ABOVE: Members of Fairmont High School's mock trial team, from left: Coach Christine Barkley, Elias Monroe, Evie Cordova, Max Poetter, Eya Kotewa, Cadence Montgomery, Ainsley Malo, Leila Caballero, Michael Hamlet and Coach Andrew Hoaglund. Not pictured: Coach Katie Hoaglund, James Cordova.

FAIRMONT– Fairmont High School’s mock trial team has completed its preparations and begun its regular season. While only one student is returning to the team this year, Fairmont’s novice competitors have performed well at their first competition.

“It’s a lot of teaching but our season starts early … so we had a whole month to teach them about trial procedure and objections,” said Christine Barkley, a judicial law clerk who coaches the team.

Mock trial provides high school students with an opportunity to participate in simulated trial proceedings as a witness or attorney. Before competitions begin participants must learn the ins and outs of courtroom procedure, the fine details of a fictional case, construct a set of arguments and learn how to deliver those arguments thoroughly and convincingly. This year’s scenario is a civil case wherein a student athlete is suing a doctor for negligence, arguing ineffective medical treatment caused an ACL tear that ended the student’s athletic career.

“This year it’s the battle of the experts … it really challenges the kids to think like doctors or experienced physical therapists, how to discredit them, get confidence and realize we’re all human,” said Andrew Hoaglund, an assistant public defender who also coaches the team.

Competitions began earlier this month when the team went up against Northfield High School’s mock trial team in the Rice County Courthouse for the team’s first in-person competition since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Northfield ultimately came away with the victory, Fairmont’s less experienced students ensured the competition was a close one.

“Northfield is a very established team … I was very happy with how excited our kids were when they walked out of the tournament,” said Barkley.

Because the details of the case are ambiguous, students must carefully sort through them and ensure the arguments they construct can be defended against an opponent’s. While the beginning of the season can be difficult for beginners, by the time students make their case at a competition they’ve learned how to employ a wide variety of skills.

“Students learn how to think on their feet. They learn legal procedure and how to create a theory in a case, confidence, and I think a lot of the kids grow so quickly because they’re challenged in every way and have to experience that in order to get the most of it,” said Hoaglund.

Cadence Montgomery is the team’s only returning member and plays both a witness and attorney depending on which side of the case Fairmont is assigned to.

“It’s fun defending yourself and trying to get that point down. The more you do it the more confident you become,” said Montgomery.

Leila Caballero is one of the team’s novices who plays a witness and conducts cross examination of the opposing witnesses.

“I like to discredit the witnesses as much as I can and make them seem like they don’t know what they’re doing so (our witness) seems like more of an expert,” said Caballero.

Ainsley Malo is another novice who plays attorneys on both sides.

“I prefer defense because you get to be a lot more abrasive than you would (on plaintiff) and pretty much just do anything I can as long as it makes the other attorney a little bit jittery,” said Malo.

For some students the activity can be the first step towards a career in law.

“I wanted to do it because I want to be a divorce lawyer so I can get in on all the drama…” said Caballero.

On the other hand, some participants enjoy the teamwork.

“It’s been a really fun year so I expect a few people to return. As stressful as it can be we have these really funny team moments and we get off topic a lot. It makes the entire thing so nice and wholesome,” said Malo.