Mock Trial prepares for February county competition
Mock Trial team poses during their competition.
January 30, 2014
By Ellie Fisher
Staff Reporter
Tracy High School’s Mock Trial team is preparing for its county competition, on Feb. 18, 20, and 22. If the team takes first place in county, it will advance to the state competition.
The team is coached by social science teacher Justin Nunn. Nunn has confidence that his team will have a chance at county. Ron Indran, who is an attorney and has 15 years of experience, has been working with the team.
“We got sixth place last year at state,” Nunn said. “Our team has a good shot because everyone is dedicated.”
The team has been preparing for this next competition since September when it got the case from the Mock Trial officials. The team has been preparing by holding scrimmages almost every weekend against other high schools.
Senior Katie Low has been on the Mock Trial team since freshman year.
“Our team participates in scrimmages almost every weekend,” Low said. “It takes a lot of dedication to be on this team.”
The team’s case for county is People vs. Concha. This case centers around two charges. The first is first degree murder and the second is possession of drugs with the intend to sell.
Junior Ajay Cheema is excited to see how his team will do in county.
“We have a lot of new people on our team,” Cheema said. “We have been practicing a lot, so we’re pretty excited to see where we are.”
Cheema and Low are both attorneys on the team. They are responsible for going up against the defense team, and trying to convict the defendant.
“We do play a huge role in trials,” Cheema said. “We give the big speeches, but I think no teammate is important than the other.”
The participants on Tracy High’s Mock Trial team learn a lot from this experience.
“I have learned how to think on my feet,” Low said. “I am always ready for any question that comes to me, and I am more experienced with public speaking, which really helps for school.”
Nunn also learns from coaching his students on the team. Nunn wants all of the participants to take this experience and use all of the techniques they have learned from Mock Trial in the real world.
“Coaching gives me the experience to get out and to get to know these kids,” Nunn said. “I get to share with them the things I know and help them be better people.”
Cheema enjoys Nunn as a coach of the Mock Trial team and believes he is a perfect fit as a coach.
“I really like Mr. Nunn as a coach,” Cheema said. “He is a funny guy, but he takes Mock Trial really seriously, which is a good combination as a coach.”
At county, there are 10 schools that Tracy High School will be facing. There is some competition that the team has to pay close attention to.
“Venture Academy is the school that we have to look out for,” Nunn said. “They were pretty upset that they lost to us last year, so they are going to be more determined to win this year.”
The county competition will be held in Stockton on Feb. 18, 20, and 22. The team hopes to take first place and qualify for state in San Jose on March 21-24.
