Mock trial team takes third and keeps the jury in stitches

Isabella Mahal • February 14, 2017

On Saturday, February 11, Fossil Ridge High School’s two mock trial teams competed in the Northern Colorado regional tournament. Team B took third place among the twenty competing schools, and Michael Townsend and Jacob Trenholm won an (unofficial, though coveted) honorable mention for their hilarious performance as a “pot-loving witness and a Perry-Mason-like straight-faced attorney”, as described by advisor Karen Seeton.

The mock trial teams practice once a week for about three hours, generally at the courthouse. Each team receives the same information prior to the trial from the Colorado Bar Association, including witness statements and pictures of evidence. Teams are comprised of twelve people, including attorneys and witnesses, and are matched against another random team from their region. One side is assigned to be the plaintiff and the other the defense, and the trial is monitored by volunteer judges and attorney coaches. There is a time limit of two hours, during which there are opening statements, direct and cross examinations, and closing statements. Teams then move up or down in ranking by their point total.

Ben Walker was part of Team B, and though only the top two teams from each regional competition attend state, Walker remained positive and excited about the future of mock trial. He explained that he started because “one of my really good friends did it, and I know [Ms. Seeton] really well and she got me into it. Now, I’ve gotten some of my friends into it just because it’s so fun.” Katie Plese, another Team B member, said, “My favorite part is going to the competition and seeing how every other team decided to go about the case. Teams will read the same exact witness statements and get different information that they see as the most valuable.”

Seeton is always amazed by how professional students are when they enter a courtroom, and she is proud of the professionalism awards that Fossil has taken home in the past. These awards are voted on by the teams themselves, so they mean that the other schools also recognize how hard the Sabercats work to be prepared for their trials. She explains that the judges and jurors tend to find participants even more respectful and collected then real-life attorneys, who may or may not ever set foot in a courtroom during law school.

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The most important skills that are required to be successful in mock trial involve forward thinking, memorization of facts, and good acting. Seeton recalls the tournament in which Owen Arkin, portraying a witness whose five year old daughter died after falling off a balcony, cried at the stand. His attorney, Conor Medina, gently said, “if you need a moment” to add to the realism of the trial. Though mock trial is done with competition for the rest of the school year, its competitors will continue to learn valuable skills about respect and truth, both inside the courtroom and outside of it.

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About the Contributor

Isabella Mahal, Head Copywriter

Despite all the warnings given to her, senior Isabella Mahal filled her schedule with AP classes and a single TA period. Many of these classes were only open to seniors and fascinate her, such as AP Literature and AP World History, so not having an off period doesn’t bother her. It isn’t just her school schedule that is full. Mahal fills her time with extracurricular activities like volunteering at the Humane Society, being the co-president of Fossil Ridge’s Spectrum, and being a member of the group Never Again NoCo that works to help end gun violence at schools.

If Mahal has some time to relax, she is spending it with her family and pets. Her younger brother, Sebastian, is a sophomore at Fossil, and they get McDonalds together in her free time. Her family dog, Gus, and her cat, Silverstein, help her wind down after a long day at school. Mahal loves hiking, biking, and hanging out in her hometown of Fort Collins. Although her music taste varies, she loves Counting Crows, The Front Bottoms, Duran Duran, and Modern Baseball.

Mahal never dreamt about spending all four years of high school in journalism, having joined the class to be with her best friend, Karen Manley. Due to their differing schedules, Mahal ended up alone in the class, which forced her to find her own place. She wrote academic and opinion pieces, adding movie and book reviews to her portfolio. After being the academic beat leader her sophomore and junior year, Mahal is now the head copy editor to round out her time in the class. Her dream school would be UC Berkeley, studying public or global health to one day possibly join the Peace Corps. Although Mahal isn’t pursuing journalism in the future, the class has become a window for her to find herself, and help others do the same. It's taught her about the students in the school whose voices aren’t always heard.

Mahal’s advice for incoming Journalism I students is to not be afraid to walk into an event or sport and be unsure about it, and to meet and talk with new people. People in clubs or sports that are less recognized are always appreciative of the recognition of their hard work. Even if you’re unsure about what you’re going to, you will definitely leave knowing more than before, and it’ll make you a more caring person to understand how everyone’s different experiences shape who they are. She loves the forum that journalism lends for people to understand the world around them, and she is a self-proclaimed “first amendment enthusiast”.