Mock Trial Team Heads To State

Written by Megan Middleton, CISD Communications & Marketing
Jan. 27, 2016

The Bill R. Johnson Career and Technology Education Center’s mock trial team will compete in the YMCA Texas Youth and Government State Conference Jan. 28-31 — marking the first time for Crowley ISD to be represented at the competition in Austin.

To earn the chance to compete at the capitol, the team participated in November at a regional competition, where students received “rave reviews” from judges, said Markeith West, the Crowley ISD CTE teacher who started Crowley’s mock trial team two years ago.

Toiya Smith, a North Crowley junior who serves as the team’s “president attorney,” is in her second year on the team. The team did not qualify for state last year, which made this year’s success even sweeter.

“It makes me really proud to see we’ve improved over last year,” she said. “It’s nice to know your time and effort pays off.”

Participating in mock trial means hours of preparation and studying, including on the weekend. Students in mock trial serve in various courtroom roles and must know the proper criminal court procedures, including prepping for the pre-trial phase, conducting opening and closing statements and making sure they have the necessary evidence to present a case.

Two professional attorneys, Elan Longstreet and Matthew Jackson, have partnered with the Crowley ISD team to volunteer their time and expertise to help prepare students for competitions. Ms. Longstreet often drives more than an hour from Rockwall to help the Crowley team.

Having these two professionals volunteer their time means a lot to the students, Smith said.

“That’s probably the best part of mock trial,” she said. “It touches my heart. They don’t have to do this. It gives you even more motivation because they are so dedicated to us.”

YMCA Youth and Government is a statewide civic education and leadership program in which schools, civic organizations and YMCA organizations offer hands-on learning experiences, according to the YMCA website.

Smith said taking part in mock trial is not only giving her a glimpse at a career in law, but it is also teaching her the value of working hard.

“You realize how much work it takes to be good at something,” she said. “It helps me in other areas of school as well.”

Crowley ISD team members include:

President Attorney Toiya Smith

Vice President Attorney Kennedy Thomas

Attorney Angelica Melendez

Attorney Christina Gonzales

Attorney Jada Ihebibike

Attorney Aisha Dharmadi

Witness Evan Miller

Witness Destiny Wright

Bailiff Tyreke Goodman