Students to refine mock trial experience 11/21/2008 12:13 AM
By ROB NOVIT Senior writer
The Leavelle McCampbell Middle School students transformed into attorneys and witnesses and defendants Wednesday.
They even took over a courtroom at the Aiken County Courthouse and had a real lawyer portraying a judge.
The students were practicing for the S.C. Bar Regional Middle School Mock Trial Competition. They will travel to Columbia with career specialist and coach Gabrielle Morgan on Saturday. The top two finishers among the 13 teams will go onto the state finals Dec. 6.
Merriwether Middle School in Edgefield County is also competing.
Holly Rittenberry, a Leavelle eighth-grader, auditioned for the team and was pleased when she was selected.
"I didn't think it would be this hard," she said with a smile. "We've been meeting every day after school and sometimes during school, creating questions and role-playing."
The format calls for the team to prosecute a high school student accused of cyber-stalking. In another round, the team members will switch gears and defend the accused teenager. They will portray all the roles except for the judge and jury.
Morgan said she's always looking for opportunities to introduce her students to careers.
"This is a first-hand way for students to see what lawyers, judges and jurors do," Morgan said. "It's not like television. They really have to understand the vocabulary and the process. I'm really excited about all the information they've learned."
The other team members include Tiana Chandler, Kaylon Stubbs, Wesley Crews, Ashlyn Johnson, Amy Gray, Remy Barnwell and Brooke Lackey.
The team got assistance from three lawyers - S.C. Sen. Shane Massey, new S.C. House member Tom Young and Reggie Belcher of Columbia. Massey and Young helped with questions and Belcher served as the courthouse judge, giving the kids pointers on the rules of law.
"I was glad we got to be in the courtroom," said Tiana. "This was a real lawyer who knew what he was doing. I felt like a real witness."
All of the team members are good students, said Morgan. But the mock trial has provided exposure to the work ethic expected of adults.
"This is about making a commitment," Morgan said. "They can't say they don't want to do it anymore. They have a responsibility to be there for practices. They really showed me they could get the work done."
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
Notice about comments:
AikenStandard.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. AikenStandard.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not AikenStandard.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
0