The Mock Trial season is well underway and this season so far has been extremely noteworthy! Mock Trial is exactly what the name entails; essentially it is a fake trial. Each school has two “teams” which include prosecution and defense. On both prosecution and defense, there are three lawyers, three witnesses, and a bailiff/timekeeper. Minnesota releases a court case that every school is given access to, and the teams are set to interpret the case to the best of their ability. 

After preparing opening statements, pretrial matters, closing statements, direct examinations, and cross-examinations, the schools are ready to compete. A typical meet looks like this: one school represents either prosecution or defense and the other school represents whatever the first school isn’t. After the meet has begun by the presiding judge (usually real Minnesota judges), the prosecution gets to begin pretrial matters. The prosecution has the burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, while the defense doesn’t have to prove anything. After the prosecution gives their pretrial matters, the defense gets to give their pretrial matters as well. Pre-trial matters are simply setting the stage for various accommodations. After pre-trial matters, opening statements are allowed to be given. Opening statements introduce the case, the arguments, and the witnesses. After both teams have given opening statements, the prosecution begins their part of the trial. The prosecution does their direct of each of the three witnesses and following each direct comes the cross-examination from the defense. This system is repeated for the defense. The trial ends after both teams give their closing statements. After the trial ends, both teams give outstanding witness and attorney awards to someone on the opposite team. The presiding judges then say the winner (based on points of how well the teams conducted the trials) and give notes on how to improve their scores.

Holy Family started their meets with a scrimmage at Apple Valley. Both teams did very well, the prosecution won their meet while the defense unfortunately lost. Both teams have had two meets since.