August 16, 2022 • 54 mins
For the first time in its history, Dillard sends a team to the National Tournament! Dozens of teams from around the country descend on Lancaster, PA, to not only admire the trophies, but to battle each other in the old courthouse. Adria has brought her team to the Promised Land in what will be her last tournament with the team. History will be made.
Learn more about the schools, programs and special guests:
Dillard University Pre-Law Program American Mock Trial Association National Black Law Students Association National Bar Association
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Legal Defense Fund
Equal Justice Initiative Harvard Law School
UC Hastings Law School
Southern University Law Center
National Association for Law Placement (NALP)
Follow us on Twitter @ClassActionPod and Instagram @ClassActionPod
Visit our show page for transcripts and more details about the series at ClassActionPod.com
Follow host Katie Phang on Twitter @KatiePhang and Instagram @KatiePhang.
This episode had additional field production by Jason Foster
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Class Action is a production of I Heart Radio and
Sound Argument. Today is indeed a wonderful day as we
(00:21):
gather to celebrate the confirmation of the next Justice of
the United States Supreme Court, Judge Katangi Brown Jackson. And
Judge Jackson, you will inspire generations of leaders. They will
(00:48):
watch your confirmation hearings and read your decisions. The young
leaders of our nation will learn from the experienced the judgment.
The wisdom that you, Judge Jackson, will apply in every
case that comes before you, and they will see for
(01:12):
the first time for women sitting on that court at
one time. Hy y'all, I'm Servey. I'm from Georgia Tech.
We're over there. Go jackets. Hi everyone, I'm Travis Harper.
(01:35):
This is Stella Asmerom Harper Mock Trial, and we're so
excited for this weekend. Good luck, guys. Hey everyone, my
name is Angela Armistead. My name is Jalen Trent and
where the captains at Howard University. Mock trial. H you Hi, guys.
(01:58):
My name is Sophia Pittman Jones and I'm Davia Kumar
and we're representing the University of Cincinnati with our first
ever all female tea. Hello, I'm Renee than me In
and my name is Amya Ronsick. I'm the captain of
the Dillard University mock Tril team in New Orleans. And
(02:19):
as we stay in New Orleans, le bonkulate, let the
good times roll. Oh you you're ruther? Wait? What's all right?
I'll problem Hello, you're the right from. Everybody's fine? Everybody,
pop you're look you're les poleg cop the left leg.
(02:42):
If everybody looks like pop, all okay, look cutey. Where
are we looking? And there's there is Howard mock Tyle
right there, Howard Morilee's told right there, look beautiful and special,
all melonated and gorgeous. Just look at beautiful black people
(03:08):
for everybody that's black. So Howard is an HBC that
typically comes to the national settings, so this isn't their
first rodeo. However, it is ours. We are the first
black team from the South to come to Nationals. We're
also the first black team or team in general from
the state Louisiana coming to national So there are a
(03:32):
lot of things that are riding on the back of
my teammates and I I'm going into this and we
couldn't be more honored. Good afternoon. How special is it
to all be together again on behalf of the planning
(03:55):
committee on the Town College and Lancster County And it's
five D seventy five thousand residents welcome. My name is
Grant Kema. I'm the chair of the Plant Tournament Planning Committee.
As I look around, I think, you know, like growing up,
I always wanted to be a baseball announcer. This isn't
exactly how I thought it was. I've been involved with
collegiate mock trial since about two thousand seven and I
(04:17):
served as the chair of the National Championship Tournament planning Committee.
Today is the opening ceremony for the tournament. The Lancster
County Courthouse will be hosting sixteen trials proground. We're going
to have six at the Holiday Inn and two at
the Lankster Bar Association and we will so for each
(04:38):
trial they will draw two teams. The first team drawing
will be the prosecution team. The second team drawing will
be the defense team. We asked the teams refrain from
pre trial cheers and chants in the courthouse. We know
it's an important tradition for some of you. We respect
that the sure if you're not like it, the bailiffs
do not like it, and frankly, I've heard from some
(04:59):
of our judges that they don't enjoy it. So please
have your pre trial moment with your team quietly and
refrained from any loud expressions of pre trial hump up nous.
Welcome to nationals. Okay, I'm gonna do it again, he said.
(05:22):
We can't chant in the court house, so we gotta
get the noise out now. Welcome to the in person
National Championship. That was a little bit. This has been
(05:42):
a long time coming. It's been a long year for
the previously unranked team from Dillard University. They've put an
hunter it's of hours of practice, and traveled thousands of
miles on the road. Today they find themselves surrounded by
(06:06):
the best and the brightest. They've reached the promised Land.
This is episode twelve. The Richard M. Howkins Award listended
annually to the championship team of the Intercollegiate Mock Trial
National Championship. If our students get the idea that the
only thing that matters is winning, they are losing of
(06:27):
what being a lawyer and participating in the judicial system is.
Lawyers are officers of all court and there an all
time Richard M. Howkins, Reday's America and mol Associations. I'd
like to think I will be a voice actor at
(06:48):
some point in my life. So you know this was
my audition. Yeah, wow, do you think I'll get it?
We're going to start with the draw from the Doss Division.
Nothing fund would us in courtroom A representing the state,
the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech Team one thousand one
(07:11):
facing the Blue Devils of Dillard University Team twelve sixteen.
Where are we at in Portland too? Imagine an n
C Double A basketball tournament and all of the teams
are in one hotel. You can feel the nervous energy
(07:32):
as teams pile into elevators dressed in pajamas and workout
care Some are already uncomfortable in their courtroom suits. The
young would be lawyers take over every free space inside
the hotel, driving the staff crazy. We're from Ohio State.
It's my senior year, so it's my last time. We're
(07:52):
from Emory University and the Amory Eagles is the school mascot.
Very chaotic at all times, but in the fast possible way,
So we're really high energy. It's been a good year.
I'm really excited. Yeah, we're happy to be back in
nahalk in person. Yeah we're from Yale. Yeah, um, New
Haven naked. Yeah. It's felt very very long. Um, but
(08:17):
it's crazy because this case we've had three weeks with it,
so it's been a long time. But um, still not
feeling as prepared as I wish I felt. It's fun
and nerve wracking. Um, but I think this case is
really juicy, So I'm happy to be doing it. You know,
I got sick of that Arson case after months and
months of doing Yeah. Yeah, we're from Harvard, so it's
(08:38):
been fun seeing what other teams have come up with
and you know, changing our material based on what we see.
But to amp myself up, listen to Ratchett music, listen
to gang banger music, and that's what helps me get
hyped up. It depends because I might listen to some
old stuff like some ice Cube, or I might listen
(08:58):
to some stuff that only people from Miami is gonna know.
So Piccolo, if you're you're listening to this, I listen
to your music. Yes, gotta have the right of stuff.
Yesterday I was getting off the elevator to come talk
to Ms Kimbro and I'm on a mission. I don't
have a lot, I don't have a lot of time,
like you need to go. And I get out the
(09:19):
elevator and it's a bunch of mock trial kids and
I'm like, hey, how y'all doing? And I hear them
that's him, that's him, that's him. And they say, are
you hey? What's cool? Are y'all y'all dealer? And we're
like yeah, and they're like, oh my god, y'all are
the ones who turned the lights off and have the
hood on? And you know, I'm just like, oh, I'm famous.
(09:44):
I'm good, good, very excited, very grateful, you know, just
kind of taking it all in. It's very exciting. You know,
there's some degree of a Cinderella story still to it.
I'm not offended by that. I know that there are
some who are. Um, that doesn't offend me. I think
the difference though, is, of course, we know the story
of Cinderella there was a fairy godmother that comes and
(10:07):
creates all of this magic, and in this case, there
was no fairy godmother. Unless maybe it's me. I don't know.
But I would know seriously though, I mean, there was
no fairy god mother. They did the work. This is
something that we always talked about, Like even my freshman year,
I remember crying that I didn't make it past regionals.
Like every year, freshman year, sophomore year, junior, we didn't
(10:30):
make it past. And I just think right now and
all of everything that we've been through was just to
condition us to get to this point. And I think
we wouldn't have been ready and we wouldn't have done
this great if it wasn't this exact group of people,
this exact um set of circumstances. So I'm just happy
that it was right now and not when I when
I asked for it. So I feel like you never
(10:52):
really know what's coming. You can only prepare for what
you believe is coming. So you just got to keep
that game face on and you know, just do the
job that you were tasked with, which is to participate
in this trial in whatever capacity you were granted. Just
a little scene setting here. We're in the old courthouse,
(11:14):
in a cavernous court room that feels abandoned. There are
twenty five foot ceilings and fabricated pillars with elaborate cornices.
The court itself sits on an elevated platform in front
of a semi circular chamber, and the three judges sit
behind a massive wooden bench with antique lamps in the
(11:34):
shape of the scales of justice. On the walls are
dusty portraits of Lancaster Counties, long forgotten barristers, all white
men in black robes, staring down in judgment your honor.
Opposing council members of the jury may have pleased the court.
Every scheme needs escape gam On August nine, two twenty one,
(12:01):
officer Jay Murta was handcuffed and arrested in front of
all of their colleagues at the Midlands Center Police Department.
After they were cuffed, they were put in the back
of a squad car and taking to Central Booking, charged
with fraud. Well, every scheme needs escape them, and you
(12:25):
will learn that is with Jay Murtas trying to make
out of Gene Rigs. I know what you're thinking, Murta
and Riggs. Where have I heard those names before? I'm
channeling Los Angeles. Mel Gibson over acting in a mullet.
Danny Glover has a sleazy looking mustache. O M g
(12:46):
it's lethal weapon, and in this case it's the cops
who are the bad guys that don't stand a chance.
The prosecution will want you to believe the word of
a crooked cop. I'm gonna want you to believe that
Jean Riggs was part of some scheme to take state
property and evezzel funds. But the evidence will show that
(13:10):
nothing of the sword is true. The evidence will show
that Jay Merton and the span of this whole investigation
was thinking of one person and it wasn't protecting the
people of Midlands. Now, because the majority of the seniors
have been on here since we got to this to Dillard,
I really think you just have to rest on the
(13:32):
fact that you know what you're doing. Like I'm not
new to this. I'm true to this man, I've been
doing this for four years. At this point, a confident
attitude is critical at this level. But at times in
this trial, the Dealer team is a little too persistent.
They're pressing and as a result, they're tripping over their words. Yes,
and when Officer Reef pulled you over, you learned that
(13:53):
what you were shipping was a peck on brick. Excuse
me of cocaine. Isn't that right? Yes, your honor, this
is the witnesses then exist. Im sorry, yes it does.
We are here today because the prosecution is charging the
defendant will falsilicate, falsification and embezzlement of state property. Drugs
are considered state drugs. Sees by the Midland Center Police
Department are state property. The purity of the drugs of
(14:17):
Bartholomew's I mean, excuse me, the purity of the drugs
are Murti as well as Riggs. We're actually less than
the regional average. So it's your testimony today that you
didn't look back at Jane riggs numbers after talking to
Peyton Travis about Jay Murta giving Gene Riggs up as
an accomplice. In the past, Lagen has been criticized for
(14:38):
being too aggressive in her cross examinations. She's kept it
in check all season, but today she goes after the
witness but getting still, those are the only ones you
flagged before you talked to Peyton Travis. Isn't that right? Now?
You have no evidence to show that Jane Riggs took
any of those drugs out of that lab, Isn't that correct? Thank?
You have no further questions. I think we've had to
(15:05):
learn to take certain comments from certain judges with a
grain of salt. Mantra is very subjective sport, it very
much is. And you want to improve and you want to, like,
you know, take in what they have to say. Um,
but you you kind of have to decide where you
want to put merit on certain things, like, um, if
(15:26):
a judge tells me, like we've had judges say like
we came off aggressive, it's it's kind of like it's
not about you at that point. It's about whatever they
feel and they're letting whatever like implicit things that's going on,
like we're unconscious things go on dictate this situation. So
you kind of have to kind of take yourself out
(15:46):
of it sometimes and just remember, like, this is something
that person is dealing with, whether consciously or unconsciously, and
this is how it's being presented, and you just happen
to be seeing the effects of it, and you may
step down. Let's take a five minute break. Please make
(16:06):
it quick, Please make it quick. I need to go
with thank you. During the break, the team scurries into
the hallway outside of the courtroom. They're clearly rattled by
their own performance and perhaps a bit intimidated by the
team from Georgia Tech. I just mentioned to juris is
(16:28):
sort of funny. Um, the very first year we started
the team and we went to regionals, the last round
was Georgia Tech. UM, and so of course we our
first round here is Georgia Tech. So I know they're
a great team. I mean I can say that. I
mean they're always they're always very good. They're always um competitive.
(16:50):
You know, they come to nationals regularly, UM, long standing program,
very h experienced. Now they brought to you this chart,
this quote unquote plan. But as you heard, none of
this actually transpired over trial. The Dealer team has overcome
(17:10):
hurricanes and bomb threats to get here. They've beaten top
ranked teams in front of all white judges. This is
something that they needed to control, something that they needed
to show you. But it's obvious that this round is
slipping away. Even a hail Mary closing from DeAndre Bell
may not be enough to win the round. Members of
(17:34):
the jury waits for the smoke to clear because every
scheme needs escapegoat, and in this case, because Officer Mertzall
went down, she decided somebody else had to go down
with her, so just some like more general feedback. I
thought openings are really good, but they tended a little
(17:57):
bit too far on the argumentative side at times. I
think you need the relax a little bit, be yourself,
you know, don't come in here into a courtroom and
try to be somebody other than who you are. You're
just a little bit too rigid. And I don't think
that you're that way because if I see you walking
around and talking and so, don't try and be somebody
(18:20):
that you're not. Um mich Shelton was a little bit
rigid as well in the beginning, and then she kind
of relaxed a little bit and became a little more
of herself. When you're doing a trial, they always say
this is a fun experience. Being in a trial is
like downhill skiing, going just as fast but not so fast.
(18:46):
You lose control, but you almost do, and sometimes you do.
But when that happens, you're going to automatic pilot and
you save it. That's what it's like. My morale kind
of started to go down. I started stubbling under my words,
and I didn't really have the response that I wanted
to have, and It's like I knew what to say,
(19:08):
but it just didn't come out, and so I was
getting irritated by that. I had a massive headache. I
stayed for the comments, listen to the comments. Everybody was
excited to talk about the close and things like that,
but I was just like, y'all, uh, I'm listening. I'm
gonna stay here, but as soon as we're done, I
gotta go. Man. Literally, when I made it to my room,
I took off all my clothes and just popped in bed.
(19:31):
I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I knew the
person I nominated when we put through a painful and
difficult confirmation process. But I have to tell you what
Judge Jackson has put through was well beyond that. It
was verbal abuse, the anger. In the face of it all,
(19:51):
George Jackson showed the incredible character and integrity she possesses. I'm, folks,
it's my honor and truly is an honor to introduce
you the next Associate Justice in the United States Supreme Court,
the Honorable Katangi Brown Jackson. And I'm gonna just tell
(20:25):
you my own personal pack of dealo. You don't always
wanted to do with the possibilities. Okay, anybody have any questions.
As a practitioner and as a judge, really, I like
the fact that I can make a difference in somebody's life. Yeah. No,
I take a very very serious view of the legal profession.
(20:45):
And when you think about things that have changed in
this country that have changed the lives of Americans, they
usually start in the mind of a lawyer, whether drafting
a law, putting forward a bill, filing the case, it
usually arts in the mind of a lawyer. And that's
a very substantial responsibility. And also lawyers can make a
(21:07):
very very good income and they have a good lifestyle.
But with wealth comes responsibility. If you hit wealthy enough off,
you're lucky enough to achieve it. So I try to
teach on that side of it too, that you're a professional.
You have to be a professional. You have to give
me your best because sometimes the only thing that stands
between them and loss of freedom, here's a lawyer. And
(21:33):
that's a very substantial responsibility. Uh do anybody with your health?
Very so? Okay, Okay, I just want lunch. K where
(21:59):
are we in all? Take grab a seat lunch before
our next frond starts. The whole idea. Here is the
fact they raised in Mercalm, Capital Criminal Interprise. I'll bash
the tournament. Thus far, we face Boston University and Emery.
It went pretty well. I think our team was very
competitive and we did a very good job against really
(22:19):
good It's been nice to see that we can compete
with the higher levels because we're a smaller school about
eleven hundred students, and we're up at schools with forty
fifty students each and we're still able to compete when
Thaie do things about swork. We're from American University UM,
and we just finished our second round of the day. UM.
Everyone feels really good. It's it's been a wonderful experience.
(22:39):
Everyone's learning a lot and getting to see some really
good monk. We have a world top say has played
so far. You see Santa Barbara and you see Irvine.
So it's nice because we got some lay schools from
very far away, which is always good at the national
championship because you know, you spend most of the year
going against like the same schools in your area. Oh,
it's great. We have so many friends from across the
country that without this activity, we would have never met
(23:00):
We've got friends from tough sout in Massachusetts, from U C.
L A out in California, and you know, everywhere in
between UM. And it's really fun that we get to
come together once again and really just see each other
because when this activity was online, obviously we couldn't really
talk to each other. We didn't get to see each other,
we didn't get to have those times in between rounds
and the hotel um where you know, we really get
to talk about, like, you know, where do you want
to go to law school? What do you want to
(23:21):
do with your life? And it's really interesting to see
how like these people can these connections that you're making
a mock trial can really influence your life, your trajectory,
your path, your passions. Hey, we're from Duke University. It's
kind of tough being the most charming team and antha,
but we take on that burden happily and we're doing
it really well. Round threection again. Yeah, we just got
(23:45):
prosecution and we got Hamilton's College, Uh court room six,
one of the third flour Can Dance version and whisper
(24:06):
if that was my thing. It's a new thing, this problem.
Ye Come on, y'all, come on, this tea, this team,
this team, team, this team, this team, best team best,
this team, this tea strong, team strong, this team, this team, strong,
team strong, this team, this team, this team, this team.
(24:32):
I love my team. Love I love my team. I
love my team. I love my team. Someone's getting your
looks like, are coming? So yeah, come on, you're just coming. Cool.
(24:54):
I used to struggle with imposter syndrome a lot my
freshman year, and I went to this UM summer program
where I basically learned that if I'm there, I'm there
for a reason, and obviously I'm qualified. And you know,
there's a quote that says, um, God doesn't call the qualified,
but he qualifies the call basically, and so even if
(25:15):
you know there are places that I was slipping up
on which I was slipping up at National's, I'm not
gonna lie, but I felt like it was a learning um,
just just a learning moment for me. So it wasn't
that I felt like I was out of place, because
I felt like a lot of the rounds were evenly matched.
It's just that I wasn't used to doing it back
to back to back, because at this point we're pulling
(25:36):
out all the stops. But for every round, so we're
getting tired, and it's just about like keeping up your stamina.
So there were some moments where I didn't I'm gonna
be honest with you, I didn't feel like we were
jelling because we all want the best possible outcome each
and every time. So I would see DeAndre and the
corner panicking, and I would see Taylor in the corner
scribbling down something on her notes. I'm trying to get
(25:58):
something else in orders. Those moments right there, we're having
me nervous, like, oh my gosh, are we gonna make
it out of this round? Dillard and Hamilton's are evenly
matched when it comes to their litigation skills. This trial
comes down to the credibility of the witnesses. Good Afternoon,
(26:20):
has Sweetie. It's all about acting skills and make believe accents.
You blame Officer Race for having to serve that prison sentence.
I do. I think Officer Rigs should have to tell
the truth today and get justice you usually want on
(26:43):
Officer Rex, I do. I feel like Officer Riggs should
have to go through everything that she deserves, especially for
making me do something I didn't want to do. I
feel like this character was more of me because I'm
a southern, very very country. She's a very fun witness to.
So my first dream was to be on Broadway. And
then I discovered law. The Hamilton's witness goes for the
(27:08):
classic bad guy accent from every spy movie you've ever seen, right,
And you never saw the defendant pick out anyone of
your club, did you? But you did see more overt
sellings of drugs once the defendant started working there isn't
that right? Yes exactly. It was very confused and beingle
(27:28):
of these money, but then have spilled drugs? Sense? I
would just like to ask, just for my example of this. Uh,
the third defense witness was, was that a character you
were playing? Or yes? Okay, okay, okay, I just want
to you know, it's always characters are very high risk,
(27:51):
high reward, so you know, you can get someone that
really enjoys it, or you can get someone who you
know may find it offensive. So just be careful with that.
I do want to echo what Harry said. I mean,
you know, when we do accents, when we do characters,
just just be cognizant of that. I usually don't like,
(28:11):
you know, zany accents unless they have a reason for
the story, because it's just like you're just hacking this on.
All right, let's get a couple of minutes here to
rout all this stuff. From what I understand, we give
the blue sheets to the runners as those the timekeepers,
and then we do comments and then we're free to
(28:32):
prop up for the next round. I'm glad that it
was prosecution for the third round, since the second round
was prosecution, and I think that it gave us the
opportunity to clean some things up. I think that our
performance was a lot sharper, so I'm pretty satisfied. Um,
I don't really mind what the ballots look like. I
(28:53):
came here to have fun and I think that I
did that, So you know, you gotta take it all
with a grand of salt. We're not worried about who's
going to win the tournament. We're in the moment right now,
and um, you're not trusting that the process is gonna
take care of itself. What's going through your head? Now?
Oh my goodness, is it our last case? What is
(29:16):
your last case? As the underground from UC trial? Is it?
Are we going to the championship round? Okay, that's true. Okay, um,
let's get let's pray. Let's pray. All I believe, does
anything know? When the round starts like before, everybody, take
(29:44):
a deep breath. You're relaxed. My nerves bad too. I
promise it's all good, though. It's all good. My Father God.
We thank you. We thank you for getting us through
the first three rounds. Father Guy, we thank you for
bringing us to this very moment. Father God, we thank
(30:04):
you for giving us a case that was meant for
the dealing mock trial team. Father God, Father God. I've
declared victory every time I've talked to you this past weekend,
Father God, for I know just as much as everyone
else in this group, Father God, that we will be
in the National Championship round. Father God, Father God. In
(30:28):
we saw the promised land. Now, Father got in two,
we've made it to the promised land. Father God. Now
that we've crossed the river Jordan, I asked that you
let us knocked down the walls of Jericho. Father Father God,
you've been with us COVID. You've been with us through hurricanes,
You've been with us through death, Father God. We've been
with us every year since this team's inception. So we
(30:51):
stand in this space on the shoulders of our ancest
the third Good Marsha. We're stand on the shoulders of
our ancestor, Charles Hamilton Houston. We stand on the shoulders
of justice Katangi Brown Jackson. Father God, we thank you,
Thank you God for putting us as black people in
this space and showing everyone here that we are not
(31:12):
something to be messed with. Father God, thank you. No
direct form against the shop prospering your older No, no,
no cross show formed against the shop prosper, no opening
form against the shop prospering. No closing form against the
showy prosper. And so we ask that you you stretch
your hand over us, put a hedge and protection around us.
(31:32):
Father got sent down your angels to speak through us.
Father Gods. Prosecution ready proceed? Yes, okay the sense Are
you ready proceed? Yes? I really have received so much
from being in community with these students or being able
(31:56):
to sort of walk along with them on this part
of their journey, Your honor, Mr Solomon, Members of the jury,
may it please the court. Every scheme needs a scapegoat.
On August nine, Officer Jay Murtall was handcuffed in front
(32:20):
of all of their constituents at the Midlands Center Police Department.
I would say the majority of them are motivated by
the prospect of being able to make change in their communities.
You know what I man proceeded with cross ms Mr Thomas.
(32:41):
There are students that dealer who want to go to
law school because they want to have lucrative careers, but
those end up not being the ones who joined the
mood trial team. Many of our students who have had
experience with the judicial system, the legal system, most of
that has been negative. You mentioned a time where the
defendant gave you some money, correct, but you never asked
(33:02):
the defendant where he got that money from. I guess
not no, But you never actually saw Mr Riggs sell
those drugs, did you. That's correct, man, But I think
that's the reason they show up. That's the reason that
they want to go into the profession. That's why they
want to be on the team. They want to develop
the skills to be able to say no, I want
to be a part of this change. Objection your honors
(33:25):
and proper character explain yes, your honor. They're using this
pro propensity sake to use an instance from to suggest
that Mr Riggs is now guilty. Ino is most definitely
being used for the character of Mr. Riggs Council. I
agree with the defense if you can lay the foundation
that this previous complaint instance was part of the conspiracy
(33:46):
you're alleging. You're firmly in barnacle. This comes in. But
until you lay that foundation, this is exclusible. Granted, I
don't care who it is, like, you have the ability
to compete against anyone, and I think that that is invaluable,
like that lesson, and I see it manifest itself for
(34:06):
those who go on from the team and who go
on to law school, when oftentimes people of color can
feel like impostors in law school classrooms and like they
don't have the ability to be success. But it's like no,
no, no no, because you've already had experience showing up with
people who have far more resources and more privileged and
you win. That brings us to my next point. You
(34:27):
actually confronted off similar talk about this, right correct. You
lie to Officer Murtalk, correct, And in doing so, Officer
Murtalk confessed all that she's done to you, right correct.
We fronted with some evidence that you know, we're in
a really interesting time in the history of our country
that I think this sort of window has opened up
(34:48):
for some of this progress to happen. I'm under no
delusion that that is just like a foregone conclusion, like
that it will always be this way. And so I think,
you know, in every space we find ourselves, we have to,
you know, while the wind is at our back, we
have to continue to push and to try to make
as much progress as we can, because we just don't
(35:10):
know how long that window is going to be open.
Thank you all very much, Thank you. I have dedicated
my career to public service because I love this country
and our constitution and the rights that make us free.
I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models,
(35:32):
generations of Americans who never had anything close to this
kind of opportunity, but who got up every day and
went to work, believing in the promise of America, showing
others through their determination and yes, their perseverance, that good,
(35:56):
good things can be done in this great country. From
my grandparents on both sides, who had only a grade
school education but instilled in my parents the importance of learning.
To my parents who went to racially segregated schools growing
up and We're the first in their families to have
(36:19):
the chance to go to college. It has taken two
hundred and thirty two years and one hundred and fifteen
prior appointments for a black woman to be selected to
serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But
(36:40):
we've made it. We've made it, all of us, all
of us, m your honor, the Morris. Members of the jury,
(37:09):
Just imagine the embarrassment of submerts her face as she
was handcuffed in front of her colleagues. Just imagine the
embarrassment Officer merts her face as she was walked down
into a squad car. Imagine Officer Murta sitting in a
(37:34):
jail cell. Members of the jury, this isn't a joke,
This isn't a laughing matter. This is something serious, and
they are trying to accuse my client of embezzlement and falsification.
No witness came before you today and could tell you
that my client stole anything from the police department. One
(37:56):
of the things the prosecution promised to you was that
the only name you would hear throughout the entirety of
this trial was Officer Jene Rigs. But it would serve
as no surprise to you nor myself that the name
Officer Jay Murta showed up not once, not twice, but
fifty nine times. Why because every scheme needs a scapegoat.
(38:23):
In today's case, the state tried to make a scapegoat
out of Gene Riggs. This web of conspiracies that has
been stunned by the opposing council cannot stand because every
scheme needs a scapegoat. And as the defense, we ask
(38:43):
that you please don't let them make a scapegoat out
of Gene Riggs. Find him not guilty. This has been
a great weekend. It's been a lot of fun. I'm
(39:06):
so glad that we were able to do this and
be back together in person. Okay, so this year we
gave you arson and then we gave you guns and
money and drugs. All right, everybody, we're gonna get out
(39:32):
some awards. So when I announced your name, stand up,
you recognized, what's your recognized Start coming, But we're not
waiting for you to get down for the next one.
We're gonna have a parade. Took twenty four ranks in
the DOS division. We're starting with Team fifteen sixty two.
The gauchos of UCSB. Madeline Whalen with seven ranks on
(39:58):
the defense from Team seven Howard University Jalen trap four
ranks on the defense of Texas MA Davie Summer, going
(40:20):
to twenty five ranks on the state side, going to
some b l e U Blue Devil's Team twelve sixteen
Dillard's Lejon Shelson. It would be nice to be in
(40:42):
New Orleans right now. All right, Indy DAWs Division. It
took twenty two rieks to be named and all American witnesses,
So we are going to start with an all American
yellow jacket from Georgia Tech. Jordan's Spencer, our next American
witness on the defense side of the case. Let me
(41:02):
see if I'm doing this right, d you Rendy City, Yes,
(41:27):
America inter Collegiate All American Yes now announced our Spirit
of Anthon winners. Hello everyone, my name is Missy Watt.
(41:49):
The main reason that I find this award so significant
one is that you all are the ones who vote
on it, and as you go on into the real
world and practice real law, remember that the way you
treat other people is important, and that the way you
you treat them is something that they will remember. If
(42:13):
you practice law, I can promise you that the attorneys
I remember are either the ones who were dishonest who
I couldn't trust, and I also remember the ones who
were the kindest and we're the easiest to work with.
With that um, I'm very excited to announce with Ranks,
(42:38):
I was their first an tow up. I have to
give them this award, So please join me in congratulating
Team twelve sixteen Lars University. That's what you don't ye
(43:20):
two into Collegiate Mock Trial National Championship All American Witness.
We just got something Ms Kimbers who wanted up to
get for a really long time. We're just a spirit
of am because she says we're not nice people, but
even pro wrong, we're nice people who got SPRETA. That's
pretty that's really awesome. We got some individual awards too.
(43:41):
I got an All American Attorney Award and I am
officially an All American Witness. I think that like I
couldn't have asked our team to go into that round
for these last four rounds and do anything differently. I
am extremely proud and blessed to say I'm a part
of the team and in my senior year, I find
really got my flowers and it feels good. Um and
(44:04):
their recognition and just you know, even being here with
another hbc U, it's it's I'm overjoyed. I think, you know,
you come, you come to Nationals with the intent of
crushing everybody and doing all that. But I think, you know,
dial It, we realized we're not We're not really here
for that. We're here to show people who we are
and what we're made of. And we made it. We
(44:26):
made it all the way to Nationals and we we
are nationally ranked again and we have all American witnesses
and attorneys on this team. So it's an amazing experience. Wow,
we didn't individually know every single one of those African
American students who got recognized as part of some team
or as an All American attorney. All American women's are best.
Believe we stood up when they when they got announced,
(44:48):
because they need to know that we got their back
and they are loved by this community, whether you are
directly from dial It or not. At the end of
the day, when when one of us, when we all
in so it feels good, it feels good. There were
five teams at seven wins. In tenth place with seven
(45:10):
wins and a CS of twenty one and a half,
Team eleven Washington University in St. Louis. We have a
three way tie for third, fourth, and fifth place in
the DOS Division at a record of eight wins. The
fifth place team with eight wins and a CS of
(45:31):
twenty one Team ten forty nine the Blue Devils of
Duke in third place in the DOS Division with eight
wins and a combined strength of the Bulldogs of Yale,
(45:55):
the champion of the DOS Division with eleven wins, one loss,
a combined strength of eight from Hyde Park, the South
Side of Chicago, the b Roads of the University. I'm Chicago,
(46:21):
the champion of the Stressman Division with eleven wins and
to see us at thirty and a half the Crimson
of Harvard. Despite their best efforts, Dillard finishes near the
bottom of the standings at the competition. A disappointment for
(46:43):
sure for coach Adria Kimbro This is her last tournament
for Dillard. It feels great, it's great. I mean, I
don't know any other words to say. I mean, I'm
very proud, but coach kimbro delivered. She brought her unranked
team to the promised lamb. Like what they've won cannot
(47:05):
be measured in a trophy. They create a legacy that
it's gonna last far beyond this moment. I couldn't be
more proud. I think I'm very proud we got to
all the bar and the spirit of after war, after
nationally um championship turnament. I don't think we could too bad.
(47:37):
I think the most important things and I don't want
to cry when I say this, I think the most
important thing is just putting small hbc U s on
the map. I think just showing people that you can
go to Dealard, you can be the captain of the
mock trial team, go to nationals. A lot of students
that I know in pre law came to Dealer just
(47:57):
for the mock trial team, and not all of them
made it, but like made it on the team. But
the fact that we were able to accomplish this after,
to be honest, having a losing streak. We hadn't made
it out of regional since before I even got there.
So just to be able to show, you know, our
student body what we've been working for. Their people who
have invited us to parties and we couldn't go because
(48:19):
we had competition people who wanted us to do whatever,
and we couldn't. We sacrificed a lot and for them
to finally see, oh, this is what you were working for,
it feels really good. Mhm. So when I arrived on campus,
(48:41):
I was very nervous at first, because for some reason,
it didn't seem like I was like worthy of that experience.
I was in a full trench coat with my neck pillow,
my suitcase, like I obviously just came from the airport.
I was asking around for directions because I didn't know
where I was going, and I kept mispronouncing like the
(49:01):
name of the hall I was supposed to be at,
and everybody was like, what are you talking about. I
never thought that I would, you know, go to Harvard.
In fact, it wasn't even my first, you know choice.
I was just like, I know, I want to be
on mock trial. Let me see the mock trial room,
like let me see where I'm going to be practicing
and studying, just seeing the courtroom. And it wasn't even
that fancy. I'm not gonna lie to you, but the
(49:23):
history behind it and they have this um competition where
like every at the finals, every year, there's a Supreme
Court justice that sits to judge the competition. And they
were like, well, hopefully we can get Judge Jackson since
she was just confirmed she's an alum, and I was like,
I would kill to be in the room if she
(49:44):
were to judge one of our competitions. So I just
I didn't feel out of place anymore. I was like, Okay,
I don't care that there's eighty students here. I don't
care that there's only five black students in the class.
Right now, I just cared that this actually makes sense
to me. And I know not everything is gonna make
sense to me in law school, but the fact that
I felt like I could go there and it could
be completely fine, that I won't feel like a fish
(50:05):
out of water, that I know I'll be able to
handle it, that was what was most important to me,
just you know, knowing that I'll be okay. I guess
to be sure, I have worked hard to get to
this point in my career, and I have now achieved
something far beyond anything my grandparents could have possibly ever imagined.
(50:28):
But no one does this on their own the path
was cleared for me so that I might rise to
this occasion, And in the poetic words of Dr my Angelu,
I do so now while bringing the gifts my ancestors
(50:50):
gave I. I I am the dream and the hope
of the slave. So so as I take on this
(51:12):
new role, I strongly believe that this is a moment
in which all Americans can take great pride. We have
come a long way towards perfecting our union. In my family,
it took just one generation to go from segregation to
(51:35):
the Supreme Court of the Natime, and it is an honor,
the honor of a lifetime for me to have this
chance to join the court, to promote the rule of
law at the highest level, and to do my part
(51:55):
to carry our shared project of democracy and equal justice
under law forward into the future. Thank you again, Mr
President and members of the Senate for this incredible honors.
(52:19):
Beautiful Oh yes, I'm actually Dillard was ranked in the
top fifty most beautiful campuses in the country. So the
this is the main part of the campus. These are
the dorms. This is William's dorm um. The bookstory gym
and thinks of that nature right here Dent's straight Ahead.
This is where the basketball team plays. So we have
(52:43):
four years to prepare ourselves for going into the world
and into a world that wasn't designed for them and
for me personally at h b c U, and I
know a lot of black students feel the same way.
We are safe. It is four years of only black people,
and it's only black people teaching black people how to
move in the world that is not made for them.
(53:05):
It's hard for me to really judge whether or not
a certain generation is gonna be the change because we've
been talking about, oh, this generation is gonna be the
change since the civil rights movement. But I will say
that more often than not, you will find young people
who are sitting here saying, obviously what you did was
not enough to fix the problem. And that's not that's
(53:26):
not a dig at what was done before. But that's
me saying I'm gonna take what you're doing and do
something more with it. It's just like that. So this
is our professional Schools building UM. This house is largely
more so some of our like science major stuff. The
(53:47):
third floor is where all the labs are. We also
have another building for it UM, but this school also
helps like our nursing program um. This is where the
freshmen get their first year seminars. Basically, Some Last Action
(54:18):
is a production of I heart Radio and Sound Argument.
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
favorite shows.
Class Action is a production of I Heart Radio and
Sound Argument. Today is indeed a wonderful day as we
(00:21):
gather to celebrate the confirmation of the next Justice of
the United States Supreme Court, Judge Katangi Brown Jackson. And
Judge Jackson, you will inspire generations of leaders. They will
(00:48):
watch your confirmation hearings and read your decisions. The young
leaders of our nation will learn from the experienced the judgment.
The wisdom that you, Judge Jackson, will apply in every
case that comes before you, and they will see for
(01:12):
the first time for women sitting on that court at
one time. Hy y'all, I'm Servey. I'm from Georgia Tech.
We're over there. Go jackets. Hi everyone, I'm Travis Harper.
(01:35):
This is Stella Asmerom Harper Mock Trial, and we're so
excited for this weekend. Good luck, guys. Hey everyone, my
name is Angela Armistead. My name is Jalen Trent and
where the captains at Howard University. Mock trial. H you Hi, guys.
(01:58):
My name is Sophia Pittman Jones and I'm Davia Kumar
and we're representing the University of Cincinnati with our first
ever all female tea. Hello, I'm Renee than me In
and my name is Amya Ronsick. I'm the captain of
the Dillard University mock Tril team in New Orleans. And
(02:19):
as we stay in New Orleans, le bonkulate, let the
good times roll. Oh you you're ruther? Wait? What's all right?
I'll problem Hello, you're the right from. Everybody's fine? Everybody,
pop you're look you're les poleg cop the left leg.
(02:42):
If everybody looks like pop, all okay, look cutey. Where
are we looking? And there's there is Howard mock Tyle
right there, Howard Morilee's told right there, look beautiful and special,
all melonated and gorgeous. Just look at beautiful black people
(03:08):
for everybody that's black. So Howard is an HBC that
typically comes to the national settings, so this isn't their
first rodeo. However, it is ours. We are the first
black team from the South to come to Nationals. We're
also the first black team or team in general from
the state Louisiana coming to national So there are a
(03:32):
lot of things that are riding on the back of
my teammates and I I'm going into this and we
couldn't be more honored. Good afternoon. How special is it
to all be together again on behalf of the planning
(03:55):
committee on the Town College and Lancster County And it's
five D seventy five thousand residents welcome. My name is
Grant Kema. I'm the chair of the Plant Tournament Planning Committee.
As I look around, I think, you know, like growing up,
I always wanted to be a baseball announcer. This isn't
exactly how I thought it was. I've been involved with
collegiate mock trial since about two thousand seven and I
(04:17):
served as the chair of the National Championship Tournament planning Committee.
Today is the opening ceremony for the tournament. The Lancster
County Courthouse will be hosting sixteen trials proground. We're going
to have six at the Holiday Inn and two at
the Lankster Bar Association and we will so for each
(04:38):
trial they will draw two teams. The first team drawing
will be the prosecution team. The second team drawing will
be the defense team. We asked the teams refrain from
pre trial cheers and chants in the courthouse. We know
it's an important tradition for some of you. We respect
that the sure if you're not like it, the bailiffs
do not like it, and frankly, I've heard from some
(04:59):
of our judges that they don't enjoy it. So please
have your pre trial moment with your team quietly and
refrained from any loud expressions of pre trial hump up nous.
Welcome to nationals. Okay, I'm gonna do it again, he said.
(05:22):
We can't chant in the court house, so we gotta
get the noise out now. Welcome to the in person
National Championship. That was a little bit. This has been
(05:42):
a long time coming. It's been a long year for
the previously unranked team from Dillard University. They've put an
hunter it's of hours of practice, and traveled thousands of
miles on the road. Today they find themselves surrounded by
(06:06):
the best and the brightest. They've reached the promised Land.
This is episode twelve. The Richard M. Howkins Award listended
annually to the championship team of the Intercollegiate Mock Trial
National Championship. If our students get the idea that the
only thing that matters is winning, they are losing of
(06:27):
what being a lawyer and participating in the judicial system is.
Lawyers are officers of all court and there an all
time Richard M. Howkins, Reday's America and mol Associations. I'd
like to think I will be a voice actor at
(06:48):
some point in my life. So you know this was
my audition. Yeah, wow, do you think I'll get it?
We're going to start with the draw from the Doss Division.
Nothing fund would us in courtroom A representing the state,
the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech Team one thousand one
(07:11):
facing the Blue Devils of Dillard University Team twelve sixteen.
Where are we at in Portland too? Imagine an n
C Double A basketball tournament and all of the teams
are in one hotel. You can feel the nervous energy
(07:32):
as teams pile into elevators dressed in pajamas and workout
care Some are already uncomfortable in their courtroom suits. The
young would be lawyers take over every free space inside
the hotel, driving the staff crazy. We're from Ohio State.
It's my senior year, so it's my last time. We're
(07:52):
from Emory University and the Amory Eagles is the school mascot.
Very chaotic at all times, but in the fast possible way,
So we're really high energy. It's been a good year.
I'm really excited. Yeah, we're happy to be back in
nahalk in person. Yeah we're from Yale. Yeah, um, New
Haven naked. Yeah. It's felt very very long. Um, but
(08:17):
it's crazy because this case we've had three weeks with it,
so it's been a long time. But um, still not
feeling as prepared as I wish I felt. It's fun
and nerve wracking. Um, but I think this case is
really juicy, So I'm happy to be doing it. You know,
I got sick of that Arson case after months and
months of doing Yeah. Yeah, we're from Harvard, so it's
(08:38):
been fun seeing what other teams have come up with
and you know, changing our material based on what we see.
But to amp myself up, listen to Ratchett music, listen
to gang banger music, and that's what helps me get
hyped up. It depends because I might listen to some
old stuff like some ice Cube, or I might listen
(08:58):
to some stuff that only people from Miami is gonna know.
So Piccolo, if you're you're listening to this, I listen
to your music. Yes, gotta have the right of stuff.
Yesterday I was getting off the elevator to come talk
to Ms Kimbro and I'm on a mission. I don't
have a lot, I don't have a lot of time,
like you need to go. And I get out the
(09:19):
elevator and it's a bunch of mock trial kids and
I'm like, hey, how y'all doing? And I hear them
that's him, that's him, that's him. And they say, are
you hey? What's cool? Are y'all y'all dealer? And we're
like yeah, and they're like, oh my god, y'all are
the ones who turned the lights off and have the
hood on? And you know, I'm just like, oh, I'm famous.
(09:44):
I'm good, good, very excited, very grateful, you know, just
kind of taking it all in. It's very exciting. You know,
there's some degree of a Cinderella story still to it.
I'm not offended by that. I know that there are
some who are. Um, that doesn't offend me. I think
the difference though, is, of course, we know the story
of Cinderella there was a fairy godmother that comes and
(10:07):
creates all of this magic, and in this case, there
was no fairy godmother. Unless maybe it's me. I don't know.
But I would know seriously though, I mean, there was
no fairy god mother. They did the work. This is
something that we always talked about, Like even my freshman year,
I remember crying that I didn't make it past regionals.
Like every year, freshman year, sophomore year, junior, we didn't
(10:30):
make it past. And I just think right now and
all of everything that we've been through was just to
condition us to get to this point. And I think
we wouldn't have been ready and we wouldn't have done
this great if it wasn't this exact group of people,
this exact um set of circumstances. So I'm just happy
that it was right now and not when I when
I asked for it. So I feel like you never
(10:52):
really know what's coming. You can only prepare for what
you believe is coming. So you just got to keep
that game face on and you know, just do the
job that you were tasked with, which is to participate
in this trial in whatever capacity you were granted. Just
a little scene setting here. We're in the old courthouse,
(11:14):
in a cavernous court room that feels abandoned. There are
twenty five foot ceilings and fabricated pillars with elaborate cornices.
The court itself sits on an elevated platform in front
of a semi circular chamber, and the three judges sit
behind a massive wooden bench with antique lamps in the
(11:34):
shape of the scales of justice. On the walls are
dusty portraits of Lancaster Counties, long forgotten barristers, all white
men in black robes, staring down in judgment your honor.
Opposing council members of the jury may have pleased the court.
Every scheme needs escape gam On August nine, two twenty one,
(12:01):
officer Jay Murta was handcuffed and arrested in front of
all of their colleagues at the Midlands Center Police Department.
After they were cuffed, they were put in the back
of a squad car and taking to Central Booking, charged
with fraud. Well, every scheme needs escape them, and you
(12:25):
will learn that is with Jay Murtas trying to make
out of Gene Rigs. I know what you're thinking, Murta
and Riggs. Where have I heard those names before? I'm
channeling Los Angeles. Mel Gibson over acting in a mullet.
Danny Glover has a sleazy looking mustache. O M g
(12:46):
it's lethal weapon, and in this case it's the cops
who are the bad guys that don't stand a chance.
The prosecution will want you to believe the word of
a crooked cop. I'm gonna want you to believe that
Jean Riggs was part of some scheme to take state
property and evezzel funds. But the evidence will show that
(13:10):
nothing of the sword is true. The evidence will show
that Jay Merton and the span of this whole investigation
was thinking of one person and it wasn't protecting the
people of Midlands. Now, because the majority of the seniors
have been on here since we got to this to Dillard,
I really think you just have to rest on the
(13:32):
fact that you know what you're doing. Like I'm not
new to this. I'm true to this man, I've been
doing this for four years. At this point, a confident
attitude is critical at this level. But at times in
this trial, the Dealer team is a little too persistent.
They're pressing and as a result, they're tripping over their words. Yes,
and when Officer Reef pulled you over, you learned that
(13:53):
what you were shipping was a peck on brick. Excuse
me of cocaine. Isn't that right? Yes, your honor, this
is the witnesses then exist. Im sorry, yes it does.
We are here today because the prosecution is charging the
defendant will falsilicate, falsification and embezzlement of state property. Drugs
are considered state drugs. Sees by the Midland Center Police
Department are state property. The purity of the drugs of
(14:17):
Bartholomew's I mean, excuse me, the purity of the drugs
are Murti as well as Riggs. We're actually less than
the regional average. So it's your testimony today that you
didn't look back at Jane riggs numbers after talking to
Peyton Travis about Jay Murta giving Gene Riggs up as
an accomplice. In the past, Lagen has been criticized for
(14:38):
being too aggressive in her cross examinations. She's kept it
in check all season, but today she goes after the
witness but getting still, those are the only ones you
flagged before you talked to Peyton Travis. Isn't that right? Now?
You have no evidence to show that Jane Riggs took
any of those drugs out of that lab, Isn't that correct? Thank?
You have no further questions. I think we've had to
(15:05):
learn to take certain comments from certain judges with a
grain of salt. Mantra is very subjective sport, it very
much is. And you want to improve and you want to, like,
you know, take in what they have to say. Um,
but you you kind of have to decide where you
want to put merit on certain things, like, um, if
(15:26):
a judge tells me, like we've had judges say like
we came off aggressive, it's it's kind of like it's
not about you at that point. It's about whatever they
feel and they're letting whatever like implicit things that's going on,
like we're unconscious things go on dictate this situation. So
you kind of have to kind of take yourself out
(15:46):
of it sometimes and just remember, like, this is something
that person is dealing with, whether consciously or unconsciously, and
this is how it's being presented, and you just happen
to be seeing the effects of it, and you may
step down. Let's take a five minute break. Please make
(16:06):
it quick, Please make it quick. I need to go
with thank you. During the break, the team scurries into
the hallway outside of the courtroom. They're clearly rattled by
their own performance and perhaps a bit intimidated by the
team from Georgia Tech. I just mentioned to juris is
(16:28):
sort of funny. Um, the very first year we started
the team and we went to regionals, the last round
was Georgia Tech. UM, and so of course we our
first round here is Georgia Tech. So I know they're
a great team. I mean I can say that. I
mean they're always they're always very good. They're always um competitive.
(16:50):
You know, they come to nationals regularly, UM, long standing program,
very h experienced. Now they brought to you this chart,
this quote unquote plan. But as you heard, none of
this actually transpired over trial. The Dealer team has overcome
(17:10):
hurricanes and bomb threats to get here. They've beaten top
ranked teams in front of all white judges. This is
something that they needed to control, something that they needed
to show you. But it's obvious that this round is
slipping away. Even a hail Mary closing from DeAndre Bell
may not be enough to win the round. Members of
(17:34):
the jury waits for the smoke to clear because every
scheme needs escapegoat, and in this case, because Officer Mertzall
went down, she decided somebody else had to go down
with her, so just some like more general feedback. I
thought openings are really good, but they tended a little
(17:57):
bit too far on the argumentative side at times. I
think you need the relax a little bit, be yourself,
you know, don't come in here into a courtroom and
try to be somebody other than who you are. You're
just a little bit too rigid. And I don't think
that you're that way because if I see you walking
around and talking and so, don't try and be somebody
(18:20):
that you're not. Um mich Shelton was a little bit
rigid as well in the beginning, and then she kind
of relaxed a little bit and became a little more
of herself. When you're doing a trial, they always say
this is a fun experience. Being in a trial is
like downhill skiing, going just as fast but not so fast.
(18:46):
You lose control, but you almost do, and sometimes you do.
But when that happens, you're going to automatic pilot and
you save it. That's what it's like. My morale kind
of started to go down. I started stubbling under my words,
and I didn't really have the response that I wanted
to have, and It's like I knew what to say,
(19:08):
but it just didn't come out, and so I was
getting irritated by that. I had a massive headache. I
stayed for the comments, listen to the comments. Everybody was
excited to talk about the close and things like that,
but I was just like, y'all, uh, I'm listening. I'm
gonna stay here, but as soon as we're done, I
gotta go. Man. Literally, when I made it to my room,
I took off all my clothes and just popped in bed.
(19:31):
I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I knew the
person I nominated when we put through a painful and
difficult confirmation process. But I have to tell you what
Judge Jackson has put through was well beyond that. It
was verbal abuse, the anger. In the face of it all,
(19:51):
George Jackson showed the incredible character and integrity she possesses. I'm, folks,
it's my honor and truly is an honor to introduce
you the next Associate Justice in the United States Supreme Court,
the Honorable Katangi Brown Jackson. And I'm gonna just tell
(20:25):
you my own personal pack of dealo. You don't always
wanted to do with the possibilities. Okay, anybody have any questions.
As a practitioner and as a judge, really, I like
the fact that I can make a difference in somebody's life. Yeah. No,
I take a very very serious view of the legal profession.
(20:45):
And when you think about things that have changed in
this country that have changed the lives of Americans, they
usually start in the mind of a lawyer, whether drafting
a law, putting forward a bill, filing the case, it
usually arts in the mind of a lawyer. And that's
a very substantial responsibility. And also lawyers can make a
(21:07):
very very good income and they have a good lifestyle.
But with wealth comes responsibility. If you hit wealthy enough off,
you're lucky enough to achieve it. So I try to
teach on that side of it too, that you're a professional.
You have to be a professional. You have to give
me your best because sometimes the only thing that stands
between them and loss of freedom, here's a lawyer. And
(21:33):
that's a very substantial responsibility. Uh do anybody with your health?
Very so? Okay, Okay, I just want lunch. K where
(21:59):
are we in all? Take grab a seat lunch before
our next frond starts. The whole idea. Here is the
fact they raised in Mercalm, Capital Criminal Interprise. I'll bash
the tournament. Thus far, we face Boston University and Emery.
It went pretty well. I think our team was very
competitive and we did a very good job against really
(22:19):
good It's been nice to see that we can compete
with the higher levels because we're a smaller school about
eleven hundred students, and we're up at schools with forty
fifty students each and we're still able to compete when
Thaie do things about swork. We're from American University UM,
and we just finished our second round of the day. UM.
Everyone feels really good. It's it's been a wonderful experience.
(22:39):
Everyone's learning a lot and getting to see some really
good monk. We have a world top say has played
so far. You see Santa Barbara and you see Irvine.
So it's nice because we got some lay schools from
very far away, which is always good at the national
championship because you know, you spend most of the year
going against like the same schools in your area. Oh,
it's great. We have so many friends from across the
country that without this activity, we would have never met
(23:00):
We've got friends from tough sout in Massachusetts, from U C.
L A out in California, and you know, everywhere in
between UM. And it's really fun that we get to
come together once again and really just see each other
because when this activity was online, obviously we couldn't really
talk to each other. We didn't get to see each other,
we didn't get to have those times in between rounds
and the hotel um where you know, we really get
to talk about, like, you know, where do you want
to go to law school? What do you want to
(23:21):
do with your life? And it's really interesting to see
how like these people can these connections that you're making
a mock trial can really influence your life, your trajectory,
your path, your passions. Hey, we're from Duke University. It's
kind of tough being the most charming team and antha,
but we take on that burden happily and we're doing
it really well. Round threection again. Yeah, we just got
(23:45):
prosecution and we got Hamilton's College, Uh court room six,
one of the third flour Can Dance version and whisper
(24:06):
if that was my thing. It's a new thing, this problem.
Ye Come on, y'all, come on, this tea, this team,
this team, team, this team, this team, best team best,
this team, this tea strong, team strong, this team, this team, strong,
team strong, this team, this team, this team, this team.
(24:32):
I love my team. Love I love my team. I
love my team. I love my team. Someone's getting your
looks like, are coming? So yeah, come on, you're just coming. Cool.
(24:54):
I used to struggle with imposter syndrome a lot my
freshman year, and I went to this UM summer program
where I basically learned that if I'm there, I'm there
for a reason, and obviously I'm qualified. And you know,
there's a quote that says, um, God doesn't call the qualified,
but he qualifies the call basically, and so even if
(25:15):
you know there are places that I was slipping up
on which I was slipping up at National's, I'm not
gonna lie, but I felt like it was a learning um,
just just a learning moment for me. So it wasn't
that I felt like I was out of place, because
I felt like a lot of the rounds were evenly matched.
It's just that I wasn't used to doing it back
to back to back, because at this point we're pulling
(25:36):
out all the stops. But for every round, so we're
getting tired, and it's just about like keeping up your stamina.
So there were some moments where I didn't I'm gonna
be honest with you, I didn't feel like we were
jelling because we all want the best possible outcome each
and every time. So I would see DeAndre and the
corner panicking, and I would see Taylor in the corner
scribbling down something on her notes. I'm trying to get
(25:58):
something else in orders. Those moments right there, we're having
me nervous, like, oh my gosh, are we gonna make
it out of this round? Dillard and Hamilton's are evenly
matched when it comes to their litigation skills. This trial
comes down to the credibility of the witnesses. Good Afternoon,
(26:20):
has Sweetie. It's all about acting skills and make believe accents.
You blame Officer Race for having to serve that prison sentence.
I do. I think Officer Rigs should have to tell
the truth today and get justice you usually want on
(26:43):
Officer Rex, I do. I feel like Officer Riggs should
have to go through everything that she deserves, especially for
making me do something I didn't want to do. I
feel like this character was more of me because I'm
a southern, very very country. She's a very fun witness to.
So my first dream was to be on Broadway. And
then I discovered law. The Hamilton's witness goes for the
(27:08):
classic bad guy accent from every spy movie you've ever seen, right,
And you never saw the defendant pick out anyone of
your club, did you? But you did see more overt
sellings of drugs once the defendant started working there isn't
that right? Yes exactly. It was very confused and beingle
(27:28):
of these money, but then have spilled drugs? Sense? I
would just like to ask, just for my example of this. Uh,
the third defense witness was, was that a character you
were playing? Or yes? Okay, okay, okay, I just want
to you know, it's always characters are very high risk,
(27:51):
high reward, so you know, you can get someone that
really enjoys it, or you can get someone who you
know may find it offensive. So just be careful with that.
I do want to echo what Harry said. I mean,
you know, when we do accents, when we do characters,
just just be cognizant of that. I usually don't like,
(28:11):
you know, zany accents unless they have a reason for
the story, because it's just like you're just hacking this on.
All right, let's get a couple of minutes here to
rout all this stuff. From what I understand, we give
the blue sheets to the runners as those the timekeepers,
and then we do comments and then we're free to
(28:32):
prop up for the next round. I'm glad that it
was prosecution for the third round, since the second round
was prosecution, and I think that it gave us the
opportunity to clean some things up. I think that our
performance was a lot sharper, so I'm pretty satisfied. Um,
I don't really mind what the ballots look like. I
(28:53):
came here to have fun and I think that I
did that, So you know, you gotta take it all
with a grand of salt. We're not worried about who's
going to win the tournament. We're in the moment right now,
and um, you're not trusting that the process is gonna
take care of itself. What's going through your head? Now?
Oh my goodness, is it our last case? What is
(29:16):
your last case? As the underground from UC trial? Is it?
Are we going to the championship round? Okay, that's true. Okay, um,
let's get let's pray. Let's pray. All I believe, does
anything know? When the round starts like before, everybody, take
(29:44):
a deep breath. You're relaxed. My nerves bad too. I
promise it's all good, though. It's all good. My Father God.
We thank you. We thank you for getting us through
the first three rounds. Father Guy, we thank you for
bringing us to this very moment. Father God, we thank
(30:04):
you for giving us a case that was meant for
the dealing mock trial team. Father God, Father God. I've
declared victory every time I've talked to you this past weekend,
Father God, for I know just as much as everyone
else in this group, Father God, that we will be
in the National Championship round. Father God, Father God. In
(30:28):
we saw the promised land. Now, Father got in two,
we've made it to the promised land. Father God. Now
that we've crossed the river Jordan, I asked that you
let us knocked down the walls of Jericho. Father Father God,
you've been with us COVID. You've been with us through hurricanes,
You've been with us through death, Father God. We've been
with us every year since this team's inception. So we
(30:51):
stand in this space on the shoulders of our ancest
the third Good Marsha. We're stand on the shoulders of
our ancestor, Charles Hamilton Houston. We stand on the shoulders
of justice Katangi Brown Jackson. Father God, we thank you,
Thank you God for putting us as black people in
this space and showing everyone here that we are not
(31:12):
something to be messed with. Father God, thank you. No
direct form against the shop prospering your older No, no,
no cross show formed against the shop prosper, no opening
form against the shop prospering. No closing form against the
showy prosper. And so we ask that you you stretch
your hand over us, put a hedge and protection around us.
(31:32):
Father got sent down your angels to speak through us.
Father Gods. Prosecution ready proceed? Yes, okay the sense Are
you ready proceed? Yes? I really have received so much
from being in community with these students or being able
(31:56):
to sort of walk along with them on this part
of their journey, Your honor, Mr Solomon, Members of the jury,
may it please the court. Every scheme needs a scapegoat.
On August nine, Officer Jay Murtall was handcuffed in front
(32:20):
of all of their constituents at the Midlands Center Police Department.
I would say the majority of them are motivated by
the prospect of being able to make change in their communities.
You know what I man proceeded with cross ms Mr Thomas.
(32:41):
There are students that dealer who want to go to
law school because they want to have lucrative careers, but
those end up not being the ones who joined the
mood trial team. Many of our students who have had
experience with the judicial system, the legal system, most of
that has been negative. You mentioned a time where the
defendant gave you some money, correct, but you never asked
(33:02):
the defendant where he got that money from. I guess
not no, But you never actually saw Mr Riggs sell
those drugs, did you. That's correct, man, But I think
that's the reason they show up. That's the reason that
they want to go into the profession. That's why they
want to be on the team. They want to develop
the skills to be able to say no, I want
to be a part of this change. Objection your honors
(33:25):
and proper character explain yes, your honor. They're using this
pro propensity sake to use an instance from to suggest
that Mr Riggs is now guilty. Ino is most definitely
being used for the character of Mr. Riggs Council. I
agree with the defense if you can lay the foundation
that this previous complaint instance was part of the conspiracy
(33:46):
you're alleging. You're firmly in barnacle. This comes in. But
until you lay that foundation, this is exclusible. Granted, I
don't care who it is, like, you have the ability
to compete against anyone, and I think that that is invaluable,
like that lesson, and I see it manifest itself for
(34:06):
those who go on from the team and who go
on to law school, when oftentimes people of color can
feel like impostors in law school classrooms and like they
don't have the ability to be success. But it's like no,
no, no no, because you've already had experience showing up with
people who have far more resources and more privileged and
you win. That brings us to my next point. You
(34:27):
actually confronted off similar talk about this, right correct. You
lie to Officer Murtalk, correct, And in doing so, Officer
Murtalk confessed all that she's done to you, right correct.
We fronted with some evidence that you know, we're in
a really interesting time in the history of our country
that I think this sort of window has opened up
(34:48):
for some of this progress to happen. I'm under no
delusion that that is just like a foregone conclusion, like
that it will always be this way. And so I think,
you know, in every space we find ourselves, we have to,
you know, while the wind is at our back, we
have to continue to push and to try to make
as much progress as we can, because we just don't
(35:10):
know how long that window is going to be open.
Thank you all very much, Thank you. I have dedicated
my career to public service because I love this country
and our constitution and the rights that make us free.
I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models,
(35:32):
generations of Americans who never had anything close to this
kind of opportunity, but who got up every day and
went to work, believing in the promise of America, showing
others through their determination and yes, their perseverance, that good,
(35:56):
good things can be done in this great country. From
my grandparents on both sides, who had only a grade
school education but instilled in my parents the importance of learning.
To my parents who went to racially segregated schools growing
up and We're the first in their families to have
(36:19):
the chance to go to college. It has taken two
hundred and thirty two years and one hundred and fifteen
prior appointments for a black woman to be selected to
serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But
(36:40):
we've made it. We've made it, all of us, all
of us, m your honor, the Morris. Members of the jury,
(37:09):
Just imagine the embarrassment of submerts her face as she
was handcuffed in front of her colleagues. Just imagine the
embarrassment Officer merts her face as she was walked down
into a squad car. Imagine Officer Murta sitting in a
(37:34):
jail cell. Members of the jury, this isn't a joke,
This isn't a laughing matter. This is something serious, and
they are trying to accuse my client of embezzlement and falsification.
No witness came before you today and could tell you
that my client stole anything from the police department. One
(37:56):
of the things the prosecution promised to you was that
the only name you would hear throughout the entirety of
this trial was Officer Jene Rigs. But it would serve
as no surprise to you nor myself that the name
Officer Jay Murta showed up not once, not twice, but
fifty nine times. Why because every scheme needs a scapegoat.
(38:23):
In today's case, the state tried to make a scapegoat
out of Gene Riggs. This web of conspiracies that has
been stunned by the opposing council cannot stand because every
scheme needs a scapegoat. And as the defense, we ask
(38:43):
that you please don't let them make a scapegoat out
of Gene Riggs. Find him not guilty. This has been
a great weekend. It's been a lot of fun. I'm
(39:06):
so glad that we were able to do this and
be back together in person. Okay, so this year we
gave you arson and then we gave you guns and
money and drugs. All right, everybody, we're gonna get out
(39:32):
some awards. So when I announced your name, stand up,
you recognized, what's your recognized Start coming, But we're not
waiting for you to get down for the next one.
We're gonna have a parade. Took twenty four ranks in
the DOS division. We're starting with Team fifteen sixty two.
The gauchos of UCSB. Madeline Whalen with seven ranks on
(39:58):
the defense from Team seven Howard University Jalen trap four
ranks on the defense of Texas MA Davie Summer, going
(40:20):
to twenty five ranks on the state side, going to
some b l e U Blue Devil's Team twelve sixteen
Dillard's Lejon Shelson. It would be nice to be in
(40:42):
New Orleans right now. All right, Indy DAWs Division. It
took twenty two rieks to be named and all American witnesses,
So we are going to start with an all American
yellow jacket from Georgia Tech. Jordan's Spencer, our next American
witness on the defense side of the case. Let me
(41:02):
see if I'm doing this right, d you Rendy City, Yes,
(41:27):
America inter Collegiate All American Yes now announced our Spirit
of Anthon winners. Hello everyone, my name is Missy Watt.
(41:49):
The main reason that I find this award so significant
one is that you all are the ones who vote
on it, and as you go on into the real
world and practice real law, remember that the way you
treat other people is important, and that the way you
you treat them is something that they will remember. If
(42:13):
you practice law, I can promise you that the attorneys
I remember are either the ones who were dishonest who
I couldn't trust, and I also remember the ones who
were the kindest and we're the easiest to work with.
With that um, I'm very excited to announce with Ranks,
(42:38):
I was their first an tow up. I have to
give them this award, So please join me in congratulating
Team twelve sixteen Lars University. That's what you don't ye
(43:20):
two into Collegiate Mock Trial National Championship All American Witness.
We just got something Ms Kimbers who wanted up to
get for a really long time. We're just a spirit
of am because she says we're not nice people, but
even pro wrong, we're nice people who got SPRETA. That's
pretty that's really awesome. We got some individual awards too.
(43:41):
I got an All American Attorney Award and I am
officially an All American Witness. I think that like I
couldn't have asked our team to go into that round
for these last four rounds and do anything differently. I
am extremely proud and blessed to say I'm a part
of the team and in my senior year, I find
really got my flowers and it feels good. Um and
(44:04):
their recognition and just you know, even being here with
another hbc U, it's it's I'm overjoyed. I think, you know,
you come, you come to Nationals with the intent of
crushing everybody and doing all that. But I think, you know,
dial It, we realized we're not We're not really here
for that. We're here to show people who we are
and what we're made of. And we made it. We
(44:26):
made it all the way to Nationals and we we
are nationally ranked again and we have all American witnesses
and attorneys on this team. So it's an amazing experience. Wow,
we didn't individually know every single one of those African
American students who got recognized as part of some team
or as an All American attorney. All American women's are best.
Believe we stood up when they when they got announced,
(44:48):
because they need to know that we got their back
and they are loved by this community, whether you are
directly from dial It or not. At the end of
the day, when when one of us, when we all
in so it feels good, it feels good. There were
five teams at seven wins. In tenth place with seven
(45:10):
wins and a CS of twenty one and a half,
Team eleven Washington University in St. Louis. We have a
three way tie for third, fourth, and fifth place in
the DOS Division at a record of eight wins. The
fifth place team with eight wins and a CS of
(45:31):
twenty one Team ten forty nine the Blue Devils of
Duke in third place in the DOS Division with eight
wins and a combined strength of the Bulldogs of Yale,
(45:55):
the champion of the DOS Division with eleven wins, one loss,
a combined strength of eight from Hyde Park, the South
Side of Chicago, the b Roads of the University. I'm Chicago,
(46:21):
the champion of the Stressman Division with eleven wins and
to see us at thirty and a half the Crimson
of Harvard. Despite their best efforts, Dillard finishes near the
bottom of the standings at the competition. A disappointment for
(46:43):
sure for coach Adria Kimbro This is her last tournament
for Dillard. It feels great, it's great. I mean, I
don't know any other words to say. I mean, I'm
very proud, but coach kimbro delivered. She brought her unranked
team to the promised lamb. Like what they've won cannot
(47:05):
be measured in a trophy. They create a legacy that
it's gonna last far beyond this moment. I couldn't be
more proud. I think I'm very proud we got to
all the bar and the spirit of after war, after
nationally um championship turnament. I don't think we could too bad.
(47:37):
I think the most important things and I don't want
to cry when I say this, I think the most
important thing is just putting small hbc U s on
the map. I think just showing people that you can
go to Dealard, you can be the captain of the
mock trial team, go to nationals. A lot of students
that I know in pre law came to Dealer just
(47:57):
for the mock trial team, and not all of them
made it, but like made it on the team. But
the fact that we were able to accomplish this after,
to be honest, having a losing streak. We hadn't made
it out of regional since before I even got there.
So just to be able to show, you know, our
student body what we've been working for. Their people who
have invited us to parties and we couldn't go because
(48:19):
we had competition people who wanted us to do whatever,
and we couldn't. We sacrificed a lot and for them
to finally see, oh, this is what you were working for,
it feels really good. Mhm. So when I arrived on campus,
(48:41):
I was very nervous at first, because for some reason,
it didn't seem like I was like worthy of that experience.
I was in a full trench coat with my neck pillow,
my suitcase, like I obviously just came from the airport.
I was asking around for directions because I didn't know
where I was going, and I kept mispronouncing like the
(49:01):
name of the hall I was supposed to be at,
and everybody was like, what are you talking about. I
never thought that I would, you know, go to Harvard.
In fact, it wasn't even my first, you know choice.
I was just like, I know, I want to be
on mock trial. Let me see the mock trial room,
like let me see where I'm going to be practicing
and studying, just seeing the courtroom. And it wasn't even
that fancy. I'm not gonna lie to you, but the
(49:23):
history behind it and they have this um competition where
like every at the finals, every year, there's a Supreme
Court justice that sits to judge the competition. And they
were like, well, hopefully we can get Judge Jackson since
she was just confirmed she's an alum, and I was like,
I would kill to be in the room if she
(49:44):
were to judge one of our competitions. So I just
I didn't feel out of place anymore. I was like, Okay,
I don't care that there's eighty students here. I don't
care that there's only five black students in the class.
Right now, I just cared that this actually makes sense
to me. And I know not everything is gonna make
sense to me in law school, but the fact that
I felt like I could go there and it could
be completely fine, that I won't feel like a fish
(50:05):
out of water, that I know I'll be able to
handle it, that was what was most important to me,
just you know, knowing that I'll be okay. I guess
to be sure, I have worked hard to get to
this point in my career, and I have now achieved
something far beyond anything my grandparents could have possibly ever imagined.
(50:28):
But no one does this on their own the path
was cleared for me so that I might rise to
this occasion, And in the poetic words of Dr my Angelu,
I do so now while bringing the gifts my ancestors
(50:50):
gave I. I I am the dream and the hope
of the slave. So so as I take on this
(51:12):
new role, I strongly believe that this is a moment
in which all Americans can take great pride. We have
come a long way towards perfecting our union. In my family,
it took just one generation to go from segregation to
(51:35):
the Supreme Court of the Natime, and it is an honor,
the honor of a lifetime for me to have this
chance to join the court, to promote the rule of
law at the highest level, and to do my part
(51:55):
to carry our shared project of democracy and equal justice
under law forward into the future. Thank you again, Mr
President and members of the Senate for this incredible honors.
(52:19):
Beautiful Oh yes, I'm actually Dillard was ranked in the
top fifty most beautiful campuses in the country. So the
this is the main part of the campus. These are
the dorms. This is William's dorm um. The bookstory gym
and thinks of that nature right here Dent's straight Ahead.
This is where the basketball team plays. So we have
(52:43):
four years to prepare ourselves for going into the world
and into a world that wasn't designed for them and
for me personally at h b c U, and I
know a lot of black students feel the same way.
We are safe. It is four years of only black people,
and it's only black people teaching black people how to
move in the world that is not made for them.
(53:05):
It's hard for me to really judge whether or not
a certain generation is gonna be the change because we've
been talking about, oh, this generation is gonna be the
change since the civil rights movement. But I will say
that more often than not, you will find young people
who are sitting here saying, obviously what you did was
not enough to fix the problem. And that's not that's
(53:26):
not a dig at what was done before. But that's
me saying I'm gonna take what you're doing and do
something more with it. It's just like that. So this
is our professional Schools building UM. This house is largely
more so some of our like science major stuff. The
(53:47):
third floor is where all the labs are. We also
have another building for it UM, but this school also
helps like our nursing program um. This is where the
freshmen get their first year seminars. Basically, Some Last Action
(54:18):
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