Legal Lions Participate in Mock Trial
Legal Lions Participate in Mock Trial
The case was murder; the life of a man had been cut short. The courtroom was full; all of the participants were set in place like pieces on a chess board. The judge, the lawyers and the witnesses were transfixed; the accused sat motionless, staring, his eyes glazed over in thought from his reserved seat in the prisoner’s dock. The tension was thick, tempers were high, the stage was set for an action-packed day of litigation…
This all would have been true if there was a person on trial, and if a young life had been cut short. Fortunately, it wasn’t true, it was the scene at Assumption College’s in-school Mock Trial competition at the Brantford courthouse.
Three student legal teams from Assumption battled it out for the title of best mock trial team; but the story does not start there. It started weeks before in a computer lab within the deep labyrinth of the school. There, students gathered to show their interest in participating in the in-school mock trial tournament. In this and subsequent meetings, students assumed legal roles such as crown attorney, defense lawyer or witness and prepared scripts based on the fictional murder case established by the Ontario Bar Association.
In this case, a forty year old man (or woman, depending on your witness’ gender) is charged with second degree murder after striking a fatal blow to the head of a seventeen year old youth with a baseball bat. The youth was trespassing on the property of the accused. The accused believed he heard the youth say he had a gun and, fearing for his life, swung the bat into the darkened entryway of a garage.
Armed with the facts of the case, each team spent weeks preparing opening statements, examinations-in-chief, cross examinations and summations. As the competition approached, teams scrambled to make last-minute adjustments and prepare their witnesses as best they could. The last preparation was a pre-trial rehearsal where the lawyers and witnesses could get a feel for the protocols of the court, which went off without a hitch. “The courtroom is such a formal setting that I’m glad we had the opportunity to practice before we went before the real judge,” observed Derek Vollebregt, who assumed the role of Crown prosecutor.
When the day of judgment arrived, all of the teams were anxious to start and nervous about the proceedings of their trials. These trials were presided over by local lawyers who took time out of their busy schedules to play the role of judge and support our school tournament. Following a round robin preliminary phase, the top two teams advanced to the final. The Crown was victorious in both morning trials where the accused was sentenced to second degree murder and manslaughter, respectively. “The differing verdicts demonstrate the importance of good advocacy skills in any trial,” observed mock lawyer Michael Tuczynski.
Judge Ken Lenz of the Ontario Court of Justice presided over the final trial. It was a showdown of mock legal titans, with no disrespect intended to the younger team not involved in this trial. This battle pitted the combination of skilled lawyers and star witnesses against each other in a heated exchange that proved to be good entertainment for the spectators, including the many parents who came out to support their children.
In this particular trial the accused was found not guilty, thanks in large part to star witness Eric Kopasci, who took time away from his usual regiment of drama presentations to participate in the mock trial. Since I had assumed the role of the accused in this trial, I was very relieved to be found not guilty of murder.
With the formality of the days’ proceedings concluded all of the participants uttered a collective sigh of relief knowing that the mental and emotional strain had ended. Participants Jenn Cox, Lindsay Jackowetz, Michael Tuczynski, Derek Vollebregt, Eric Kopacski, Rickilyn White and Krysta Salera were selected to represent ACS at the regional Mock Trial tournament. As an alumnus of this tournament, I know these students will appreciate participating in an event that simulates Canada’s legal system in action.
All of the students who participated in the tournament would like to extend their gratitude to staff advisors Mrs. Tunnicliffe, Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Spriet and former Crown Attorney, Don Angevine for all of their efforts in leading the students through this great experience.
By the end of the day, I think all of the participants were happy to hear the court clerk declare, “Case closed!”
Written by:Nick Zacharski
