The Mock Trial Team is a new club here at WWT advised by Mr. Joe Vuckich, Social Studies Teacher. Meeting every Friday after school, they practice direct questioning, cross examining witnesses, and learn procedures that would normally happen during a court case. The team reviews cases and compete against other schools.
The idea to create a Mock Trial Team was new as of this year, and the team also got a late start with preparing for competition. “I guess it was my idea to start a mock trial team here at Tower,” Vukich said.
All schools in the state of Michigan that have a mock trial team are competing in a competition on March 4th, and the winner will advance to regionals. The way this competition works is all of the teams have been given the same case to review, and the plaintiff/defendant teams of Tower will go up against other schools.
Towers team has been working really hard in order to make up for lost time and essentially win the competition. These students meet Thursdays after school as well as on Saturdays along with the regular Friday meetings during each week to prepare. They are the underdogs of this competition but that won’t stop them from working hard and doing the best they can to possibly go to regionals.
To help the team prepare, they are even getting help from someone actually in the field. “Judge Sabaugh from the 37th District Court has been working with the students,” Vukich explained. Alumnus and lawyer Mike Marx has also given his time to work with the team on the skills needed in trials.
The students on the team all have an interest in the justice system. “I joined because I’ve always been very interested in criminal justice so I thought this would be a good place to start building knowledge and experience. I’m not sure what I want to do in the future but most likely criminal and social justice so this will help,” Camille Moore ‘17 stated.
As of this year the team is competing with 9 members and no longer accepting new members as the competition comes closer. Next year will be the next opportunity for students to join if interested. But wish the mock trial team good luck as they take on other teams in Michigan.
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