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Trial, Fall 2007
FYS 102-10


As part of the course, we will exercise our knowledge and critical thinking in a mock trial. The topic is global warming, and the book "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton.

Roles

Attorneys
One student on each side will be the prosecutor / defense attorney. This person is responsible for presenting the case, organizing the case, questioning and cross-examing witnesses, presenting opening and closing arguments.
This person must produce an outline of the case and potential standards, called the "Case Law" (3-5 pages) before the trial. After the trial, they must produce a summary of the case (7-10 pages) as their final paper.

Witnesses
Each remaining student will act as an expert witness. The side they are on will be chosen in the first two weeks of class. From that point, each student must choose a witness (real person) to represent, research their expertise, and present it at the trial. They are responsible for playing a person / group, learning about and correctly representing their knowledge / expertise, and answering questions from mock lawyers during the trial.
Each person must produce a written "deposition" outlining their testimony and credentials (3-5 pages) before the trial. They must answer / rebut questions in the final draft. After the trial, they must produce a verdict on the case (7-10 pages) as their final paper.

Timelines / Dates

See your syllabus for the official list of timelines/dates. However, you should be working on this project throughout the class, with these dates as guideposts. 
Date                    Material
                      
----                    --------
                      
07 September (Fri)      Attorney and witness sides chosen for trial
  

01 October   (Mon)      1st Witness choice for trial due

17 October   (Wed)      Final witness choice for trial due

31 October   (Wed)      1st draft of "deposition"/"case law" for trial due

05 November  (Mon)      Question / critique from each person due

12 November  (Mon)      Final "deposition"/"case law" for trial due 

14 November  (Wed)      depositions and case law made available to each side

19 November  (Mon)      NO CLASS!
20 November  (Tue)      NO CLASS!
21 November  (Wed)      NO CLASS!
22 November  (Thu)      NO CLASS!
23 November  (Fri)      NO CLASS!

03 December  (Mon)      First day of trial
04 December  (Tue)      Second day of trial
05 December  (Wed)      Verdict
07 December  (Fri)      Wrap up

12 December  (Wed)      FINAL PAPER due by 5pm
If you have any questions, or comments, please e-mail them to me at doty@cc.denison.edu. Thanks!