February 10, 2021 at 4:51 p.m.
RHS mock trial team claims regional championship
RHS mock trial team claims regional championship
Rhinelander was one of eight teams that competed in the regional tournament, which transitioned to a virtual Zoom platform this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release states.
"The team was faced with several obstacles this season," the release notes. "First, more than half of the students this season were new to the mock trial program, which meant that a more extensive amount of time and energy had to be devoted to the logistics of preparing for a criminal trial and the development of and understanding of the rules of evidence. Moreover, given this year's small team size, every student was assigned two roles, where in the past, most students are typically only responsible for one role as an attorney or witness. Second, the students were required to adjust to the "new normal" of Zoom court proceedings, where in the past, the regional tournament has been held in-person at the Marathon County Courthouse."
The mock trial program provides high school students with an opportunity to act as attorneys and witnesses in a fictional court case developed by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
This year, the students were presented with a criminal case involving a defendant charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
The fact pattern involved a set of identical twins, one of whom was charged with the other twin's murder upon discovering that they had allegedly infected their mother with COVID-19.
The mock trial team is coached by Ali Francois, a local attorney.
The team will proceed to the State Competition on March 6 and 7, 2021, which will also be held virtually via the Zoom platform.
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