Over 300 Ohio middle school students will bring a popular middle grade book to life at the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s annual Middle School Mock Trial Showcase at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center.
Teams from Otsego Middle School and Perrysburg Junior High School participated.
OCLRE middle school mock trials are crafted from literature commonly taught in middle school classrooms. This year’s case is based on Louis Sachar’s classic, “Holes.” The case is set in the fictional town of Green Lake, Texas in 1998, and focuses on the conditions at juvenile detention camp for boys called Camp Green Lake.
The boys at Camp Green Lake are under the care of Warden Walker, who runs the camp on land that was passed down from her great-grandfather. The camp sits in the middle of the Texas desert with high heat and dangerous insects and animals. As their punishment, and to build character, the campers are required to dig one hole each day. When a lawyer arrives at Camp Green Lake, she finds her client and another camper in a dangerous situation. This leads to Walker’s arrest for child endangerment and felonious assault.
At the showcase, students put Walker on trial for her alleged crimes.
Mock trials were held April 27-28 and again May 12.
With the help of teachers and attorneys, students learn about the legal system and develop reading, research, writing and public speaking skills. Students must consider both sides of the case, as they will argue both prosecution and defense before a panel of volunteers who evaluate their performance.
OCLRE is sponsored by the Supreme Court of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio State Bar Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation. Middle School Mock Trial is funded in part by the Ohio State Bar Foundation.
For more information, visit www.oclre.org.
