Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

When I first entered the courtroom, I was captivated by the atmosphere. Although this was my first experience of attending the Mock Trial at Brooklyn Federal Court, the entire process was so reminiscent of the true trial in which a serious and professional judge dressed in a robe, an objective jury, and two counsels. As this significant procedure was held in the morning, everyone was quite cheerful and ready to fight for the truth.

It seemed as if their Counsels’ confrontation could lead to a real explosion in the court. The tone of the trial was official and serious because it can be deduced from the official clothing and expressions on the participants’ faces. But it was especially interesting for me is whether the law can fairly justify the accused guilty or innocent.

At the first stages of the procedure, the Counsels succinctly and accurately presented the scope of the case. The defendant was accused of murder, but the motives of the crime were unknown. First, the Council of Defense, Mr. Thornfield, revealed the misconceptions and controversies concerning this case. In particular, he said that both his client Mr. Derek Thomson and Miss Gallaher, had had equal opportunities for committing the crime.

The problem was that the detective, nevertheless, allowed her to leave the country. The Counsel of the Defense looked quite persuasive and professional; his speech was consistent; his gestures and mimics were sufficiently reserved. Mr. Thornfield was, indeed, the embodiment of style and professionalism, although this character was played by an average student. I cannot tell the same about Mr. Foster, the Prosecutor who behaved a bit unceremoniously while conducting cross-examination.

While watching the procedure, I was enjoying the cross-examination conducted by Mr. Thornfield. His questions were quite consistent and narrow and did not impose any ambiguity. However, I was a bit astonished by the scene when Mr. Thornfield was trying to stand his point of view by disapproving of the Prosecutor objections. This was a true justification of a real lawyer. Once he heard the word “Objections!” he skillfully replied:

Your honor, we do not offer this particular question the truth of the matter. Rather, we are trying to point out the reason for the conflict between two prosecution witnesses’ stories, which illustrate the dishonesty of one of the testimonies. Perhaps, this can be a viable motive for murder.

I believe that this particular explanation and his other assumptions were purely objective and logical, as he was relying on facts only. In comparison with the Counsel of Defense, Mr. Foster was unable to present viable evidence and arguments for organizing the backfield.

I have always wanted to see the process of cross-examination and the way both Counsels presented their material evidence and documents either to support a hypothesis or to repudiate it. This time, all the presented testimonies sounded quite true and realistic. All actors looked natural, and there was not a single sign that this was just a competition between the students. I was especially captured by the witness’s testimony provided by Miss Courtney, who managed to act like a person who had been concealing an important truth that would have helped to detect the crime much easier. To my surprise, brilliant Mr. Thornfield made the impossible and managed to unmask the witness.

For some moment, I even forgot that this trial was not real because all remarks and dialogues, judge’s speech, prosecutor witnesses were performed quite realistic. So, even students’ slightest gestures and intonation were highly professional and artistic.

I could not but pay attention to Prosecutor’s intensive speech before the Jury. Mr. Foster desperately tried to bring clarification to the evidence presented by the Counsel of Defense to show that they are not valid. Certainly, his logical inferences and conclusions made some sense, but, in my mind, the Prosecutor backed the wrong position, which was primarily based on some lyrical digression.

However, I used to watch movies where other impudent prosecutors were doing the same to prove the guilt. Who knows, maybe this is the only way to lock up the defendant. Like in most stories, the culmination appears at the end of the story when the Counsels pronounced their final speech in front of the Jury and were waiting for the doom moments. The Jury has put forward the reached verdict – not guilty. Cries of joys, exclamations from the audience – that we’re the only scenes I remember.

In conclusion, the Mock Trial did not look like a Mock Trial, but a veritable court procedure with a real case, a serious jury, and a judge. So, I was satisfied with the participants’ attitude to the competition as well as with the procedure results. All the outcome of the trial was predictable and banal; this competition was one more attempt to prove that good and law should prevail over the criminal world. Besides, this was a great experience for me to watch a real confrontation of prejudices, evidence, and arguments.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, December 29). Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mock-trial-experience-at-brooklyn-federal-court/

Work Cited

"Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court." IvyPanda, 29 Dec. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/mock-trial-experience-at-brooklyn-federal-court/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court'. 29 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court." December 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mock-trial-experience-at-brooklyn-federal-court/.

1. IvyPanda. "Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court." December 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mock-trial-experience-at-brooklyn-federal-court/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Mock Trial Experience at Brooklyn Federal Court." December 29, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mock-trial-experience-at-brooklyn-federal-court/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1