Alexa Vaughan and Audrey McManus walked into the La Plata County Combined Courthouse on Tuesday evening sure they had a solid case.
The Mountain Middle School eighth graders spent weeks preparing with their fellow students for arguments in the case of State of Colorado v. Sam Smith, a fictional murder trial set in Durango. Although their client is fictional, Vaughan and McManus, both 13, said they felt emotionally attached and passionate about proving the defendant not guilty.
“I liked the feeling of standing up there and proving a point,” Vaughan said after the jury of parents rendered a not guilty verdict. “Even though we were defending a made-up person, we wanted to prove her innocence.”
The mock trials aren’t just for fun, though, said Shane Voss, head of school at Mountain Middle. Students were graded for their work, both in preparation and presentation. “This is our version of a multiple choice test,” he said.
Students assumed the roles of witnesses, defense attorneys, prosecutors, court reporters, bailiffs and judges. The focus of the evening is to encourage learning about defending a position with factual evidence, Voss said.
“It’s fun, but it’s also rigorous,” he said. “You can’t just make stuff up.”
Opening the assessment to the public adds a level of motivation for learning and also provides an opportunity for public speaking – something Kim Harms, a parent and mock juror, said she never had in her education. Hosting the trials in the La Plata County Combined Courthouse provides a layer of seriousness that students don’t get in the classroom, she said.
“It’s really cool to get that real-life experience,” Harms said.
Olivia Schill, who assumed the role of a prosecutor, said she was stressing about remembering her arguments. She battles with anxiety and was nervous that she wouldn’t be able to stand up and speak in front of her classmates and their parents.
While her argument to find the defendant guilty did not convince the jury, Schill said the practice was valuable.
“It’s good practice,” she said.
