70 students face off in mock trial contest

About 70 students from both private and public high schools yesterday demonstrated their knowledge and skills in the legal system at the preliminary rounds of this year’s mock trial competition, held at the Susupe courtrooms.

Event coordinator Karen Klaver was elated at the initial turnout of the competition that saw the participation of eight teams in the Commonwealth.

“Our expectation is to get the most qualified team to represent us in the national level. So far, NMI has been getting better every year in the national and …we’re ready to have a good show for 2009,” she told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

This is the 11th year of the competition and revolves around a fictitious issue involving assistant attorney general Kelley Abogado, who has been charged with murder in the first degree for killing unsavory criminal defense attorney Jesse Day.

Mount Carmel School represented the CNMI at the 2008 national contest in Wilmington, Delaware, where Leticia Cabrera was distinguished as one of the top ten most effective students among all the states, territories, and countries that competed.

“Our high school students have spent months working with their teachers and attorney coaches in preparation for their participation. This year’s champion will have the chance to represent the CNMI in Atlanta, Georgia,” Klaver said.

The mock trial programs are designed to give students an inside perspective on the legal system, providing them with an understanding of the mechanism through which society chooses to resolve many of its disputes.

Besides understanding and knowledge of the legal system, Klaver said that students are also able to develop teamwork, camaraderie, self-esteem and how to speak publicly.

In determining the best two teams for the championship round, a strict guideline was established by the organizer—CNMI Bar Association—which assesses individuals through a rating scale from 1-10 during the direct and cross examination of witnesses as well as their performances on their closing arguments.

Today is the scheduled championship round for the contest.

Klaver said this year’s event is a bit difficult for the association because of fewer volunteers and donations from sponsors, coupled with the conflicting schedules of volunteer attorneys for the school groups.

However, she said the association hopes to continue the competition on island.

She said the champion team will be sent to the national contest through the assistance of the Public School System, which applies for a federal grant involving school competitions. The association will shoulder the travel expenses of coordinators to the event.

“We just hope to continue. It truly depends if we can get enough volunteers and schools interested in doing the competition,” Klaver said, adding that it costs the association less than a thousand dollars to hold the local event.

She admitted that student winners may get less prizes this year but the association is appreciative of all its sponsors and donors.

With Mount Carmel School as the defending champion, former principal Galvin Deleon Guerrero is confident that the CNMI will be represented by the most qualified and best team in the national event.

“All eight groups are the best teams in the CNMI and we want to be represented by the best…that’s why I am glad that the caliber among all the teams is high. My expectation is being fulfilled that every team is solid and so far that’s what I am seeing in these initial rounds,” Deleon Guerrero said.

Tinian High School attorney coach Lucy Blanco-Maratita pins her hopes on the group that has been the competition’s champion five times: 2000-2003 and 2007.

“Everybody will do a great job…because they know the materials and are very enthusiastic and committed about it,” she told Saipan Tribune, adding that “We’ll sure give it a try [to win back the title].”

Blanco-Maratita has been with the group since its beginning and she agreed that participating in the competition brings a lot of help among students.

For first-time participant Raetissha Iglesias from Tinian High School team, it feels great to be in the competition.

Like her colleagues, she vowed to do her best to bring back the honor for the school team.