The Student Online Publication of The King's Academy

The Lion Ledger

The Student Online Publication of The King's Academy

The Lion Ledger

The Student Online Publication of The King's Academy

The Lion Ledger

Order in the Court

The+Mock+Trial+Team+%28Defense%29+Prepares+for+Trial+In+Atlanta+Georgia.+
Photo Credit: Brady Aiello
The Mock Trial Team (Defense) Prepares for Trial In Atlanta Georgia.

A while back,  The King’s Academy Mock Trial Team faced off and scrimmaged against the Fort Lauderdale Mock Trial team in preparation for the Atlanta Empire Mock Trial Competition. This year, The King’s Academy Mock Trial team consists of: Tyler Chin-Lenn (12th grade, Lead Attorney), Julia Lubitz (11th grade, Lead Attorney), Makayla Parris (12th grade), Gavan Keen (11th grade), Mathew Simon (12th grade), Amy Heaton (11th grade), Sophia Willingham (9th grade), Callahan Burton (11th grade), Pace Edwards (11th grade), Brady Aiello (10th grade), Christopher Kemmer (10th grade), Madison Evasius (12th grade, Lead Witness) and Ariana Medina (12th grade). The scrimmage served as a culmination of all the effort the team has placed into preparation for the September 19-23, Atlanta Empire Mock Trial Competition. The team started to prepare for this feat over the summer, and since July, the team has poured over 278 pages of case material, pre-trial stipulations, witness affidavits, and pre-trial motions in order to scribe their own direct examinations, cross-examinations, opening statements, closing arguments, and Daubert hearing oral arguments. All of the preparation was put to the test, as the team traveled to Atlanta on September 19th.

The Atlanta Empire Mock Trial Competition is an elite international Mock Trial Competition that fields teams from the United States, Netherlands, Australia, and Korea. The Atlanta Empire Mock Trial Competition features challenging trials, memorable ceremonies, and gives the students the opportunity to participate in a public service project in the Atlanta area. Part of the Atlanta Empire Mock Trial’s goal is to have diversity through legal education, and bringing people in from other countries helps achieve this goal. Makayla Parris, an attorney on the TKA mock trial team, stated, “The best part about the Atlanta Empire Mock Trial Competition, besides the legal challenges and the opportunity to do what I love, is the ability to interact with diverse cultures, ideologies, and philosophies from around the world.”