Howard Payne University’s Mock Trial team participated in the Green and Gold Invitational Mock Trial Tournament at Baylor University, with TJ Counce, senior from Lockhart, receiving the award for second-best overall witness.

Mock Trial is a simulation of lower-court trials in the United States judicial system. The American Mock Trial Association acts as the governing body for intercollegiate Mock Trial competition and hosts tournaments at universities across the nation to provide opportunities for college students to gain experience for future law careers. Through the trial simulations, students develop critical thinking and public speaking skills, as well as a knowledge of legal practices and procedures.

Other HPU participants were J Bailey, junior from Gunter; Joshua Dykes, junior from Mount Pleasant; Zachary Eller, senior from Temple; Katherine Hailey, junior from Waxahachie; Lainee Hasty, freshman from Runaway Bay; Rachel Hughes, sophomore from Llano; Caleb Kostreva, freshman from Clifton, Colorado; Daniel Lacy, sophomore from Kerrville; Sierra Mendez, sophomore from Brownwood; Jakob Morgan, sophomore from Blanket; Danya Rios, junior from Brownwood; Skyler Schoolfield, sophomore from Aledo; and Andres Zambrano, junior from Brownwood. The team is led by Lorianna Kelley, assistant professor of government.

The students played the roles of attorneys and witnesses during the conference. Team members who served as attorneys for the defense and prosecution prepared opening statements, closing arguments, and direct- and cross-examination for the witnesses. Counce served as a witness while playing several expert roles and won accolades from all the judges.

The three-day contest, which is sanctioned by the AMTA, attracted 30 teams of undergraduate students from across Texas. Local attorneys and law students served as judges for the tournament.

Pictured above, HPU senior TJ Counce was named second-best overall witness at the Green and Gold Invitational Mock Trial Tournament at Baylor University.