by Ashley Nguyen

On October 9, the Mock Trial team began meeting to prepare for their upcoming competitions. Led by English teacher Ms. Jennifer Griffin and two Santa Clara County public defenders, Lori Stuart and Jose Franco, this year the team will cover a case concerning an attempted school bombing by a student, which, in light of recent school shootings, is particularly relevant to today. The team is a well-mixed group of twenty students, freshmen through seniors, which is a difference from last year where the team consisted mainly of seniors. The team is split up into the prosecution and defense sides. On each of these sides are three trial lawyers, one pre-trial lawyer, and four witnesses. After practicing for months and writing all of their own directs, cross examinations, closings arguments, etc., the Mock Trial team has a scrimmage at an invitational on January 13 to help them gauge their abilities, for the first time, to other schools in the area. In February, the real competition begins. Hoping to make it to the end, the Mock Trial team goes through preliminary, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds, always in fear of elimination. A few days before their competition, the team is informed of which side will compete. For instance, if the defense team is to compete, they will go up against the prosecution from another school. Three local lawyers score the team, while a judge determines which side wins the case.

The team has been working day and night to prepare themselves for the competition in February, because if one side loses one night, the whole team’s season will be over. Senior Courtney Zane cheerily accepts the work by saying, “My inspiration to work so hard for Mock Trial has become like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. She’s my hero!” Gradually, they have become a close-knit group, and Zane added, “Mock Trial is a blast!”

Show your support for Mock Trial and wish them luck for their upcoming competitions this season. So bombs away, Mock Trial, bombs away!

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