TCA criminal justice students collect courtroom knowledge during mock trial

May 11, 2026

The Career Academy students gave favorable verdicts to a fun class project that taught them about the American court system.
 
Courts and the Judicial System class members participated in a mock trial featuring witnesses under oath, detailed cross-examination questions and meticulous jury deliberations. TCA students handled all prosecutorial and defense roles during the springtime trial, which focused on whether a hypothetical defendant should be convicted of fictional drug possession and distribution charges. A jury of her peers then decided the question of innocence or guilt at the trial’s conclusion.
 
TCA juniors Lauren and Mattie were in the spotlight throughout the morning. Lauren served as lead prosecutor and Mattie opposed her as the top defense attorney. They said activities like the mock trial were helping them prepare for their future legal careers.
 
“Most people in this class want to go into law, and it’s really good practice for it,” Mattie said.
 
“It’s really good,” Lauren said. “It gets us out of our shell and it helps us to grow.”

 
TCA instructor Ronicka Schottel said the mock trial’s realistic format gave students like Mattie and Lauren a long list of learning opportunities. Class members pored over numerous legal documents contained in the fictional affidavit, and they relied on Nebraska case law to reinforce their arguments. They also used class and public sources to become familiar with job descriptions of paralegals, prosecutors and jury members.
 
“This is one of the times where they figure out how to use these resources effectively,” Schottel said.
 
Courts and the Judicial System class teaches students about many aspects of the American legal structure. They explore how local, state and national courtrooms operate. The students also studied the legal parameters for attorneys to follow and how judges oversee both civil and criminal complaints. The class, which is part of TCA’s criminal justice pathway, covers both juvenile and adult court cases. Students examine the similarities and differences between the two age groups.

 
The question before the mock TCA jury was whether a high school student was guilty of distributing drugs that she had stored in her school locker. The defendant was taking several medications because she had been diagnosed with acute leukemia five years ago. The list of drugs included fentanyl and clonazepam.
 
Prosecutors charged the high schooler with several offenses after a classmate took four pills from the defendant’s locker and ingested them. The classmate was later involved in a car accident that caused spinal and shoulder injuries.
 
Lauren began the mock trial by calling medical professionals, police officers and several of the defendant’s classmates to the stand. She quizzed them about the events surrounding the accident. She also asked if they felt the defendant bore responsibility for causing the serious injuries.
 
Mattie vigorously cross-examined each witness with a series of questions. She asked them if they had ever spoken to the defendant about her medical history or if they were getting their information through secondhand accounts. She also said the air bags had not deployed in the accident victim’s vehicle, which may have played a factor in her injuries.
 
Mattie and Lauren reversed the order during the remainder of the mock trial. Mattie called two defense witnesses to the stand and asked them what had happened at school. Lauren had her chance to cross-examine them and attempted to point out possible inconsistencies in their testimonies.
 
The jury members then went to an adjoining room to deliberate. They reviewed each charge and felt the defendant was guilty on all but one count. They returned to the courtroom and announced their verdict while both sides listened with nervous anticipation.
 
Lauren and Mattie spent several weeks preparing for the big day by researching case law and outlining their arguments. Both said they were impressed with how their friend and counterpart had performed as an attorney.
 
“I respected a lot of things she did and how prepared she was,” Lauren said.

 
Schottel said she was pleased with how the class performed in the mock trial. She felt it gave them more insight into the wide range of careers available in the legal realm.
 
“For me, it’s more about teaching the students that you can be part of law in various categories,” Schottel said.
 
Lauren said her grandmother, who was a prosecutor, inspired her to pursue law. She felt the mock trial gave her a better grasp of the complexity of judicial cases. She also learned why legal professionals must perform their duties with a high degree of mutual trust and understanding.
 
“It’s important that everybody in the court system works together,” Lauren said.
 
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