29 Nov Mini-Mock Trial
by Emelia C., 11th Grade
Mini-Mock is a bundle of nerves, excitement, and courtroom drama. When you first arrive, it feels like an airport because they check you for weapons and harmful substances. Then you sit in the jurors’ waiting area with all of the other teams. It is intimidating, looking at the other teams, thinking that the experienced ones are going to crush you. There is a long wait to be called for your courtroom, but when you are finally called, there is another flood of nerves. The fluorescent lights in the courtroom make you feel like it’s a real case, but then the judge walks in wearing jeans and no robe, and it makes you remember it isn’t actually a real trial. Mini-Mock seems like the fun part of Mock Trial because it’s just a scrimmage, but that doesn’t stop you from getting overwhelmed by even more nerves. At Multnomah County Courthouse, the sizes of the courtrooms vary. The first one is pretty small. You keep pacing, organizing the desk and all the papers to calm yourself. But your scrimmage is relatively calm, because the other team is very inexperienced. The second courtroom is large and filled with lots of people. The mixture of nerves and the number of people make it a very warm trial, especially since you are wearing a long-sleeved blouse and a blazer. When you are the witness, your heart is pounding. You are praying you don’t mess up or accidentally say something that could get you impeached. When your cross examination comes, you forget everything in your affidavit and are grasping for the few straws left in your memory. As an attorney, you’re trying to help your witness say the right things, and hoping the other witness says something you can use to impeach them. Mini-Mock is an assortment of fun, nerve wracking, intense adventures with your team, all wrapped up in a 5-hour period.