Jan 30, 2024
COLUMBUS — More than 2,000 academics from Ohio’s top schools took their seats in courtrooms across the state Friday for the Ohio Law Related Education Center’s (OCLRE) 41st Annual Moot Trial Competition. Students competed for the chance to advance to the regional competition, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16.
The 2024 Ohio Mock Trial case examines the history and application of the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment. Specifically, the case looked at excessive fines in the context of property forfeiture resulting from a crime. The defendant, Ash Espinosa, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The State looked to recover the loss of the conspiracy by seizing Espinosa’s restored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. However, defendant Espinosa asserted that the State had seized more property and funds than what Espinosa owes and that, even if the Court determined that Espinosa is responsible for the remaining loss, seizure of the Camaro would violate Espinosa’s Eighth Amendment right against excessive fines.
According to program coordinator Danielle Wilmot, the 2024 mock trial provided academics with an opportunity to learn about a lesser-known component of the Constitution.
“The Eighth Amendment has a lot to do with prohibiting ruthless and unusual punishment,” Wilmot said. “But this case focuses on how the excessive fines clause applies to real-life situations. In preparing for the competition, the academics wrestled with some of the same questions faced by courts across the country.
Each Ohio Mock Trial team consists of five to eleven students who assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses to present both sides of an original, unscripted case based on an important constitutional issue. At the district and regional levels of competition, each team competes in two trials against opposing teams. Teams must win both trials, or the majority of their judges’ ballots, to advance to the next level of competition. More than 1,000 legal professionals serve as volunteer judges, competition coordinators, and team advisors. Ohio Mock Trial is Ohio’s largest high school academic competition and among the largest high school mock trial programs in the nation. The Ohio Mock Trial District Competition is hosted in 22 counties throughout Ohio including: Butler, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Lake, Licking, Lucas, Marion, Medina, Montgomery, Richland, Scioto, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Union, Warren, Washington, and Wood counties.
OCLRE’s online page comprises a full list of the groups that will participate in the festival on January 26, as well as the location of each festival venue. The online page will be updated after the festival with a list of the groups qualified for the regional festival. .
OCLRE is a non-partisan, non-profit organization whose project is to help society through the formation of citizens with an understanding of our democratic system. OCLRE is sponsored through the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio State Bar, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation. Ohio’s mock trial program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation. To learn more about OCLRE and its programs, visit www. oclre. org.
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