MIDDLE School
Taking the STAND By Emily Preis, Grade Eight For two weeks, the eighth grade participated in a Mock Trial Unit. The goal of the unit was to encourage eighth graders to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. Justice System. In advisories, we devised small mock trial teams and were assigned two coaches from the AIS Mock Trial Competition Team. Right away, I was excited. I had developed an interest in acting and the legal system (especially after reading To Kill a Mockingbird in English class), and I expected to experience all or both in this unit. First, we learned the basics of trial: there are two examinations, direct and cross. A lawyer performing a cross examination asks yes or no questions, while a lawyer performing a direct examination asks open-ended questions. We saw a sample case, The State of GA vs. Jayne Cook, that made the mock trial unit even more appealing. I enjoyed watching the actors take on new, transformative roles as witnesses. Even the “lawyers” behaved differently and exaggerated their professionalism. Before we knew it, we were off! Our advisory was assigned the defense side of the case, and we read through the many witnesses’ statements. We learned the story - a woman named Danielle Capulet (Dani) shot and killed a man named Philip Newton. Dani claims that she acted in self-defense. Next, we chose our parts. I knew right away that I wanted to be a witness. I ended up playing Dani, the defendant. I was paired with a defense lawyer who worked with me to draft my direct examination. The next step was tricky. We had to sift through the witnesses’ statements with a fine-tooth comb and pick out any details we wanted to use. As the defendant, we strove to portray Dani as both kind and genuinely fearful for her life and the life of her son – the purported reason why she killed Philip Newton. However, Dani’s statement did not align with that interpretation. Finally, we composed many questions that I would answer in my direct examination, ideally from memory.
6 Globetrotter Summer 2013
It was time to take on my role: to make Dani Capulet someone who could hold the judge’s attention. I cannot count how many times my advisory’s coach told us to maintain the judge’s full attention, so I really wanted to make my performance memorable. I decided to take on a southern accent in my portrayal of Dani Capulet. I also decided that Dani would be both a tough and loving mother to her son. The day of the mock trial was approaching fast, and I was very nervous for my cross examination. What would they ask?Would I be able to reply?Would they make me say something terrible that would prove I did not kill Philip Newton out of self-defense? Before I knew it, it was the day of the trial. As I sat in anticipation of my direct examination, I encouraged my peers to perform just as we had practiced. Finally, I stood up, walked across the front of the “courtroom,” and sat down in the witness chair. The first question came, “Can you please introduce yourself to the court?” I took a deep breath and began. At this point in the process, my accent and my responses came fairly naturally. Before I knew it, the direct examination was over. Next, the prosecutor stood up. I took a deep breath. The representative for the prosecution just happened to be one of the best speakers in the grade. He started to ask me questions, but it became obvious that he was not satisfied with my replies. I was stubborn, just like I imagined Dani would be. Oh how I enjoyed being stubborn! But, I was constantly nervous. My – or should I say Dani’s – life was on the line. It was such a thrilling experience. A member of the prosecution team actually clapped when I said something particularly funny that effectively shut down the cross-examination. In the end, my advisory won. We came together as a team and staged a full criminal case. Despite my initial nervousness, the experience was not only fun, but it taught me important reading, speaking and writing skills. The unit also broadened my views on the justice system, mock trial, and acting.