Center for Civic Values

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Friday, 18 May 2012
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"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

-William Butler Yeats

Mock Trial

Mock trial is an innovative, hands-on experience in the law for high school students of all ages and abilities. Every year hundreds of New Mexico teenagers and their teacher advisors and attorney coaches spend the better part of the school year researching, studying and preparing a hypothetical courtroom trial involving issues that are important and interesting to young people.

In February, the teams try their cases before judges and panels of jurors in courtrooms in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. In March, the top teams advance to state finals in Albuquerque, with the winner going on to represent the state at the national championship, held each year in a different US city.

Case Archives

Original New Mexico mock trial cases are described below. Each case is ready for classroom use and is easily adaptable for use in other state mock trial programs, and may be used provided This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is obtained in advance and an appropriate credit to CCV is reflected in the adaptation. The case name and subject matter in the left-hand column below. A brief description of the case appears to the right of each case name. Case materials and videos or DVDs of prior national championship final rounds are also available by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Case materials available electronically will be provided at no cost via PDF. For those that are available only on disk, we require reimbursement for shipping and handling.

To order cases on disk/in hard copy, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it your request along with your purchase order number to CCV. If you don't have a purchase order, you may send your request along with a check to CCV at PO Box 2184, Albuquerque NM 87103-2184.

State vs. Barry
Vehicular Homicide
Grades 9-12 (2011, 1999)
Statement of Facts

 The trial of a young woman who is charged with homicide by vehicle in the death of her baby. The child was delivered two months prematurely after Julie rolled the vehicle she was driving while under the influence of alcohol. Includes supplemental materials for teaching about teen pregnancy and DUI issues.

State vs. Nussbaum
Domestic Violence
Grades 9-12 (2006, 1997)
Statement of Facts

 A first degree murder prosecution of a woman who killed the husband who allegedly abused her for years. Includes supplemental materials for teaching about domestic and teen dating violence.

Johnson vs. Brewster, Hays & White Aryan Separatist Party

Racism & Hate Crimes

Grades 9-12 (2004, 1996)
Statement of Facts

A civil wrongful death suit against a neo-Nazi hate group and its leader for the murder of an African American youth by a gang of skinheads the hate group was recruiting using White Supremacy web site and literature. Includes supplemental materials for teaching about racism and hate-related violence.

State vs. Taylor
Gang Violence
Grades 9-12 (2003, 1993)
Statement of Facts

The prosecution of a high school security officer who shot, allegedly in self defense, a suspected teen gang member after a high school football game. The guard is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and negligent use of a firearm.

State vs. Townsend
Homelessness & Murder
Grades 9 - 12 (2002)
Statement of Facts

 The murder trial of a restaurateur who is charged with killing a former employee who was homeless, allegedly because she was going to report him to the health authorities for supplementing his famous all beef green chile cheeseburgers with horsemeat.

State vs. Sands
Youth Violence & the Death Penalty
Grades 9 - 12 (2000)
Statement of Facts

The sentencing phase of a capital murder trial in which the defendant, Jordan Sands, was found guilty of the murder of a police officer who was on duty at an abortion clinic protest. The protest organizer and her two-year old grand child were also killed. Three months before the shootings, Sands' mother, a doctor who worked at the clinic, was killed in a bombing when she arrived at work.

State vs. Chris Jenkins, MD
Physician-Assisted Suicide
Grades 9-12 (1998)
Statement of Facts

The trial of a doctor who is charged with the first degree felony of coercing and/or exerting undue influence upon a cancer patient who died of a lethal overdose of pain medication, prescribed by the doctor. In preparing for trial, participating students and teachers will confront the highly-controversial issue of physician-assisted suicide. Includes supplemental materials for teaching about "right to die" issues.

State vs. Parker
Juvenile Death Penalty
Grades 9-12 (1990)

 The sentencing phase of the capital murder trial of a 17-year-old, severely abused as a child, who killed a homeowner during a botched residential burglary.

State vs. Garrett
Driving Under the Influence
Grades 9-12 (1988)

 The vehicular homicide prosecution of a teenager who allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian with a car while driving intoxicated.

McMann vs. Wapa County School Board
AIDS
Grades 9-12 (1988)

 A suit for an injunction to prevent a high school from removing an AIDS-infected teenager from the school's basketball team.

Duran vs. Boswell School Board
In-School Search & Seizure
Grades 9-12 (1987)

 A suit for an injunction to prevent a high school from expelling a teenager for possession of allegedly obscene materials discovered in a random search of student lockers.

Team Competition Registration

Complete and submit the online form below to register for the competition. Then send your check or purchase order to CCV at PO Box 2184, Albuquerque, NM 87103-2184. PLEASE NOTE: If your school will have more than one mock trial team, you must complete a registration form for each team. Thank you.

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PRIMARY TEACHER ADVISOR CONTACT INFORMATION

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REGIONAL COMPETITION LOCATION PREFERENCE

Due to the 2012 National Championship in Albuquerque, there will be no regional competitions. All teams will compete at one statewide event.

ATTORNEY COACH?

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Judge Volunteer Registration

Please complete and submit the online form below to register as a mock trial judge. You will receive your judging schedule and other information in advance of the day(s) you are scheduled to judge. Shortly, you will receive an e-mail confirmation your submission; please print and save that e-mail for your records.

Administrative Volunteer Registration

Please complete and submit the online form below to register as a administrative volunteer. Shortly you will receive an e-mail confirmation of your submission; please print and save that e-mail for your records. In January, you will receive a mailing with your volunteer schedule and other information.

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I WILL SERVE AS A VOLUNTEER AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:

REGIONAL COMPETITIONS

Due to the 2012 National Championship in Albuquerque, there will be no regional competitions. All teams will compete at one statewide event.


STATE FINALS COMPETITIONS

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Clarifications

Q: On page 17, on behalf of which defendant(s) was the answer filed in this case?

A: The Answer was filed on behalf of the Defendants. The misplaced apostrophe has been corrected.

Q: On page 40 of Dr. Blaine Davis' statement in line 30 it says that on February 16, 2010, the competency test was performed but in line 87 on page 42, it says that "on February 22, 2010, Simone possessed the capacity. . ." Since there is no suggestion of the passage of time, I have one student who believes optimistically that this is a typo. Is it?

A: No.

NOTE: The Plaintiff in the Caption that appears in the Complaint, Answer, Plaintiff's Reply to New Matter, Opinion, Stipulations, Statutory Law and Jury Instructions has been revised. The change is stylistic and not substantive.

Q: Should the references in the case to P.S. actually be NMSA?

A: Yes; the three instances where P.S. appeared in the case have been corrected to say NMSA.

Q: Should the name "Cage" on Exhibits 1, 2 and 7 actually be "Caget"?A: Yes; the exhibits have been corrected.

Q: The dates on Quincy Jonz resume seem to be incorrect in that s/he would have started college at 12. Are the dates wrong?

A: Yes; the dates have been corrected.

Q: The witness signatures and the notary public signatures on all the witness affidavits are year 2011; is this incorrect?

A: No; the year has been corrected on all the witness affidavits.

Q: On page 55 the header at the top says Estate of Simone Langston vs. Lefu Harrison; should it say vs. Shea Harrison?

A: Yes; it has been corrected.Q: Shea says fire is Feb 23 at 4 AM, Caget says March 6th?  Is there a clarification on the true date of the fire??

A: The case materials stand as written.

Q: The case states that the date of the biopsy is the 11th, which should have been a Sunday, but everyone says it was a Saturday.

A: Since there is no disagreement in the problem or among the witnesses that the biopsy was performed on a Saturday, the 1st, it is irrelevant what day the 1st actually was.

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THANK YOU!

The Gene Franchini Mock Trial Program gratefully acknowledges financial support from the State Bar of New Mexico, the University of New Mexico School of Law and IOLTA.