The seven-member Youth in Government Judicial team from Calhoun County is competing today at nationals in Delaware. The group is made up of six teens from Jacksonville High School and one home-schooled student.The group competes by staging mock trials. There are three attorneys, three witnesses and a timekeeper on each side of a case, which is given to them prior to competition. At state competition, which was held in November, the students were told which side of the case they were arguing and told the case’s details two months in advance. For nationals, they have to be prepared to argue either side and were given the details on April 1.
Each student has a role to play in the trial and the part they play depends upon the side they will argue. At nationals, the group will be told whether or not they are the attorneys for the plaintiff or the defendant and given only 30 minutes to get ready before competition begins.
“It’s corporate law and what has happened is a company known as MESS [Mid-East Stevedores Services] wants to buy another company, DAM [Delaware Auto and Marine]. The reason they want to buy them is because DAM’s stock has not been very good,” said Bo Morris, one of the team members. “So DAM will not sell to MESS and one of the reasons is that MESS is a bunch of terrorists, so that kind of throws in the twist for the case.”
Katie Mullinax is prepared to be a witness on one side of the argument and an attorney on the other.
“I like being a witness. This is my first time being a lawyer and it’s kind of hard,” said Mullinax. “A witness you have everything you know and that is the basis of what you answer.”
Each of the students got involved in the judicial team through the YMCA’s Youth in Government program and by invitation from members already on the team. This is also how home-schooler Faith Dorn joined.
Dorn had been in Youth in Government for five years and knew several of the JHS students, so when the team needed a timekeeper for the mock trials, they turned to her.
Julia Maloney also got on the team through her friends. On it for two years, she will be playing the part of a lawyer doing opening arguments for one side of the case and closing if the team is chosen for the other.
“I have fun writing and stuff, so I enjoy writing the questions and the opening and closing,” said Maloney.
Maloney’s father is also involved with the team. Joe Maloney, an attorney and judge, has volunteered his time to coach the team, helping them write some of their arguments and practicing with them.
