Ohio High School Mock Trial

About High School Mock Trial

Watch your students grow both academically and personally, right before your eyes! Students learn first-hand about the law, court procedures and the judicial system while also building critical 21st Century skills. 

Ohio Mock Trial of­fers an in­no­v­a­tive ap­proach to learn­ing the law and how our legal sys­tem func­tions. Guided by teach­ers and vol­un­teer legal ad­vi­sors, stu­dents par­tic­i­pate in an orig­i­nal, un­scripted sim­u­lated trial writ­ten by at­tor­neys.  High school stu­dents argue both sides of the case in real court­rooms across the state.  The state fi­nals are held in the Ohio State­house and the win­ner ad­vances to the na­tional com­pe­ti­tion.

Each year vol­un­teer at­tor­neys cre­ate an orig­i­nal case around a cur­rent con­sti­tu­tional issue im­por­tant to stu­dents. The case file is released each year at our Mock Trial Conference. More information about the conference can be found on our professional development page.  Mock Trial teams work with an at­tor­ney or a judge to pre­pare their case – from both the plain­tiff and de­fense per­spec­tive. Com­pe­ti­tions at the dis­trict, re­gional and state lev­els are con­ducted in an ac­tual court­room and are scored by pan­els of lawyers and judges.

Mock Trial Objectives

• Improve critical thinking, reading, writing, public speaking and listening skills
• De­velop un­der­stand­ing and ap­pre­ci­a­tion for the law, court pro­ce­dures, and the ju­di­cial sys­tem
• Un­der­stand con­sti­tu­tional rights and re­spon­si­bil­i­ties
• Rec­og­nize and re­ward stu­dents’ aca­d­e­mic and in­tel­lec­tual achieve­ments

Costs

Sample Invoice

For questions, contact Jenna Lewis at jlewis@oclre.org or 614-485-3515.

Case File

The 2024-25 Mock Trial Case File can be ordered below. Please note that orders may only be submitted by designated school personnel or a legal advisor(s). Student orders are NOT permitted and will not be fulfilled.

2024-25 Case File

The case file was released at the Mock Trial Conference on September 24, 2024. Attendees who ordered a case file will receive their copy digitally after the conference has concluded. The conference registration and case order forms are separate forms.

Those who did not attend the conference will receive the case on October 9, 2024.

2025 Ohio Mock Trial Case Capsule

OCLRE is excited to release the 2025 Ohio Mock Trial Case, Denver Saidi v. Wyatt Latu! Denver Saidi, a candidate for the local city council and principal of Trillium High School, was giving a speech at the school’s Snow Ball Dance when Saidi accidentally mispronounced a name. Instead of just laughing it off, Trillium student Wyatt Latu used a generative AI app to create a deepfake video of Saidi making jokes about fleeing from the cops after a night of drinking. Pretty soon, everyone in town had seen the video, and many believed it was real. Saidi’s once spotless reputation was now tarnished, so they filed a lawsuit for defamation and had to hurry to make sure the video didn’t do any more damage to their campaign.

Case Materials Cost

Hard copy student manuals may only be purchased in addition to the digital case file. All schools participating in the Mock Trial Competition must purchase a digital case file.

Previous Cases 

Looking for a prior year's case file? To view a complete list of case summaries from 1983-2023, click HERE. To order a prior year's case, please complete the order form HERE.

2023-24 State v Espinosa: Ash Espinosa and Harley Diallo are cousins and were co-owners of a junkyard called Diallo’s Scrap & Sale. In November of 2020, the two became involved in a conspiracy to embezzle and launder money. Over the course of the next year, $80,000 was embezzled from Trillium High School and laundered through the junkyard, in addition to another $320,000 from other illicit sources. Eventually, the cousins were caught and arrested for their financial crimes, with both Espinosa and Diallo pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court must now decide on a loss amount reasonably attributed to each defendant, and as a result, whether the seizure of additional assets would constitute an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. The State of Buckeye has already seized assets from Ash Espinosa and Harley Diallo, but there is a remaining loss of $18,500 that must be recovered. 2023-24 Case Capsule Video

2022-23 In Re S. Khan: Stevie Khan was a student at Trillium High School. When a prank ruined the school’s annual alumni breakfast during their junior year, Stevie became a suspect. During the investigation into the prank, Stevie was brought into the Dean of Students’ office where Stevie was asked about their involvement in the prank. At some point during the questioning, the school resource officer (SRO) Ari Nowak became involved. Stevie’s statements during the questioning led to a search warrant and Stevie’s ultimate arrest. Now, Stevie Khan is moving the court to suppress the incriminating statements that led to the search warrant, claiming a violation of their constitutional rights. Stevie claims that their questioning was a custodial interrogation, and they should have been read their Mirandarights. 2022-23 Case Capsule Video

2021-22 State of Buckeye ex rel. Hollis Fitzpatrick v. Fran DeBier, et al.: Hollis Fitzpatrick was the owner of a family restaurant, Fitzpatrick’s, in downtown Harmony. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the state of Buckeye in 2020, Fitzpatrick’s struggled financially and ultimately shut down. Hollis blames the government restrictions for the closure of their restaurant and is taking legal action to be compensated for their loss. This case asks students to consider whether the pandemic restrictions were so severe that they constituted a taking of Hollis Fitzpatrick’s property that requires just compensation. 2021-22 Case Capsule Video

2020-21 State of Buckeye v. Micah Opessa: In 2019, Micah Opessa pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of their former best-friend, Haumea Robins. A year into their sentence, Micah found out the eyewitness who saw Micah fleeing the crime recanted their testimony. Now, Micah has filed a motion to withdraw their guilty plea, claiming the prosecutor violated their constitutional rights when they knowingly withheld this information when they offered Micah a plea deal. The Supreme Court ruling in Brady v. Maryland requires the prosecution to overturn exculpatory evidence during trial. In this Mock Trial case, students will argue whether this precedent also applies to plea negotiations.  2020-21 Case Capsule Video

2019-20 Rory Maldonado v. Blake Varga et al: During their senior year at Trillium High School, Rory Maldonado was suspended by Principal Blake Varga for organizing and hosting a gun rights demonstration. The demonstration occurred off campus at a nearby public park but Principal Varga claimed that Rory’s demonstration caused disruption at the school. Rory believed Principal Varga simply disagreed with Rory’s position on gun rights, which led to the suspension. Now, Rory is suing Principal BlakeVarga and the school for a deprivation of their First Amendment Rights.  2019-20 Case Capsule Video

For more information on how to become involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial pro­gram, please con­tact Jenna Lewis at jlewis@oclre.org or call 614-485-3515.

High School Mock Trial Statewide Competition

2025 Mock Trial Competition

Save the dates for the 2025 High School Mock Trial Competition!

• District Competition - January 17, 2025
• Regional Competition - February 7, 2025
• State Competition - March 6-8, 2025

Team Registration Cost

*Decisions about the number of teams permitted are made in consultation with our site hosts to ensure that we can accommodate as many teams as possible. We will announce capacity limits to all teachers at the 2024 Mock Trial Conference on September 24 and on this website afterward.

FAQ

How do I get started?

If you or your school are new to Ohio High School Mock Trial, welcome!

First, you need enough students to start a team. High School Mock Trial teams must have a minimum of 5 students and may have a maximum of 12 students.

Next, you need the case file. At the beginning of competition season, the case order form is available on the “Case File” tab of our website. The case is released annually at the Mock Trial Conference. Conference attendees are the first to receive their copy of the case and attend mock trial introductory and skill-based sessions.

Below is a quick guide explaining how to get started with Ohio Mock Trial

"Road Map to Mock Trial"

Can I still get the case if I cannot attend the Mock Trial Conference? 

Yes! Anyone can order the case materials by completing the form on the “Case File” tab of our website. The case will be made available digitally as a PDF with the option to order hard copy manuals for a separate fee. Conference attendees will receive the case one week earlier than non-attendees.

I have my case materials. Am I ready to compete? 

Not quite yet! To participate in the competition, you must register your team(s). The registration form is available on the “Statewide Competition” tab of our website in mid-fall. Team registration is separate from the case materials and is an additional fee.

What are the costs associated with participating in High School Mock Trial?

I don’t have a legal advisor. Do I need one? 

OCLRE does not require that mock trial teams have a legal advisor. However, most teachers appreciate assistance from volunteer attorneys to help students understand case law, courtroom procedure, and etiquette.

Teachers often have the most success in reaching out to attorneys in their community. You may ask students if they have family/friends who are attorneys, or you can reach out to other community members. Local bar associations are another resource for locating attorneys who may be willing to volunteer. You can see a list of local bar associations here: https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources/lawyer-referral-services/  

When and where do my students compete?  

All teams registered for the competition will compete in the District Competition in January. Teams that advance out of the District Competition will go on to compete in the Regional Competition in February. Teams that advance out of the Regional Competition will move on to the State Competition in March. For the District and Regional competitions, teams will be assigned to compete in the closest competition site with space available. Teams will be notified of their site placement two weeks before the respective competition. The State Competition will take place in downtown Columbus, OH.

For a list of exact competition dates and eventual site assignments, please visit the “Statewide Competition” tab of the website.

My school doesn’t have a mock trial team, but I want to get involved. What can I do? 

Are you a high school student? To start a program at your school, you will need a teacher or staff member to serve as the Mock Trial advisor. You will also need a minimum of five students (including yourself) who are willing to be on the Mock Trial team. If you are able to find a teacher or staff member willing to be the team advisor, refer them to this list or to OCLRE directly.  

If you cannot find a team advisor or enough interested students at your school, you may be able to join a nearby Mock Trial team. Please reach out to Jenna Lewis (jlewis@oclre.org) for more information.