According to club sponsor Holly Hochstedler, Mock Trial Club is scheduled to have a call-out meeting in late October or early November. Practice will start for the competition after roles have been decided.

“The first meeting will just be a call out to gauge interest for the club. Competition will start after roles are picked in the winter,” Hochstedler said.

Club member Mark Tague said the club practices were rigorous but helpful.

Tague said, “We met every Wednesday after the try outs to practice for the competition, but the actual mock trial takes place in the spring. Practices consist of memorizing law code and running through the scripts and details of the trial.”

Mock Trial itself is a competition that schools in Hamilton County participate in. Students must act as plantiffs and the defense, holding a mock trial while following Indiana’s legal code. The team is split into plantiffs and defense, with two lawyers and three witnesses on each team. The competition itself is held at the Hamilton County Judicial center.

“Last year our team was the team that won first place for our county,” Tague said. “Hopefully this year we can do the same.”