Middle school students from across the Brockton Public Schools came together for the annual Discovering Justice Mock Trial on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Brockton District Court.
The event featured over 70 students, representing plaintiffs and defendants, who argued a due process-related case in front of federal and state judges, with verdicts handed down from juries consisting of city and district leaders and community members.
This year’s case, Christine Johnson v. Cedarwood School District, asked whether a school violated a student’s property rights without due process. Christine Johnson, a high-achieving senior with a competitive art scholarship, is accused of spray-painting a logo on the school doors. After a brief conversation, the Principal suspended her for seven days, costing her the scholarship. Christine argues she was denied due process and seeks to prove both that she had a protected property right and that the school failed to provide adequate notice and opportunity to respond.
Through weekly sessions with their attorney mentors, students learned how the judicial system works, explored constitutional rights, examined issues of justice and fairness, built persuasive arguments, and practiced examining witnesses—culminating in a full mock trial experience in a working courthouse.
In the spring, students will take part in a mock appeal as a follow-up to this case.
Mock Trial Teams:
East Middle School, mentored by attorneys from Committee for Public Counsel Service (CPCS)
North Middle School, mentored by attorneys from Shea Culgin Law
South Middle School, mentored by attorneys from Committee for Public Counsel Service (CPCS)
West Middle School, mentored by attorneys from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Atty. Tiffany Bell from Goodwin Proctor
Ashfield Middle School, mentored by Attorney Amy Lipman-White and attorneys from South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS)
Plouffe Middle School, mentored by attorneys from the Davis Law Group