People are streaming into a courtroom. Witnesses and lawyers are taking their positions to conduct a trial, hoping to convict someone or help someone stay free. The trial rages on, comes to a conclusion, and everyone files out. Except, there was no real trial: everyone is a teenager, there are no real world consequences for the losers and the winners, and no one is being fined or going to prison. Instead, this was a trial conducted for Frederick County’s Mock Trial program.
Mock Trial is exactly what it sounds like: a pretend trial. Participants choose either to be lawyers or witnesses for the defense or the prosecution. According to sophomore Sydney Clark, on trial days, “It’s exactly like a normal trial, except with no jury.” It’s comparable to a traditional debate club in a sense, except with predetermined paths of argument.
Each trial, Linganore goes against another school in Frederick County. One side plays the defense, the other the prosecution and they are judged on who conducts their case the most effectively. Scored on a point system, whoever gets the most points wins the trial. Overall winners eventually go to a semifinal and final trial competition, conducted in Annapolis.
Mrs. Lisa Smith, social studies teacher, runs the club which meets every Thursday.
“I started last year,” says Clark. “I thought it looked interesting, and I joined. I did something similar in eighth grade, and it looks good on college applications.” She continues with it because she “…made a lot of friends in it, and I enjoy arguing a lot.”
Freshman Garrett Wiehler joined the club to “…expose [myself] to the possibilities at Linganore.” He also joined because of the arguing aspect, which he says fit his personality.
The overall fun factor of the club is the main reason why many of its members do it. Most find it enjoyable to debate and argue in such an environment, on interesting cases and topics. This year’s case, involving a man becoming a quadriplegic after being handled by a team of security guards at a heavy metal concert, is an example of the average case.
This year’s team is well underway with preparations, with the first trial being in January. Next year’s team will be open for spots during club sign ups. According to Clark, being “…determined and thinking quickly will get you far in it. It’s a big commitment, but it’s so much fun.”
