Mock Trial prepares students for the courtroom
The Mock Trial of The State of Texas vs. Mark Chambers, which was part of the 22nd Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts, was held April 19 at 4 p.m. in the Bayou Building Campus Courtroom, room 1324. Students in the legal studies program at UHCL prepared for the event all semester. Part of the Mock Trial class requirements are to recreate a trial and present it in front of a judge and live audience. The students must present a trial successfully before they can advance on in the legal studies program.
The presiding judge of the trial was Kerry Neves, 10th Judicial District Court, Galveston County. The jury and witnesses were composed of UHCL volunteers and students and the court reporters were from Alvin Community College. The defense and plaintiff teams were portrayed by legal studies majors Casey Smith and Joseph Nathan. Smith, acted as an attorney for defendant Mark Chambers, who was accused of assaulting a peace officer during a traffic accident. Nathan, acted as an attorney representing the State of Texas.
Although the defendant was found guilty in this trial, Smith said he and his team had a great time and learned valuable information for the next trial.
“Surprisingly, after we had some mishaps in the courtroom, we still won,” Nathan said. “It was a very difficult trial, it went back and forth a whole lot.”
When the trial ended and a verdict was reached, Judge Neves gave the students pointers and tips on how to run a successful trial, regardless of what side they were on.
“When you’re trying a case, you’ve got to listen to it so intently,” Neves said. “You’ve really got to listen to what’s said because you may find a pearl there that you missed.”
His words of encouragement were followed with bits of humor too. “I love being in the courtroom, it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on,” Neves said.
Neves said he was very impressed with the student’s presentation of the trial and encouraged them to keep practicing and studying to get a better understanding of how a real trial will play out if they become lawyers.
