Carleton Students Perform in Courtroom

Recent trials like the O.J. Simpson case and the Oklahoma City bombing trial have intensely publicized the American justice system. Eight Carleton College students recently participated in Mock Trial, an experience which allowed them to encounter the trial process first-hand. Twenty-eight college teams from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan competed at this year’s regional competition at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.

At Mock Trial, each college’s team (some colleges send more than one team to regionals) is assigned to role play the defense or the prosecution against an opposing college’s team in each of four rounds. Each team represents the defense twice and the prosecution twice at regionals. Real-life judges and lawyers officiate at the match-ups, deciding which teams go on to the national Mock Trial competition. During each round, a team is evaluated on the legal merit of the case presented by the team’s student-lawyer and the articulation and composure of all team members in their roles as lawyers or witnesses.

Carleton’s team began planning for the regional competition last November. Students who would play the role of defense or prosecution lawyer prepared and rehearsed their opening statements for the trial. So they could testify confidently on the stand, students who chose to role play as witnesses familiarized themselves with the deposition assigned to their character by the Mock Trial competition organizers.

First-year student Katie Stroebl of Plymouth, Minn., had the challenge of planning for the bi-polar roles of defendant and prosecuting attorney. In this year’s trial, the defendant’s role was a woman accused of murdering her own son. As the defendant, Stroebl admitted to killing her son but claimed she had committed the act in self-defense. As prosecuting attorney, she needed to convince judges of the culpability of the very same defendant she had just represented. Stroebl said understanding both sides of the case was good practice for her, as she is considering a career in law.

“It definitely helps to get this kind of experience,” said Stroebl, who was on her high school’s debate team.

Kevin Covey, a veteran from last year’s team, said the Mock Trial experience has significantly increased his comfort level when he addresses an audience. For example, delivering class presentations at Carleton has become less difficult for him.

Although the Carleton team won’t be going to nationals, Covey, a sophomore physics major from Portland, Ore., said he was pleased with the team’s performance at regionals. Carleton lost to Macalester College in the first round; defeated Northern Michigan University in the second round; lost to University of Minnesota, Morris, in the third round; and defeated Moorhead State University in the fourth round.

Only eight teams from this regional competition went on to the gold or silver flights of the national competition, this year held in Des Moines, Iowa, and St. Paul, Minn., respectively.

Covey said he is looking forward to next year’s regional competition, when Carleton’s returning team members will be able to capitalize on the knowledge they have gained from this year’s Mock Trial experience.