The word “mock” in the dictionary means, “not authentic, or real.” However, to the RHS students that participate in Mock Trial, it couldn’t be more serious.

Mock Trial is a club where brave and hard working students become attorneys and witnesses, tasked with persuading a real Butler County judge to rule in their favor. Each school has a defense team and a prosecution team. The students are given a fictional case months before their first competition. Each student is assigned a role, whether it be a witness, attorney, or a timekeeper.  

“My favorite part of being an attorney was that you always knew when you beat someone or got them in a corner. It was a great feeling,” said senior attorney Jake Kahmann.

Kahmann, in his second year of Mock Trial, was one of the leaders on the team. He led the rams to a lot of success during his time, racking up multiple “best attorney” awards at various competitions.  

“One of my favorite moments was the Miami MockHawk competition. We placed in the top six of 20 state contending teams,” stated Kahmann.

As an attorney, Kahmann has one of the most influential and important roles on the team, but without a good witness, it is very hard to make a case.

“I really enjoy being a witness because you can develop a character and a personality for the role,” said junior Brett Eads.

Eads, who has a real interest in pursuing law as a career, joined Mock Trial to test the waters of practicing law.

“I’ve considered law as a career, and given that law school is very expensive, I thought I’d join Mock Trial to see if I would like it enough to make it into a career,” said Eads.

After qualifying for the regional competition last year, the Rams were looking forward to continued success in the courtroom. Unfortunately, the team came three points short from advancing this year.

“I’m proud of their teamwork. We had kids helping each other, and they took a lot of responsibility on themselves,” said Mock Trial Adviser Sharon Berlage.

Many of the Mock Trial members are already looking forward to next season.

“I’m really looking forward to improving. This year, I learned the ropes and we did well as a team, but almost everyone on the team is coming back next year and I think we can do really well,” said Eads.

Even though this season has come to an end, If you are interested in joining Mock Trial next school year, go see Mrs. Berlage in room 255 or Mrs. Farris in room 257. It is a fun, hardworking, and competitive atmosphere. So go get involved.