Second Mock Trial Held
That’s a wrap! Nick Peterson’s senior forensics class’s 2024 mock trials concluded Tuesday, Nov. 26 with a courtroom showdown. The morning courtroom was filled with objections and incredible arguments between witnesses and lawyers. After two months of prep work, the following murder case was sent to trial.
What starts as a routine high school campout turns into a night of tragedy. When a group of teens decides to explore, tragedy strikes as Tam Casper falls from a cliff, plunging hundreds of feet to the rocky riverbank below. At the heart of the night’s horrors is Tam’s close friend, Maple Mattox. What initially seems like a tragic accident quickly spirals into something more sinister, as evidence and eyewitness accounts hint at a darker story.
For the state of North Dakota, attorneys Abigail Hudelson and Caleb Mortensen called upon witnesses Jaymlin Gustafson and Kaelee Rice. For the defense, attorneys Ella Mortensen and Aubrey Jordan called upon witnesses Harley DeTienne and Jonathan Chavez. After a battle of witnesses’ testimonies, the jury acquitted the defendant of murder but rendered a guilty verdict for criminal trespass.
Special thanks to the judge, Wade Enget, for his time and expertise over the past years, and Madison Rodgers of the court of district clerk. Jury members consisted of George Littlecreek, Briana Dazell, Dale Kilen, Brittany Hunting, Callie DeTienne, Kaisa Mortensen, Sereiba Gauthier, Madilyn Hunting, Carly Rismon, Italia Rodriguez, Ozael Loera, Nevaeh Charnetzki, and the bailiff, Laney Jackson. We are already looking forward to mock trials 2025!