The 2005 Mock Trial Case

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF THE
CNMI MOCK TRIAL COURT

COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN
MARIANA ISLANDS,

-v-

MARTHA CRUZ
Defendant

A PROJECT COORDINATED BY THE
CNMI BAR ASSOCIATION

2005 MOCK TRIAL COORDINATOR
Teresa Kim

CNMI Bar Association Executive Director
Mona Celia R. Mercado

INTRODUCTION

Hafa Adai and thank you to all students, teachers, attorneys, and educators and volunteers who will participate in the 7th CNMI High School Mock Trial competition. The CNMI Mock Trial Competition was started in 1999 by the CNMI Bar Association and former Justice Ramon G. Villagomez as a way to bring high school students into the courtroom. The goals of the competition are:

• To promote and further the understanding and appreciation of the judicial system, court procedures and the legal system;
• To promote better communication and cooperation between the legal and educational communities;
• To improve awareness of current social and legal issues; and
• To provide an education event to support students of all abilities and varying interests.

The 2005 Competition is scheduled to be held on Saipan at the Guma Hustisia/ House of Justice on FRIDAY MARCH 18 and SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2005.

We will be qualifying a team to represent the CNMI in the National High School Mock Trial Competition to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 5-7, 2005. Participation by the qualifying team will depend on funds available and raised.

This year's problem is titled Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands v. Martha Cruz. This is a criminal case dealing with first degree murder. NOTE: All characters, names, events, places, and circumstances in this mock trial case are fictitious.

The CNMI Mock Trial Championship is governed by the Rules of the Championship, the Rules of Procedure and the Rules of Evidence (Mock Trial version).

If there are any questions, please address them to Teresa Kim at 664-8847, or myself at 235-4529, and we will issue clarifications to all registered teams as soon as practical.

We hope that you enjoy participating and find that your involvement is an educational and rewarding experience. Thank you and Si Yu'us Ma'ase, we look forward to working with all the schools this year!

Sincerely,

Mona Celia Mercado
Executive Director
CNMI Bar Association

Resources for the 2005 Mock Trial Case:

(Please note that all resources are in PDF format)

Specific Trial Documents:

2005 Mock Trial Problem

Rules, Regulations, Procedures, etc...:

Rules
Basic Trial Procedures
Ethics, Preparation, and general procedures
Teacher-Coach Guidelines
Student Acting Guide

Registration Forms and Documents:

Letter To Schools