The GJHS mock trial team is travelling to Glenwood Springs on February 23-24 for their regional competition against eight teams from all over the Western Slope.

“I am confident in the club. Both teams are evenly matched, but there is a lot of new experience,” said Zeron Lawson, captain of the black team. Mark Carris, the mock trial club advisor, shares similar concerns.

“I feel good but it doesn’t mean we will qualify,” he said. “We have a lot of newcomers, so there is a lack of experience.”

In mock trial, all the teams across the valley are given the same case to prepare both a prosecution and a defendant case. At regionals, all the teams are assigned a random opponent to present one side of the case to. Three members of the legal field score the trial and decide who wins the round. After the first round, the teams play each other in ranking order until only one team is left. The remaining team, advances to the next level of competition.

All members of the mock trial team agreed that the Glenwood team is the team to beat. At least one of their teams has been to state almost every year, and they have even competed at the national level.

“Both teams will be competing and neither one will be last,” Carris said. If they do make it past regionals, they will be given a new case and travel to Golden, CO for their state competition.

Lawson’s final advice to all members on the mock trial team is: “Learn to love it, find the passion within it, and most of all, have fun.