On Saturday, Oct. 31, I woke up with one thought on my mind. Not about my Halloween costume for the evening, but rather if it was worth waking up at 7 a.m. for a mock trial rehearsal at the Shepard Broad College of Law. It turns out, it was.
As a member of the undergraduate mock trial team, it was mandatory for us to attend the rehearsal to see how a real mock trial would unfold. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I would soon find out.
I arrived at Shepard Law School to see my fellow mock trial team members waiting in the lobby before going into the court room. I was one of 12 selected jurors.
We filed into the brightly lit court room and took a seat in the juror box. The host introduced herself as Professor Chaney and thanked us for joining her and supporting the law school students. Soon after, she gave the cue to the judge, and the show began.
The prosecutor launched into his argument about a case of which I was unfamiliar. With great passion, the law student spoke of the defendant’s anger erupting like a grenade. I was scrambling to grasp what the case was about, but his passionate argument was enthralling.
Then, the defense countered with a theme of greed, pointing the blame at two twins who committed murder because their third sibling conned them out of their inheritance. It was like watching a live soap opera. Here were four law students who were acting out the roles of the lawyers they aspired to be. It was the art of persuasion mixed with superb acting skills and some quick thinking.
The “lawyers,” so to speak, were also responsible for acting out their witness roles, even if it meant a man impersonating an 18-year-old college girl, which sent a wave of sniggers throughout the audience.
Throughout the trial, jurors’ heads swiveled from witness to lawyer as the pace of the questions quickened, and the lawyer cleverly extracted information from their subjects.
Before we knew it, it was time for a five-minute break. The atmosphere was tense among the jurors. We were wrapped up in curiosity wondering if the defendant was guilty of murder, assault and leaving the scene of a crime.
When the trial resumed, I had made up my mind. The prosecutor had just finished his closing argument, and I knew for a fact that the defendant was guilty… until the defense launched into action, and I was left dangling in a wave of uncertainty.
After the closing arguments, we had 10 minutes to deliberate. It seemed like two. Everyone was so animated trying to determine the defendant’s fate. Did the defendant, in his fury, murder his daughter’s former volleyball coach, then purposely slam into his former high school rival while driving on a dark street?
Fifteen minutes later, when we had to give our verdict, we were completely divided on the charges. Maybe the defendant was guilty for one charge, but not for all.
As jurors, we might not have reached a definitive conclusion, but I knew one thing for certain: I was glad this was not a real case. Being a juror is not like having someone read you a bedtime story. It is a matter of decision-making in which the ultimate verdict defines the fate of the defendant, which is more than I can handle.
But being a part of a mock trial was a terrific experience. I commend the law students for their excellent performance both as lawyers and witnesses. I look forward to future collaborative events with the graduate law students. They have a lot of valuable knowledge to share with undergraduates. For one, I have learned that being a juror is no easy feat.
