Tippecanoe Valley High School students recently participated in the Indiana Bar Foundation’s regional mock trial competition at John Adams High School in South Bend. Shown are two of those students, Kaylynn Miller, left, and Alexandra Ellenwood, who received certificates for being an Oustanding Attorney and Outstanding Witness respectively during the competition. Photo provided.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

AKRON — Tippecanoe Valley High School students recently got an up-close experience with the judicial process.

Twelve kids participated in the Indiana Bar Foundation’s regional mock trial competition on Feb. 18 at John Adams High School in South Bend. They portrayed witnesses, the defense and prosecution in the fictional IBF-generated case, the State of Indiana v. Sam Barrett.

It’s the first time TVHS has fielded a mock trial team.

TVHS social studies teacher Jonathan Tinkey, who led the team along with TVHS English teacher McKinley Adams, said he learned about the mock trial process last year.

“(Adams and I) went to training in Fort Wayne and then they talked about the competition side, and we both thought it would be a great thing to bring to Valley,” said Tinkey.

All grade levels could participate, but the students who opted in ranged from sophomores to seniors. Students cited various reasons for joining the team.

Sophomore Ayden Yaprak said he joined because of several friends doing so, and junior Anahi Ramirez said the team sounded interesting.

“I joined half because friends did it and half was an interest in pre-law studies,” said junior Benton Nellans with junior Kaylynn Miller concurring.

Kids started meeting multiple times per week in November to prepare for the competition. Practices included the team separating into the prosecution and defense to build their case.

Tinkey’s father, Bryon Tinkey, who’s worked as both a judge and prosecutor, served as an advisor to the team. Also someone anonymously donated their law library for the kids to use.

The case of the State of Indiana v. Sam Barrett deals with Barrett facing murder and reckless homicide charges after shooting a fellow cast member during the final dress rehearsal of the play “Frontier” in Richmond.

The competition bore a setup similar to a courtroom, with the defense and prosecution speaking at a podium. There was also a bench for the judge and a witness stand.

It consisted of three rounds, with teams alternating as the prosecution and defense. Along with the overall team points, kids got points individually.

“Whoever the opening attorney is they get points for their opening statements depending on how well they argued their case and then again for closing for the attorney, then witnesses (get points) for how well they knew their witness statements in the case and the attorneys, it was pretty much how well did their questions go and if they were objected to, were they able to defend their questions or if they objected, could they defend their objection and know court procedure,” said Tinkey.

Judges for the competition were actual attorneys and a University of Notre Dame law professor.

Students shared what they learned from the competition.

“I learned how to defend myself with more confidence,” said Ramirez.

“I think storytelling actually having a place in the real world is something that came out of it because we had to build our story for our witnesses and our side,” said Nellans.

Miller said thinking on her feet was a skill she learned.

“Because when you’re up there, the other side can do something that you never expected and you’ve just got to roll with it,” she said.

Valley’s team didn’t end up qualifying for further competitions, with those being state and nationals. Tinkey said TVHS would definitely compete at regionals again next year with Ramirez, Miller, Yaprak and Nellans adding they would be on the team again.

The kids also shared how they believe the competition benefitted them regardless of if they will enter law in the future.

Nellans said it helped him with public speaking.

“You’re talking to people who are experts in the field that you’re just dabbling in like that,” he said. “So to overcome the nerves and to try and get your argument out there in front of people who will know what you’re doing wrong and know what you’re doing right is a nice challenge.”

“You definitely get a little sneak peek at what law is,” added Yaprak.

“I think that more schools in this area should consider doing it,” said Nellans.

Adams said he hoped the students improved in “public speaking, confidence and critical thinking.”

“It was really neat to watch as we progressed over the last couple of months seeing them go from kind of timid talking in front of even just (a few) of their peers to being extremely confident knowing their case and their story inside and out and being able to defend themselves,” he said. “Kaylynn and Benton … both received multiple objections and multiple challenges and they were fantastic at defending themselves on the spot.”

Tinkey noted that Ramirez stayed calm as a witness even when the other school was hounding her.

“I know in the beginning a lot of our witnesses would have lost composure, but now it’s like they can compete with the big, mean attorney,” he said.

Tinkey noted the kids who went through the competition have a leg up on knowing legal process, which they will study in government class as seniors.