Recent News

December 17, 2012

Volunteers Needed to Judge District and Regional Mock Trial

The annual District and Regional Competitions for the Ohio High School Mock Trial competition is looking for attorneys to serve as judges for the 2013 competition!

The District Competition will be held on Friday, February 1, 2013 and is in need of 45 attorneys or judges to volunteer as mock judges. The competition will be held at the Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 South High Street, Columbus, OH from 1:00pm to 5:30pm.

The Regional Competition will be held on Friday, February 22, 2013 and is in need of 20 attorneys or judges to volunteer as mock judges. The competition will be held at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, 345 South High Street, Columbus, OH from 10:30am to 3:30pm, with a break for lunch.

A 45-minute training session is mandatory and may be attended at the Columbus Bar Association, 175 South Third Street, Suite 1100, Columbus, OH, on any of the following dates and times: Wednesday, January 23 at 5:30pm; Friday, January 25 at 12:00pm; or Monday, January 28 at 12:00pm. A box lunch will be provided at the noon training sessions.

In this year’s case, a school building is burned down in what appears to be the result of arson, resulting in the death of a maintenance worker. After the fire, there is little evidence of the perpetrators. The accused is a high school student whose parents consent to a police interview. During seven hours of questioning, the police drive the defendant past the scene of the crime, the victim’s home, and use various other interrogation techniques. Late in the day, the defendant claims responsibility for the crime, and is charged with murder and arson. The defendant later recants his statement. In a motion to suppress, the defendant alleges that the police improperly coerced the confession in violation of rights guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The issues are whether a custodial interrogation occurred such that Miranda warnings were required, and whether the confession was improperly coerced.

The Ohio Mock Trial Program, established by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) in 1983, is a statewide educational program designed to allow students to become aware of their constitutional rights and responsibilities. It provides students the opportunity to learn first hand about the law, court procedures and the judicial system while also building interpretation, critical thinking and public speaking skills. Students who compete in the Mock Trial program develop a greater understanding of the principles and foundations of our legal system, and discover what they are capable of and take pride in their accomplishment.

Please complete the volunteer form and return it to Lydia Arko at lydia.arko@ohioattorneygeneral.gov if you are interested in participating this year. If you have any questions you may also contact Lydia at 614/752.2516. Thank you for volunteering!