Mock Trial Team competes in State Final Four

Court is in session for Maui Prep Mock Trial Club. Mentored by attorney Ralph Pais and Kelly LaPrade, the team of Upper School Students advanced to the state semifinal round, along with Hawaii Baptist School, Mililani High and Kaiser High, on Saturday, March 1 in the chambers of the Hawaii Supreme Court. 

This year’s case is an adaptation of the infamous OJ Simpson murder case. The students prepare for trial by studyinging and analyzing background evidence about the case including forensic evidence, witness and law enforcement statements, rules of evidence and rules of the competition. Each school has the opportunity to try the case four times–twice as the prosecution, and twice as the defense. The trials are conducted before actual judges with time limits for various segments of each party’s presentation. The students will even play the parts of witnesses, spending time on the stand being questioned and cross-examined by the attorneys. 

 At the conclusion of each trial the judge announces the score (based on preparation and effectiveness of presentation, knowledge of the material, etc.) and then provides very helpful feedback to the students. The Maui Prep team went undefeated this year, earning them a spot in the top four to compete for the state championship. 

Mentor Ralph Pais said of the students, “The kids have done a great job mastering an enormous amount of information, formulating strategies for how to act for each side and then playing the roles of lawyers and witnesses effectively throughout.”

The budding lawyers are Alyssa Condrey ‘26, Anna Nguyen ‘26, Anna May Stoops ‘27, Arianne Chacon ‘26, Dylan Laprade ‘26, Jenny Buasert ‘27, Kai DaProza ‘26, Kai Godwin ‘25, Kaia Reader ‘27, Logan Kalar ‘25, Madison Goldsmith ‘27 and Kestrel Marshall ‘27.