Students experience law first-hand in mock trial

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Jaime Leyrer played a character Wednesday night that was nearly arrested and put in jail for possession of drugs.

But the Saginaw senior never felt the intense pressure of contemplating a future behind bars. As she faced a panel of jurors — comprised of her peers — Leyrer had the knowledge it was all in good humor.

The Saginaw senior participated in a two-day Mock Trial court case Wednesday and Thursday as part of an activity with Phi Alpha Delta, a co-ed pre-law fraternity. The same case was given to two separate groups of prosecuting and defense attorneys, a judge, jury and a defendant.

“I was happy with the results,” Leyrer said. “I think it was fair.”

Leyrer played Linda Larson, a 17-year-old Central High School student charged with possession of Quaaludes, an insomnia drug found in her 2004 Camaro. After evidence from three witnesses and much deliberation on both sides, the 13-person jury on both nights found her not guilty.

Vassar sophomore Kirstin Miller led the courtroom participation and said both nights went well.

“A lot of times, our focus is getting into school and we’re not seeing the action,” she said. “This does a good job of introducing the basics.”

The Phi Alpha Delta team members have been preparing for the mock trial since February, meeting once a week to practice, Miller said.

“Most of them have never done anything like this and they had to learn how to try a case,” she said.

‘Life-like’

Ishpeming senior Ryan Buck played a jury member. He said he voted not guilty because the evidence was not reasonable.

“The testimony and witnesses were circumstantial, and we did have reasonable doubt,” he said, “so we had to come back with a verdict of ‘not guilty.’”

Detroit senior Tabitha Smith played an undercover officer who found the drugs in the Camaro. Smith’s experience as a witness was life-like and nerve-racking.

“It felt like I was really in it,” Smith said. “This was a fun experience, I was nervous because it was the first time I ever learned how criminal cases are conducted in real life.”

The judge for the case was real-life defense attorney Bill Shirley, who said the team’s work paid off.

“I thought for students who were never trained in Law they did fine — they looked like they put their time into it,” he said.