[Vision2020] Case closed: Future lawyers in training -- Moscow school wins mock trial competition against Bishop Kelly
Dale Courtney
dmcourtn@moscow.com
Thu, 8 Apr 2004 13:06:31 -0700
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C41D6A.50A3AFA0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Case closed: Future lawyers in training
Moscow school wins mock trial competition against Bishop Kelly=20
=09
<http://www.idahostatesman.com/Daily/20040407/212910-102643.jpg> =09
=09
Abby Busboom, a high school student from Logos School in Moscow, cries =
as
she portrays the widow of a man who died after being attacked by a dog.
Busboom=B4s team competed in the 17th annual mock trial competition at =
the
Idaho Supreme Court in Boise on Tuesday. The team from Logos School won =
the
event, even as the Bishop Kelly team won the mock trial.=09
<http://www.idahostatesman.com/Daily/20040407/212910-102644.jpg> =09
Photos by Chris Butler / The Idaho Statesman=09
Drew Simon, a student at Bishop Kelly High School, gives the closing
argument as a judge=B4s panel of Russ Heller, left, Idaho Supreme Court =
Chief
Justice Linda Copple-Trout and Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden =
listen
Tuesday morning during the 17th annual mock trial competition finals.=09
<http://www.idahostatesman.com/Daily/20040407/212910-102645.jpg> =09
=09
Playing the attorney for the defense, Bishop Kelly High student Drew =
Simon
listens to testimony Tuesday at high school mock-trial competition at =
the
Idaho Supreme Court in Boise. Bishop Kelly competed against a team from
Logos School in Moscow. The Bishop Kelly team defended a woman accused =
of
allowing her dog to kill a man.=09
Patrick <mailto:porr@idahostatesman.com> Orr
The Idaho Statesman (scooped DN again).=20
The University of Idaho law school may want to set up permanent =
recruiting
offices at Logos School in Moscow and Bishop Kelly High School in Boise. =
Teams of mostly underclassmen from both those schools faced off in the
finals of the Idaho Law Foundation Mock Trial competition, with Logos
winning the judging by a scant two-point margin =97 the second win in =
the past
four years for the private K-12 school.=20
The winners in 2002 and 2003? Bishop Kelly.=20
So Tuesday=B4s final could have been the clash of the best of Idaho=B4s =
future
litigators. And if passers-by had dropped into the Idaho Supreme Court, =
they
would have thought they stumbled into a real capital murder trial =
instead of
a contest between high school kids.=20
=93This is really cool ... it=B4s so exciting,=94 said Abby Busboom, a =
key
=93witness=94 for the prosecution (the Logos team) who did some serious =
emoting
as the spouse of a murder victim. Busboom was all smiles as fellow =
students
and parents congratulated her Tuesday. =93Our teachers really worked =
hard with
us.=94=20
=93Other schools=B4 gyms are filled with banners for football, but ours =
are
filled with banners from the mock trial competition,=94 said Bob =
Hieronymus,
whose son, Scott, is on the Logos team. =93These kids work really hard =
on
this.=94=20
The loss snapped Bishop Kelly=B4s team hope of a =93threepeat,=94 but =
the kids
seemed OK with the outcome. Most said they were a little disappointed, =
but
felt good about their performance =97 especially since they won the =
trial
itself when their =93client=94 was found not guilty of murder.=20
Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Copple-Trout, one of the three
judges of the contest, noted that out of 120 total points based on
performance, only 2 points separated the teams =97 the closest
state-championship mock trial decision ever.=20
After the competition, students from both teams laughed and talked in =
small
groups, morphing from junior attorneys, court officials or witnesses =
back
into regular teenagers.=20
But an hour before, the teams looked like the real things arguing a =
capital
murder case involving a dog mauling, with all the subtleties seen in a =
real
courtroom. Such as:=20
=95 Asking a witness a question knowing the judge will rule it stricken, =
but
getting it before the jury at least once. The Logos team did that a few
times.=20
=95 Successfully rephrasing questions stricken by the judge to get the =
needed
answers from witnesses. Lawyers for both teams did this.=20
=95 A defense attorney for the Bishop Kelly team placing his hand on the
shoulder of the =93accused=94 right before the verdict was read.=20
=95 Displaying a firm grasp of Idaho=B4s rules of evidence. Both teams =
cited
code sections several times.=20
=95 Direct and cross examination were crisp and cool. Lawyers objected =
at the
right times to leading questions or disputes over the law.=20
The students=B4 legal points were so good, in fact, that Copple-Trout =
had to
consult with fellow judge Lawrence Wasden =97 Idaho=B4s attorney general =
=97
before issuing a ruling.=20
=93I don=B4t recall ever having to work so hard on the rules of =
evidence,=94 she
laughed after the competition.=20
The witnesses also were believable and natural, playing among other =
things a
police officer, dog handler, dog owner and neighbor.=20
So where did these kids get their legal and acting chops? =93Law and =
Order?=94
=93NYPD Blue?=94=20
Try real-world experience from attorney-coaches who work with the teams =
all
year long.=20
=93It=B4s not TV. Our coaches and teachers help us with everything =97 =
they will
say stuff like =B4A cop wouldn=B4t say that=B4 or =B4This is how a =
lawyer would ask
that question,=B4=94 said Bishop Kelly student Drew Simon, who offered =
an expert
performance as an unflappable defense attorney. =93We practice a lot.=94 =
Busboom said she channeled teachings from drama class to get the proper
pathos as the wife of the man fatally mauled.=20
=93I worked really hard with my drama teacher. When I started doing it, =
I had
a hard time crying, and then I pretended it was my dad (who was killed).
Then it was like, oh (gasp) ...,=94 she said. =93I didn=B4t want to seem =
whiny.=94=20
Most of the kids said they have a blast in the contest but aren=B4t sure =
about
pursuing careers as lawyers.=20
=93This is fun, but being a lawyer means way too much paperwork,=94 =
Simon said.
=93You spend six months writing and writing just for a few days in =
court.=94=20
To offer story ideas or comments, contact Patrick Orr
porr@idahostatesman.com or 373-6619
Edition Date: 04-07-2004
http://www.idahostatesman.com/Common/PrintMe.asp?ID=3D64897
------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C41D6A.50A3AFA0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>The Idaho Statesman - Always Idaho</TITLE><BASE=20
href=3Dhttp://www.idahostatesman.com/Common/PrintMe.asp?ID=3D64897>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META http-equiv=3DEXPIRES content=3Dnow>
<META http-equiv=3DEXPIRES content=3D0>
<META http-equiv=3DEXPIRES content=3D"Tue, 10 Nov 1776 21:29:02 GMT">
<META http-equiv=3DPragma content=3Dno-cache>
<META content=3D"IdahoStatesman.com - Always Idaho" name=3Dname>
<META=20
content=3D"Idaho's biggest news and information site. Powered by the =
largest newspaper in the state, it's full of updated news from Boise, =
Nampa, Caldwell, the Treasure Valley and Idaho."=20
name=3Ddescription>
<META=20
content=3D"Boise, Boise Idaho, Nampa, Idaho News, Idaho weather, Idaho =
sports, Boise weather, Caldwell Idaho, Meridian Idaho, Eagle Idaho, =
Treasure Valley News, Boise News, breaking news, Idaho Statesman, =
www.idahostatesman.com, idahostatesman.com, what's hot, ski idaho, sun =
valley, idaho travel, idaho history, idaho outdoors, best of treasure =
valley, foothills, greenbelt, potatoes, always idaho, fire season, =
wildfires, message center, Olympics, Salt Lake City 2002, Dan Popkey, =
Tim Woodward, Pete Zimowsky, Mike Prater, Idaho's true #1 westsite, =
Destination Idaho, Legislature"=20
name=3Dkeywords>
<SCRIPT language=3Djavascript src=3D"J-Functions.js"></SCRIPT>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY text=3D#000000 bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT class=3Dheadline>Case closed: Future lawyers in=20
training</FONT><BR><FONT class=3Dsubhead>Moscow school wins mock trial =
competition=20
against Bishop Kelly </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><!-- COPY DIVIDE --><!-- BEGIN WONDER TABLE -->
<DIV align=3Dright><!--OPEN WONDER DIV-->
<TABLE align=3Dright>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D5 width=3D130 =
bgColor=3D#ffffcc=20
background=3Dimages/2x2.gif border=3D0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD><IMG height=3D1 width=3D130 2x2.gif? src?images></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dcenter align=3Dmiddle><IMG=20
src=3D"../Daily/20040407/212910-102643.jpg" =
width=3D130></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dright><SPAN =
class=3DCredit></SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3DCutline>Abby =
Busboom, a high=20
school student from Logos School in Moscow, cries as she =
portrays=20
the widow of a man who died after being attacked by a dog. =
Busboom=B4s=20
team competed in the 17th annual mock trial competition at =
the Idaho=20
Supreme Court in Boise on Tuesday. The team from Logos =
School won=20
the event, even as the Bishop Kelly team won the mock=20
trial.</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dcenter align=3Dmiddle><IMG=20
src=3D"../Daily/20040407/212910-102644.jpg" =
width=3D130></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dright><SPAN class=3DCredit>Photos by =
Chris Butler=20
/ The Idaho Statesman</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3DCutline>Drew =
Simon, a student=20
at Bishop Kelly High School, gives the closing argument as a =
judge=B4s=20
panel of Russ Heller, left, Idaho Supreme Court Chief =
Justice Linda=20
Copple-Trout and Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden =
listen=20
Tuesday morning during the 17th annual mock trial =
competition=20
finals.</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dcenter align=3Dmiddle><IMG=20
src=3D"../Daily/20040407/212910-102645.jpg" =
width=3D130></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dright><SPAN =
class=3DCredit></SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=3Dtop align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3DCutline>Playing =
the attorney=20
for the defense, Bishop Kelly High student Drew Simon =
listens to=20
testimony Tuesday at high school mock-trial competition at =
the Idaho=20
Supreme Court in Boise. Bishop Kelly competed against a team =
from=20
Logos School in Moscow. The Bishop Kelly team defended a =
woman=20
accused of allowing her dog to kill a=20
=
man.</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV><!--=
CLOSE WONDER DIV--><!-- END WONDER TABLE -->
<P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dbyline><A =
href=3D"mailto:porr@idahostatesman.com">Patrick=20
Orr</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN class=3Dsource>The Idaho Statesman<SPAN=20
class=3D632270520-08042004> (scooped DN again). </SPAN></SPAN></P><!-- =
BEGIN STORY CODE -->The University of Idaho law school=20
may want to set up permanent recruiting offices at Logos School in =
Moscow and=20
Bishop Kelly High School in Boise.=20
<P>Teams of mostly underclassmen from both those schools faced off in =
the finals=20
of the Idaho Law Foundation Mock Trial competition, with Logos winning =
the=20
judging by a scant two-point margin =97 the second win in the past four =
years for=20
the private K-12 school.=20
<P>The winners in 2002 and 2003? Bishop Kelly.=20
<P>So Tuesday=B4s final could have been the clash of the best of =
Idaho=B4s future=20
litigators. And if passers-by had dropped into the Idaho Supreme Court, =
they=20
would have thought they stumbled into a real capital murder trial =
instead of a=20
contest between high school kids.=20
<P>=93This is really cool ... it=B4s so exciting,=94 said Abby Busboom, =
a key=20
=93witness=94 for the prosecution (the Logos team) who did some serious =
emoting as=20
the spouse of a murder victim. Busboom was all smiles as fellow students =
and=20
parents congratulated her Tuesday. =93Our teachers really worked hard =
with us.=94=20
<P>=93Other schools=B4 gyms are filled with banners for football, but =
ours are=20
filled with banners from the mock trial competition,=94 said Bob =
Hieronymus, whose=20
son, Scott, is on the Logos team. =93These kids work really hard on =
this.=94=20
<P>The loss snapped Bishop Kelly=B4s team hope of a =93threepeat,=94 but =
the kids=20
seemed OK with the outcome. Most said they were a little disappointed, =
but felt=20
good about their performance =97 especially since they won the trial =
itself when=20
their =93client=94 was found not guilty of murder.=20
<P>Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Copple-Trout, one of the =
three judges=20
of the contest, noted that out of 120 total points based on performance, =
only 2=20
points separated the teams =97 the closest state-championship mock trial =
decision=20
ever.=20
<P>After the competition, students from both teams laughed and talked in =
small=20
groups, morphing from junior attorneys, court officials or witnesses =
back into=20
regular teenagers.=20
<P>But an hour before, the teams looked like the real things arguing a =
capital=20
murder case involving a dog mauling, with all the subtleties seen in a =
real=20
courtroom. Such as:=20
<P>=95 Asking a witness a question knowing the judge will rule it =
stricken, but=20
getting it before the jury at least once. The Logos team did that a few =
times.=20
<P>=95 Successfully rephrasing questions stricken by the judge to get =
the needed=20
answers from witnesses. Lawyers for both teams did this.=20
<P>=95 A defense attorney for the Bishop Kelly team placing his hand on =
the=20
shoulder of the =93accused=94 right before the verdict was read.=20
<P>=95 Displaying a firm grasp of Idaho=B4s rules of evidence. Both =
teams cited code=20
sections several times.=20
<P>=95 Direct and cross examination were crisp and cool. Lawyers =
objected at the=20
right times to leading questions or disputes over the law.=20
<P>The students=B4 legal points were so good, in fact, that Copple-Trout =
had to=20
consult with fellow judge Lawrence Wasden =97 Idaho=B4s attorney general =
=97 before=20
issuing a ruling.=20
<P>=93I don=B4t recall ever having to work so hard on the rules of =
evidence,=94 she=20
laughed after the competition.=20
<P>The witnesses also were believable and natural, playing among other =
things a=20
police officer, dog handler, dog owner and neighbor.=20
<P>So where did these kids get their legal and acting chops? =93Law and =
Order?=94=20
=93NYPD Blue?=94=20
<P>Try real-world experience from attorney-coaches who work with the =
teams all=20
year long.=20
<P>=93It=B4s not TV. Our coaches and teachers help us with everything =
=97 they will=20
say stuff like =B4A cop wouldn=B4t say that=B4 or =B4This is how a =
lawyer would ask that=20
question,=B4=94 said Bishop Kelly student Drew Simon, who offered an =
expert=20
performance as an unflappable defense attorney. =93We practice a lot.=94 =
<P>Busboom said she channeled teachings from drama class to get the =
proper=20
pathos as the wife of the man fatally mauled.=20
<P>=93I worked really hard with my drama teacher. When I started doing =
it, I had a=20
hard time crying, and then I pretended it was my dad (who was killed). =
Then it=20
was like, oh (gasp) ...,=94 she said. =93I didn=B4t want to seem =
whiny.=94=20
<P>Most of the kids said they have a blast in the contest but aren=B4t =
sure about=20
pursuing careers as lawyers.=20
<P>=93This is fun, but being a lawyer means way too much paperwork,=94 =
Simon said.=20
=93You spend six months writing and writing just for a few days in =
court.=94 <!-- END STORY CODE --><!-- BEGIN TAGLINE --><!--BEGIN THE =
BYLINE FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE STORY -->
<P>To offer story ideas or comments, contact Patrick Orr<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:porr@idahostatesman.com">porr@idahostatesman.com</A> or=20
373-6619</P><!-- END TAGLINE -->
<P>Edition Date: 04-07-2004</P></DIV><!-- /COPY DIVIDE =
--><!--////////////////////////////////////////////////////////--><!--///=
///////////// END EDITABLE CONTENT =
//////////////////--><!--////////////////////////////////////////////////=
////////--><!-- SiteCatalyst code version: G.1.
Copyright 1997-2003 Omniture, Inc. More info available at
http://www.omniture.com -->
<SCRIPT language=3DJavaScript><!--
/* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on
the next lines. */
var s_pageName=3D""
var s_server=3D"phoenix"
var s_channel=3D""
var s_pageType=3D""
var s_prop1=3D""
var s_prop2=3D""
var s_prop3=3D""
var s_prop4=3D""
var s_prop5=3D""
var s_prop6=3D"customer_service"
var s_prop7=3D"reader_services"
var s_prop8=3D""
var s_prop9=3D""
var s_prop10=3D""
/********* INSERT THE DOMAIN AND PATH TO YOUR CODE BELOW ************/
/********** DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING ELSE BELOW THIS LINE! *************/
var s_code=3D' '//--></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=3DJavaScript=20
src=3D"http://www.idahostatesman.com/scripts/s_code.js"></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=3DJavaScript><!--
var s_wd=3Dwindow,s_tm=3Dnew Date;if(s_code!=3D' '){s_code=3Ds_dc(
'gpaper113');if(s_code)document.write(s_code)}else
document.write('<im'+'g =
src=3D"http://gpaper113.112.2O7.net/b/ss/gpaper113/1/G.1--FB/s'+s_tm.getT=
ime()+'?[AQB]'
+'&pageName=3D'+escape(s_wd.s_pageName?s_wd.s_pageName:(s_wd.pageName?s_w=
d.pageName:''))
+'&server=3D'+escape(s_wd.s_server?s_wd.s_server:(s_wd.server?s_wd.server=
:''))
+'&ch=3D'+escape(s_wd.s_channel?s_wd.s_channel:(s_wd.channel?s_wd.channel=
:''))
+'&[AQE]" height=3D"1" width=3D"1" border=3D"0" />')
//--></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=3DJavaScript><!--
if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=3D0)document.write(unescape('%3C=
')+'\!-'+'-')
//--></SCRIPT>
<!--/DO NOT REMOVE/--> <A=20
href=3D"http://www.idahostatesman.com/Common/PrintMe.asp?ID=3D64897">http=
://www.idahostatesman.com/Common/PrintMe.asp?ID=3D64897</A><!-- End =
SiteCatalyst code version: G.1. --></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C41D6A.50A3AFA0--