the doctor on trial and as the father of the murdered woman.
Ford and Clark said their decisions to return to mock trials were based on the fun they have and thinking skills they gain.
"You have to learn how to come up with good arguments. You learn communication skills and the procedures of the court room," Clark said.
The events of the trial are fictional, but there is no script. Students assume certain roles, dress the part and learn the facts of the case. Playing witnesses and lawyers, the students are judged on how well they fulfill their roles.
They present evidence through testimony and exhibits. Students playing lawyers must write their own questions for the witnesses, and be prepared to defend their reasons for the questions against objections.
One team from the Janesville regionals will advance to the state tournament, and could eventually compete before the State of Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Green County Bar Association helped underwrite the cost of the New Glarus team with a grant.
A man killed his girlfriend then himself, and now his psychiatrist is being tried on negligence charges in the high school mock trial Saturday at the Rock County Courthouse in Janesville.
New Glarus High School's team will be competing against 11 other schools in the regional tournament sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin. The event starts at 8 a.m. and is open to the public.
Eight New Glarus High School students have been preparing since October with the help of their advisor Becky Kuhl and attorneys Dan Gartske and Fawn Phillipson.
Cecilia Ford, a junior, and Zach Clark, a sophomore, are participating in the mock trial for the second year. Ford takes the part of a defense attorney, while Clark plays two roles, as the doctor on trial and as the father of the murdered woman.
Ford and Clark said their decisions to return to mock trials were based on the fun they have and thinking skills they gain.
"You have to learn how to come up with good arguments. You learn communication skills and the procedures of the court room," Clark said.
The events of the trial are fictional, but there is no script. Students assume certain roles, dress the part and learn the facts of the case. Playing witnesses and lawyers, the students are judged on how well they fulfill their roles.
They present evidence through testimony and exhibits. Students playing lawyers must write their own questions for the witnesses, and be prepared to defend their reasons for the questions against objections.
One team from the Janesville regionals will advance to the state tournament, and could eventually compete before the State of Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Green County Bar Association helped underwrite the cost of the New Glarus team with a grant.