Mock Trial

What is Mock Trial Competition? Junior high students from around the county compete in the Constitutional Rights Foundation's (CRF) annual Mock Trial Competition in November. The CRF creates a criminal case with a fact pattern based on real cases of legal and social significance. Eight witness statements are written, so some team members must learn those parts so that they can testify and be cross-examined in a trial. Others act as attorneys for the prosecution or defense and must learn the whole case and basic legal concepts to perform their roles. Other team members act as bailiff or clerk. Those with a talent for art can be a courtroom sketch artist, and others may perform as journalists who report the case. Each team member must have a basic understanding of the process and other parts so that they can cover for others if needed.

Overall team size is limited to 16, not counting journalists and artists, and each team is given an opportunity to prosecute the case once, and defend it once. The best eight teams then enter the championship rounds, until the county champ is picked. The competition is held in the main courthouse downtown on nights in November. Actual Judges or attorneys preside over the trial, with other attorneys acting as scorers.

Who and When: Next year's 7th and 8th graders are eligible to participate on the mock trial team. You don't have to be Perry Mason to make the team, but must be ready for some work, and some fun.  For more information please feel free to contact Mrs. Godinez at lgodinez@stfrancisds.org.