Our First Competition

I am so proud of our Mock Trial Team! We had our first competition yesterday, and they performed beautifully in the trial, were gracious to the other team, respectful of the courthouse and of the adults there,  and were so fun and enthusiastic.  (I must admit I even enjoyed their loud singing on the bus trip back home.)  And  they won!  These kids are fine representatives for our junior high and for young teens who all too often get bad press instead of recognition for all the things they accomplish and all the positive things they are.

The judges picked as
Best Prosecution Attorney -- Tony Jeffs and Joseph Steed
Best Prosecution Witness - Erykah Cain and Derrick Cain

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Mr. Lish came after you'd left on Tuesday.  He is coming on Wednesday after school.  Be ready with questions for him.

Meet on Tuesday, February 22 after school

Meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school, as well as during CaveTime on Wednesday and Thursday.  We will be leaving at lunchtime on Friday for our first competition.
Parents are invited.  See the tab above titled "Competition Schedule." 

Work on the wiki over this weekend.

Our attorney coach, Mr. Lish, is coming on Tuesday after school, so try to be there if you possibly can!

Link to the Wiki

http://cavemocktrial2011.pbworks.com/

See the Tab for Team Assignments Above

Click on the tab labeled "Mock Trial Team."

More emails from LRE

Yes, we should do it the same--soccer instead of football. You might mention it to the other team in your trial, so they aren't confused. Good luck. Kathy
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry® 

From:

Thursday - February 10, 2011 2:50 PM

What does this do to our case?

No, you haven't missed a correction on Exhibit D.  Assume the chatroom dialogues weren't printed off the school server in sequence.  In this case, the time is irrelevant, however.

Kathy

From:

Thursday - February 10, 2011 3:14 PM

Notes

Opening -- lays out the story -- they don't know
What you will hear is. . . .   defense -- casting doubt

Ashton --

Notes on Timeline 2-9-11

Timeline

§ 6^th grade – Jamie was given the nickname “Jam”

§ Casey has known Cris for several years.

§ Cris’s username last year was Shokwave.

§ Students had signed and turned in Usage Policy forms.

§ Cris, Casey,  and Jamie in U.S. History class – chatroom is for that.

§ Cris’s username for this year is FatalFlaw

§ Cris answered a question incorrectly in class and Jamie answered it.  Cris seemed visibly upset.  He was staring at Us from across the room.  – Casey

Jamie says Cris was staring at Jamie for the rest of class that day.

Cris answered a question incorrectly in class and Jamie answered it.  

§ After that  Cris spread a rumor about Jamie.

(Friends told me)  – Jamie

Around the end of September

§ Jamie says she started seeing  references to jammin’   for jamchat – referred to Jamie in witness statement

     apparently used by more than one person

September --

jammin’  so my friends knew and others who knew me knew that jamming referred to Jamie

October 8 –

FatalFlaw: Jammin has been seen wearing the same hoodie all week. Think blood won’t show on those dark colors?  (Fatal Flaw is claiming to know who jammin’ is -- - Cris admits

Jamie says that people wear the hoodies all week long, but Cris only mentions Jammin/Jamie

FatalFlaw: No, but looks like it.  Have you seen the CHS hoodie; it’s nasty!    (Is she/he talking about the hoodie in general or on jammin’s hoodie?)   Fatal is insulting jammin’ trying to get a rise out of jammin’

Cannonball and Hughes both comment that is weird, strange –

In her witness statement, Jamie says those statements were about her. (#10)

She doesn’t think much of it – wondering who is saying those strange things.

  Cris recognizes that someone is standing up for Jammin’ so  leaves

October 13 at lunch – apple thrown at Jamie – Cris admits laughing. Casey says Cris was laughing and staring at them.   Jamie says “looking.” Casey says “staring.”

October 13  3:22 +

FatalFlaw is corrected by Jammin again – about reading assignment –

then exited immediately after the correction

October 14  -- second transmission?

Shockwave:  Cris admits   4:46

anticipation, fear, jam their face hard into the ground 

Yankee – saying these are strange comments – people just don’t talk like that – other people in the chat room recognize that.

Aware of FatalFlaw . . . . 4:51

25 minute lapse  -- actually 20 minutes –

Cris -- 

Shockwave: You can keep your friends close, but there is no amount of “Jammin” that will help avoid your fate. 5:11

Shockwave:  Jammin, my friend, you still there. 

then jammin exits

Yankeegirl, Hughes, Cannonball didn’t log out either

Loren claims that on that day there was a lapse of 25 minutes (actually 20) and that someone else could have logged on as Shockwave.  (But it doesn’t look as if Cris had logged off. ) –

so Cris is admitting to using both accounts?  

* Casey tells Jamie to contact the office. She confirms this in planner notes and in witness statement.  (inappropriate and malicious)

October 15

FatalFlaw makes Jammin rammin statement right  after Jammin enters the chatroom.

Cris denies “Jammin’ Rammin”  statement  at 3:42

Hughes recognizes that statement was inappropriate.

Jammin does too.

Fatal Flaw 3:45

Cris denies “all in good fun. . . . uptight. . . suffocate

at about 3:50 Jamie reports to the office

Pat and Cris say they were working together today at the time the messages from FatalFlaw were sent? 

time is unknown for sending or receipt of private message from Shokwave – (which Cris does not mention nor deny in witness statement

“I may just lose control. . . locked away safe. . . willing to take the chance, injured, dead” 

October 18 – Cris Robertson’s account was shut down (from Casey’s notes: How does Casey know? Casey says “continue using chatroom like normal – does she mean both she and Jamie? Had they stopped?)  How does Casey know that administration left Cris’s chatroom password active? 

_________________________

Additional notes:

Usage agreement states that if you  think that someone is using your account, you should change the password --  Exhibit E usage agreement – bottom paragraph

apple throwing – can’t prove that he threw the apple

but he enjoys seeing Jamie almost get hurt

(take care of his problem while he’s still a minor)

more motive to target Jamie – corrected about pages on assignment

Chris admits

   using shokwave – using both accounts

   posted  clearly pointing at Jamie 

Second Transmission

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: : Second Transmission]]
From: Michelle_Oldroyd@utd.uscourts.gov
Date: Tue, February 08, 2011 1:53 pm
To: <lre@icw.com>

Again, I think that if we need to distribute a mass email we can, to
establish the count. I would like to direct teachers/teams as I stated
before that they should count on their exhibit, agree as a team how to
approach their questioning, and work that into the foundation that they lay
to admit the online messages.




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Michelle M. Oldroyd
ADR Administrator & Staff Attorney
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah
Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse
350 South Main Street, Suite 150
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-2180
Phone (801) 524-6128
Fax (801) 526-1150
Email michelle_oldroyd@utd.uscourts.gov

This email (and any attachments) may contain confidential and privileged
material which is sent for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any
review, use, distribution or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited.
If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive for the
intended recipient), please contact the sender by reply email and delete
all copies of this message. Thank you.




My students and I have been reviewing the case and have a question as to
what the second transmission is. It states that Cris Robertson was with
Pat Clifford at the time that the second transmission was sent, but it
never clearly details what the second transmission is. Is it the personal
email? The second chat log? The post after the 25 minute lapse? Or is it
completely up to each teams discretion and interpretation to decide what
the second transmission is?

Any information you could give me about this would be greatly
appreciated.

Thank you for your time and help,

M

User name for Casey

I asked Michelle.  Here is her response re Casey Wallner

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [FWD: Casey Wallner]
From: Michelle_Oldroyd@utd.uscourts.gov
Date: Tue, February 08, 2011 10:48 am
To: <lre@icw.com>

My read of the materials is that Casey's login/username is Cannonball, but
I do not know that it is relevant/necessary to delineate this. That is why
a specific name is not designated.

As for deciding how to count the messages/view their order/designate which
message warrants a question or not, that is just vague enough in the facts
to be a strategic choice that teams make. I recommend indicating how the
attorney comes to the conclusion before asking a witness (e.g. during
questioning, one might say, Here is the exhibit...Do you see it?...Do you
recognize it?...We need to discuss message three which is highlighted for
you as the third entry from the opening of the chatroom. Do you see
that?...)





From: <lre@icw.com>

To: Michelle_Oldroyd@utd.uscourts.gov

Date: 02/08/11 10:10 AM

Subject: [FWD: Casey Wallner]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Casey Wallner
From: Stephanie Hoggan <shoggan@millcreekeng.com>
Date: Tue, February 08, 2011 2:12 am
To: "lre@icw.com" <lre@icw.com>

Janet:

I don’t have everyone’s e-mail address, so I could not e-mail the whole
group with the following questions:

Can you tell us what Casey Wallner’s user name is?

Cris Robertson’s statement – paragraph 8. Reference to the day and time
that the second transmission was made – does that refer to October 14 the
5:11 and 5:12 entries from Shokwave?

Civility

Here is a debate about whether civility is dead.  The article also provided other addresses on the web with information about civility.

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201002?pg=19&search_term=#pg19

http://www.choosecivility.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=109

Mock Trial Team

Prosecution:
Attorneys:
Joseph Steed  -- opening
Anthony Jeffs 
Monica Lish
Cristine Busto -- closing

Bailliff:
Kenlee Woolstenhulme

Alternates:
Rebecca Geertsen
Parker Shelby
Sarah Ellison
Jack Hatton?

Witnesses:
Annika Shunn -- Casey
Derrick Cain --Ashton
Alex Pearrow
Erykah Cain

Witnesses, please be ready to take over attorney duties if necessary for March 11th. 
We need at least one more alternate.  Do you have any friends who would be interested?

This Year's Competition Schedule 2011

Prosecution 2/25 vs. Bryant  -- Our Trial begins at 1:30 pm at Salt Lake Justice Court  #2 
 333 S 220 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Team should be there at 1:00.
Leave the school at 12:00 noon. 
Be back at the school at 5:00  p.m.

Parents, here is parking information:
Parking is available at Diamond Parking on 300 South between 200 and 300 East, or at the City Parking lot.  If you're riding Trax, get on the Univerisy Trax line and get off at the Library Station.  Then go North on 200 East.  DO NOT PARK at Burger King or Firestone's parking lots.  Your car will be booted, and you will pay $80 to get it taken off.


Defense 3/11 vs. Provo Freedom Academy  -- 9:00 am at Orem Justice Court, 97 East Center Street, Orem, Utah  -- parking in rear or on side.  I-15 exit at Center Street exit in Orem. 
Leave 8:00 a.m
Be back at the school at 12:30.

Location for February 25

http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/courts/

Great Information about Parts of the Trial

http://sites.google.com/site/coachingamocktrialteam/Home

Read about direct examination,
cross examination,
opening statement,
closing statement,
etc.

Questions

Prosecution	Defense
inconstant -- what does he admit to? saw the apple thrown thinks it's funny at her expense time dela "Jam"  "Jammin'" chat room dialogue why blood? messages stop when account shuts down why ask computer tech for help? 7 people in chatroom --  some recognize comments inappropriate Why would he/she go back to using Shockwave?	pranked? no proof of him/her throwing the apple alibi didn't flag conversation football -- chatroom --laying a foundation Thanks to our bailiff  for taking notes.

Class A or Class B?

From an e-mail received from LRE:

We received a question regarding Class A or B? Adult or Minor on page 84.  Below is the response from one of the attorneys who worked on the case.  We believe everyone should be on the "same page."

Janet

 

I believe you are correct that the statute designates the offense to be a class A misdemeanor if committed against a minor.  However, in drafting the problem, we prepared the Information as if it is a class B misdemeanor.  Changing the charge to a class A would add an extra element of proof.  Therefore,  for purposes of the competition, it will be prosecuted as a class B misdemeanor.

 

Watch clips from Mock Trial Competitions

You should be able to watch the clips at the link below from home. They are blocked by the filter at school.

http://diannapughmocktrial.blogspot.com/

Joke from the Reader's Digest

If you’re interested in becoming a lawyer, you’ll need a degree. But as these court transcripts reveal, the question is, in what?

Attorney: "How was your first marriage terminated?"
Witness: "By death."
Attorney: "And by whose death was it terminated?"
Witness: "Guess."

Attorney: "Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?"
Witness: "All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight."