On Saturday, October 5, five teams represented Vestavia Hills at the YMCA’s Youth Judicial regional competition at Spain Park High School.
The competition, more commonly referred to as Mock Trial, involves teams of three attorneys and three witnesses with up to two alternates allowed. In addition to Saturday’s regional competition, a state competition will be held in Montgomery in November. Each year, teams receive case materials. These materials include documents explaining the nature of the charges against the defendant, witness statements for and against the defendant, and exhibits that can be entered as evidence in court. All teams prepare to argue for both sides of the case; in the regional competition, all teams competed in three rounds.
For their direct examinations, attorneys craft questions that allow friendly witnesses to provide key information; for cross-examinations, they create questions that force hostile witnesses to admit inconvenient facts. Attorneys must also prepare to make and counter common objections. Additionally, attorneys for each team must prepare opening statements and closing arguments outlining their team’s main arguments. Witnesses must memorize the affidavits, or sworn testimonies, of their characters and deliver convincing testimony.
When asked about the overall experience, Andy Sheng, captain of one Vestavia team, reported, “The thing about Mock Trial is that it takes a lot of work when you’re preparing your case, but you also have to be quick on your feet during the trials themselves. That’s what makes it so challenging, but seeing all your work pay off in court makes it rewarding in equal measure.” Other Vestavia team captains include Ellie Hoar, Krish Chintareddy, Colin Cordova, and Dev Patel.
For the 2024 Youth Judicial season, the Mock Trial case is State of Alabama v. Carey Pontiac. It centers on Pontiac, a formerly convicted arsonist accused of setting fire to the electric car factory where they currently work. Witnesses in Pontiac’s favor include their employer, their mental health counselor, and Pontiac themself. Testifying against Pontiac are their parent, their ex-coworker, and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives agent who investigated the fire. Key arguments from Saturday included whether criminal reformation is possible, to what degree it can be guaranteed, and to what extent arson profiles can be trusted. Regardless of which side they argued for, teams questioned the biases and credibility of opposing witnesses.
Attorneys’ and witnesses’ performances are scored by both judges and outside evaluators. Overall team results were not released on Saturday. Beginning in 2024, teams composed of freshmen and sophomores will be evaluated separately from other teams. Fourteen of twenty-two non-lowerclassman teams will advance to November’s state competition, and a similar proportion of freshman-sophomore teams will do the same.
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