Defense team wins this year’s edition of ‘coffee house trial’

 The defense team prevailed over the prosecution during the “coffee house trial” held Saturday as part of the requirement of the  Marianas High School’s Advanced Placement World History Class under Dr. Chas Algaier.

About 60 students from two different classes took part in the annual activity, held at the Java Joe’s Coffee & Espresso Bar in Dandan.

The event aims to simulate and examine issues that affect world history as part of the subject’s unit 3 lesson. Simulation is the process of imitation of some real thing, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviors of a selected physical or abstract system.

Both the defense and prosecution teams presented their arguments to decide on the merits of five key points: 1) the existence of coffee houses poses a threat to the social order worldwide; 2) coffee houses disrupt traditional patterns of life; 3) coffee houses result in an adverse economic effect; 4) coffee houses serve an unhealthy drink invented by non-Christians; and 5) coffee houses provide a forum for sedition against the government.

Students Aurora F. David, Garry Gottwald, Bruce Li, Don Sulat, and Renandra Dizon comprised the lawyers in the prosecution team. Their witnesses were Janet Estrellado as Marie Antoinette, Richard Quan as William Harvey, Lester Garcia as Khair Beig, Fratcina Javan as Eleanor Rumming, with the special participation of assistant attorney general Russell Lorfing as Frederick the Great.

The defense lawyers consisted of Maria Theresa Dizon, Lauren Hofschneider, Mike Johnson, Ayvee Villegas, and Lynda Wally. Their witnesses included Patrishia Echavez as Voltaire, Ionnie Camille Castro as Haji Sabrina Daneem, Melanie Nakamura as Thomas Jefferson, Aiko Erungel as coffee shop owner Abigail Teunis, with the special participation of Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc. attorney Jeanne Rayphand as Jeanne Dela Roque.

The 10-member jury composed of Edward F. Taimanao, Danica Domingo, Danica Guevarra, Jacklyn Garote, Ryan Vicente, Jenny Habijan, Sheena Serrano, Esther Choi, Janine Estrellado, and Leigh Anne Gases agreed after deliberation that the defense panel won their arguments on 4 of the 5 key points.

Sixteen-year-old juror Janine Estrellado said they were initially divided and had a hard time making a decision but were able to come to one in the end. She described the defense team as “clear, very decisive, and very confident with what they stood for.”

Although the prosecution had a lot of strong points, Estrellado said they “lack further information and they weren’t really clear with what they’re saying.”

When asked to describe the experience, Estrellado said, “It was thrilling, worthwhile and so fun.”

Aurora F. David, a freshman and one of the prosecutors, said in an interview before the jury made its decision that despite their tension and anxiety, the trial went well for their team.

“Everyone did their research and everyone did their questions,” said David who has previous mock trial experience. “Even though we’re so nervous, we told ourselves that we can do this. Whatever happens, win or lose, we can do this.”

Lauren Hofschneider, a defense attorney, said she was “really shocked” that they won most of the arguments because she believes the prosecution also “did a really great job.”

“It was an amazing feeling. I think it really goes to the teamwork of everybody else in the group,” she told Saipan Tribune, adding that she will have the experience to bring with her when she goes to college next year.

Rayphand commended the students’ performances. “They worked hard on it. It’s a classroom exercise and I think they did great.”

An educator in the CNMI for 17 years, Algaier said the students were only given the charges, some resources, and role assignments “and then it’s on them to decide how they proceed.”

“All the students had outstanding performance. I thought they were very well prepared and they did a lot of original research, they found lots of sources. They did what Advance Placement students are supposed to do,” he said.

Algaier, who was MHS’ Teacher of the Year last year, said he has been conducting the coffee trial activity for his class for about seven years now and this is the first time he combined two classes.

“I believe that if you set a challenge before students and set the bar very high and expect them to jump over the bar, they will do so,” he added.