At February’s conference, I participated in the Mock Trial program for my second consecutive year. On the team I was assigned to, I was one of two experienced Mock Trial competitors. Because most of my teammates were inexperienced, I was happy to assume the position of someone who gives information about rules of evidence, critiques lines of questioning and witness responses, and provides “insider tips” concerning upcoming trials. I made sure that the preparations I needed to be both an attorney and witness were accomplished before the conference began, so I was able to spend much of the planning time helping my peers prepare. It was incredible to see the evolution of my team over the span of our four rounds. After having my past year’s team …show more content…
win first place in the 2015 Youth and Government Conference, I had high expectations for the 2016 conference. I knew I had personally improved as a Mock Trial competitor. I had highly refined my skills at the National Judicial Competition (NJC) over the summer. I gained even more experience and practice by founding and taking a lead role in a Mock Trial team at my high school. I am happy to say that my high expectations were met at the 2016 conference. Although they were not achieved by another victory in the all-stars rounds, they were superseded by seeing my team’s immense development throughout the competition. I was able to witness the change in one of my teammate’s end-of-the-round comments from being that she needed to speak up and have more confidence to being that the delivery of her closing statement was powerful. I was extremely proud of my team’s growth. But I was not fully satisfied acting as simply an experienced Mock Trial participant who could give advice, I was also an active member of the team as a witness and attorney. So I not only gained a greater understanding of the rules of evidence by making sure others understood them, but I also improved my own ability through competing and taking to heart the comments I received from my teammates and observers of the trials. I was thrilled to be appointed District Attorney at the end of the conference. I fell in love with Youth and Government at conference as a freshman. As soon as I received my first Mock Trial case, I became enthralled in the activity. I was excited to discuss strategy, eager to learn more and more about the ways of the trial process, and looked forward to each round of competition. I am glad to have the opportunity to share the advice I have gained from my personal experiences and my passion for the program with others at next year’s conference. HOPES FOR 2016 NATIONAL JUDICIAL COMPETITION I was lucky enough to attend the National Judicial Competition this past summer, so I have a good idea of what the days in Chicago have in store. Last summer, I was able to meet and bond with fellow North Carolina “Yaggers.” In addition, I learned strategy, professional conduct, and more about courtroom procedure from my fellow teammates and also from competing against fierce opponents. I enjoyed every moment of my experience at NJC. I have many hopes for the 2016 National Judicial Competition because I had such a life-changing experience in 2015.
I am hoping to be able to build upon the relationships I have already established with fellow judicial participants and meet new students involved with YAG who share my passion for the program. I would like to offer help and advice to others on North Carolina’s team as well as continue to better my own Mock Trial ability. There is still so much for me to learn about the trial process, and it excites me to think how I can continue to hone my Mock Trial skills. I think it would be great to then be able to take what I have learned back to our state as a Mock Trial officer and consequently raise the standard for our state competition. There is much I would like to take away from this year’s National Judicial Competition, but my last hope is that I get to carry that 1st place banner back to North Carolina. It would be an immense honor to represent North Carolina in Mock Trial on the national stage. I look forward to every regional meeting, pre-con, and each year’s state conference. I cannot get enough of Youth and Government! I would love to be able to compete in Chicago this summer at the National Judicial Competition. Thank you for your
consideration.
Kassin, Saul, and Lawrence Wrightsman (Eds.). The Psychology of Evidence and Trial Procedure. Chapter 3. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1985. Print.
The American Jury system has been around for quite some time. It was the original idea that the framers of the constitution had wanted to have implemented as a means of trying people for their illegal acts, or for civil disputes. The jury system has stood the test of time as being very effective and useful for the justice system. Now it has come into question as to if the jury system is still the best method for trials. In the justice system there are two forms of trials, one being the standard jury trial, where 12 random members of society come together to decide the outcome of something. The other option would be to have a bench trial. In a bench trial, the judge is the only one deciding the fate of the accused. While both methods are viable
As one of the seven jury deliberations documented and recorded in the ABC News television series In the Jury Room the discussions of the jurors were able to be seen throughout the United States. A transcript was also created by ABC News for the public as well. The emotions and interactions of the jurors were now capable of being portrayed to anyone interested in the interworkings of jury deliberations. The first task,...
Yet with the help of one aged yet wise and optimistic man he speaks his opinion, one that starts to not change however open the minds of the other eleven men on the jury. By doing this the man puts out a visual picture by verbally expressing the facts discussed during the trial, he uses props from the room and other items the he himself brought with him during the course of the trial. Once expressed the gentleman essentially demonstrate that perhaps this young man on trial May or may not be guilty. Which goes to show the lack of research, and misused information that was used in the benefit of the prosecution. For example when a certain factor was brought upon the trail; that being timing, whether or not it took the neighbor 15 seconds to run from his chair all the way to the door. By proving this right or wrong this man Juror #4 put on a demonstration, but first he made sure his notes were correct with the other 11 jurors. After it was
This morning, jurors in the case viewed the girl's videotaped interview with police. During the interview, which lasted about 90 minutes, the girl detailed the alleged incidents with Groves. Yesterday, jurors heard from her in person.
I believe that by identifying possible future events students will be able to think critically about the text. This will help the students to prepare for their future task of holding a mock trial for members of the community for The
Competency to stand Trial: Refers to the ability or inability of a person to stand trial, and the inability could be due to an issue preventing them from being able to participate in their defense. If a person is considered incompetent, it could be for many reasons, for instance a mental or physical disorder as well as an intellectual disability.
[T]he struggle of attorneys to find the best accounts for their clients turns courtrooms transcripts into excellent barometers of what is said and thought in a culture at any given moment of time… On the other hand, advocates also know that jurors must first recognize the developing contours of a story to accept it, and the perception makes them practical students of preexisting narrative forms. (87)
Following World War II, war trials convicted the criminals of their crimes. There were hundreds of trials that took place to punish the Nazi criminals. According to UnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.org, “On December 17, 1942, the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union issued the first joint declaration officially noting the mass murder of European Jews and resolving to prosecute those responsible for crimes against civilian populations.” The United Nations War Crimes Commission would be in charge of the trials. These trials took place all over Europe.Many of them were in Germany and were held by the country that was occupying Germany after the war. According to UnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.org, “The IMT defined crimes against humanity as “murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation.” Most of the trials were with lower-level officials, and most of the first information we knew about concentration camps came from evidence and eyewitness accounts from these trials. Some of the specific trials were the Nuremberg trials, the Doctors trials, and the Auschwitz trials.
The article, “Trial Lawyers Cater to Jurors’ Demands for Visual Evidence,” written by Sylvia Hsieh stresses the importance of visual evidence. Hsieh writes
In the 2003 film, Runaway Jury, we see how important the jury is when it comes to determining the outcome of a case. Jurors are essential to the setup of our American system of justice. Jurors decide on the facts of cases, while the judge of the case utilizes the law. Since the jury has a large impact on the result of a case, it is important that jurors are invested and interested in the case, otherwise jury trials can be considered unjust.
I have been involved in Mock Trial since freshman year and it has taught me many valuable skills from critical thinking to thinking on my feet. It has also afforded me a newfound confidence in my public speaking skills. We are provided with a different case each year, alternating between civil and criminal cases, and must create a case theory and understand the entirety of the case, from the law, to the burden of proof we must provide. Mock trial has taught me not only these skills above, but it has also has taught me dedication and time management. I also truly learned how to be a team player through this activity. Although law may seem like a solo task, the team would not win regionals and not perform well at state if we did not support
Using Forensic Psychology “Comes from the word "forensic" comes from the Latin word "forensis," meaning "of the forum," Where the law courts of ancient Rome were held” (ABFP). Having many different branches of forensic psychology in 2001 the American Psychological association named it a branch of clinical psychology. Forensic psychology is the study or practice of the law and expands to all aspects of law enforcement. Working closely with the court forensic psychologist is typically appointed to assess the client and their mental state, and determine the client sanity level before entering the court room.
Psychology is known as the study of the mind including human behaviors and processes that the mind goes through. However, psychology is a board major in which a student must specialist in order to further pursue a career that is designed for them. Forensic psychology is a narrow focus of the broader field of psychology, which requires a degree and a strong community to obtain a desired salary. With this field, a forensic psychologist works in a field of both law and criminal investigation. Therefore, this specialty allows for a mix of both psychology and the law to someone interested in both career paths.
For my field experience, I chose to attend a court case. On October 14th, 2015 I went to the District of Columbia court and watched a sentencing. It was not at all what I initially expected although after sitting in class for several weeks I was not shocked by it. What surprised me most was the informal, personal nature that the whole process had. The experience was interesting and I feel that I learned a lot from it.