50p
Mock Trial Triumph
On the 16th of April, four student lawyers, four witnesses, and two research assistants, all members of Brentwood’s debate and public speaking program, travelled to the provincial courthouse in Victoria to try the case of R v. Sebastian. It was an impaired driving case, in which the suspect was a police officer on annual leave who had crashed his car into a hydro pole. Before the accident he had a dentist appointment involving anesthesia, followed by a beer with lunch.
Our defense lawyers were Calvin S and Kevin K, with Max E and Shannon B as part of the Crown. Our witnesses were James L, Amanda M, Zhi-yao C, and Jonathan H. James was the arresting officer, Amanda was an investigative reporter, Jonathan was the dentist, and Zhi-yao was Alex Sebastian, the suspect.
In the first round, Brentwood was up against Fraser Valley. Next, Max and Shannon battled Penticton and won their case. Thanks to the work of our defense and prosecution teams, Brentwood moved on to the semifinals.
Between rounds, we commandeered the lunchroom to revise our cases a final time and iron out the glitches. Achieving satisfactory results from these last-minute edits, we set out at quite a brisk walk to get some ice cream before the next round.
In the semifinals, our defense team of Calvin S and Kevin K were up against Glen Lyon Norfolk’s intimidating team clad in barrister’s robes. Undeterred, our boys secured a victory for the defense and moved on to the next round. Both Calvin and Kevin were commended for their courtroom styles and relaxed but confident manners.
In the final round, Max E and Shannon B faced Fraser High’s defense team. A retired Supreme Court justice heard this round. Despite the fact that our team had an excellent case, proving both Mens Rea (intent) and Actus Reas (action), the judge ruled in favor of the opposing team and gave them the trophy. Although emerging from this skirmish with a second place finish is certainly an achievement of which we are proud, we were, of course, a bit frustrated with the verdict. If it had been a real court case, we would not hesitate to make an appeal.
In an attempt to ease the tension in the bus on the way home, Mrs. Reynolds proposed ice-caps all around. Coasting into the Brentwood parking lot, we ended the day still a bit bitter but laughing and proud of our accomplishments.
Our defense lawyers were Calvin S and Kevin K, with Max E and Shannon B as part of the Crown. Our witnesses were James L, Amanda M, Zhi-yao C, and Jonathan H. James was the arresting officer, Amanda was an investigative reporter, Jonathan was the dentist, and Zhi-yao was Alex Sebastian, the suspect.
In the first round, Brentwood was up against Fraser Valley. Next, Max and Shannon battled Penticton and won their case. Thanks to the work of our defense and prosecution teams, Brentwood moved on to the semifinals.
Between rounds, we commandeered the lunchroom to revise our cases a final time and iron out the glitches. Achieving satisfactory results from these last-minute edits, we set out at quite a brisk walk to get some ice cream before the next round.
In the semifinals, our defense team of Calvin S and Kevin K were up against Glen Lyon Norfolk’s intimidating team clad in barrister’s robes. Undeterred, our boys secured a victory for the defense and moved on to the next round. Both Calvin and Kevin were commended for their courtroom styles and relaxed but confident manners.
In the final round, Max E and Shannon B faced Fraser High’s defense team. A retired Supreme Court justice heard this round. Despite the fact that our team had an excellent case, proving both Mens Rea (intent) and Actus Reas (action), the judge ruled in favor of the opposing team and gave them the trophy. Although emerging from this skirmish with a second place finish is certainly an achievement of which we are proud, we were, of course, a bit frustrated with the verdict. If it had been a real court case, we would not hesitate to make an appeal.
In an attempt to ease the tension in the bus on the way home, Mrs. Reynolds proposed ice-caps all around. Coasting into the Brentwood parking lot, we ended the day still a bit bitter but laughing and proud of our accomplishments.
100p
