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6 schools participate in mock trial tourney
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Posted on Mar 30 2008
Five junior high school teams participated in a non-competitive junior high mock trial presided over by Rep. Joseph n. Camacho (R-Saipan) at the Horiguchi Building Saturday.
The event, which lasted for four hours, was hosted by the CNMI Humanities Council and was intended to introduce junior high school students to the mock trial program in an enjoyable format to prepare them for the competitive mock trial program that they will encounter in high school.
The participating schools were the Grace Christian Academy, which fielded two teams, Rota Junior High School, Mount Carmel School, and Saipan International School.
At the end of each session, Camacho provided students with advice on how to go about court cross examinations and the best time to use “objection.”
“Objections are intended to keep improper evidence out of the court,” Camacho addressed the students. “But if used skillfully it can also throw the opposing side off-center.”
He explained that during cross examinations, the attorney uses the witness to tell the story.
“The attorney is the one telling the story, just using the witness as the mouthpiece. That’s why cross examination is a very stylized form of speaking,” Camacho said.
He added that it takes many attorneys years of schooling and exprience to master cross examination and the use of objections.
He also advised the students to once in a while go to traffic court or other small cases because the rules of evidence and objections are similar to murder cases.
He praised Grace Christian Academy for their exceptional use of objection and encouraged members to join the mock trial team when they reach high school.
Camacho commended Rota Junior High School for participating in this year’s event and for “doing an even more wonderful job” than last year’s.
The annual junior high mock trial was opened to all public and private seventh and eighth grade classes on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
