Although the trial was mock, the lessons were very real for the students who battled it out in the courtroom over a case of texting and driving on Feb. 21.
“This stuff really is real, and one minute of distraction can change a life forever,” warned Arapahoe County Judge Darren Vahle.
He’d heard a real case earlier in the day that involved a 19-year-old woman, barely older than the kids on the mock-trial team. She unexpectedly hit her brakes to check the GPS on her phone, causing a man on a motorcycle behind her to slide under her car.
“The worst thing is, she killed a father of three,” said Vahle, who graduated from Arapahoe High School just as one team who went before him that day will do this spring.
The AHS team went up against Regis during the final round of the two-day regional tournament, and it was clear that their preparation had made them aware of the dangers of texting and driving. Their case involved a 17-year-old boy who claimed he could “blind text” who hit a 22-year-old female cyclist who was talking to a client on a hands-free device.
“With new power comes great responsibility, and with that responsibility can come great consequences,” said Lindsey Connor in her opening statement.
While the judge doesn’t render an opinion on the mock case, there were three tournament judges to score the kids’ legal maneuverings — everything from addressing Vahle as “your honor” to making the right objection at the right time (even the judge laughed when one Regis student objected on the grounds that opposing counsel was “bolstering the witness” instead of “badgering” him) to their impeachment skills.
Take Sam Anderson’s stab at a witness in his closing argument, for example: “How can you trust a witness who doesn’t even know which way he was going on a map?”
Sam and his twin sister, Ryan, are both on the AHS team even though they’re seniors at Heritage High School. They say it’s the only activity they share in common, despite being twins.
“I like the people, and it’s really fun,” said Ryan, who played the cyclist. She said the hardest part was not knowing what questions the defense would ask on cross-examination.
Sam played one of her hard-hitting attorneys.
“I do have a little bit of confidence,” he said.
Although Arapahoe didn’t end up advancing to the state tournament, senior Lizzie Stephani took home an Outstanding Attorney Award. Judge Vahle was impressed with the teams overall.
“Sometimes the lawyers that appear in front of me aren’t as good as the ones who appear before me in this court,” he said.
Also impressed was their coach, AHS mom and Dep. Secretary of State Suzanne Staiert.
“This is an amazing group of students,” she said. “It’s been a tough year, and I am so proud of them for making it here and performing at such a high level.”