January 14, 2013

Q. In Exhibit 4, the Discharge Summary for Clearwater Medical Center, it mentions that Alex Greyjoy had attempted suicide as recently as April 2007, when in fact he had attempted suicide as recently as April 2011 (as per Exhibit 1).  Is 2007 a case typo, or is that correct (ie, the Hospital recorded the wrong date in the Discharge Summary).

A. Based on the evidence in the case, Mr. Greyjoy attempted suicide on 4 prior occasions: once in 2002, 2007, 2009, and April 2011. The date in Exhibit 4 is incorrect.

 

Q. In Robin Snow's Affidavit, paragraph 15, Dr. Snow mentions early dementia and its effects.  Nowhere in the rest of the case is this also mentioned.  The context of the paragraph seems to suggest Dr. Snow is discussing a defense witness.  Would it be a fair extrapolation based on Mock Trial rules to suggest it is Doctor Stark who suffers from early dementia?

A. No.

 

Q.  Can you please review the criteria  for determining which witnesses are allowed to enter a piece of evidence?  Are expert witnesses allowed to introduce a piece of evidence?

A.  Any witness may be used to admit an exhibit, so long as counsel lays the proper foundation as to why the witness is the proper person through which to admit the exhibit.  Once an exhibit is properly admitted, any witness, including an expert, competent to give testimony about the exhibit may be confronted therewith.

 

January 7, 2013

Q. Are any of the witnesses already designated as experts or do we have to certify them? I thought the two that came with the curriculum vitaes might already be.

A.  There is no stipulation as to experts, and each proffered expert must be qualified and accepted by the Court before the witness may offer expert testimony.

 

October 2, 2012:

Q. Will teams be allowed to set a dollar amount for damages? I thought, in the past, that we were not allowed to specify an amount, just validate that damages existed.

A. Since damages aren't an issue, teams will not be allowed to set dollar amounts. 

 

From the Mock Trial Committee: 

As competition updates are released, they will be posted on this page. 

ALL questions regarding the CASE and the RULES should adhere to the following guidelines: 

♦ Procedures: All case and rules questions must be submitted via email to the mock trial coordinator rgarner@msbar.org. Only teacher or attorney coaches may submit questions on behalf of a team. The mock trial coordinator will only process written case and rules questions submitted by email and will not accept questions submitted by any other method, including phone, fax or in person. 

♦ Times to Submit Questions: Teams may submit questions from Sept. 28, 2012, until 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2013. Questions may also be submitted from Feb. 18 - 22, 2013. This time period is post-Regional competition and pre-Statewide.

♦ Receiving Answers: Teams will check the website for a running list of answers to all case and rules questions submitted throughout the season. 

♦ Final Answers: The final Q&A list will be posted on the website by Feb. 27, 2013, at 5:00 pm. 

The fact that the Mock Trial Committee made a correction or addition to the case materials at any point during the season is not relevant during a trial round. Teams are to assume that the fault for any typographical error or any other correction, addition or clarification to the case materials indicated in the Q&A list posted online lies with the mock trial committee, not with a particular witness. The clean, corrected copy of the materials that will be posted by January 18, 2013, is to be considered the first and only version of these materials submitted by any party in this action when trying this case in a competition round.

If you have a question about the case or the rules, please send your question to Rene' Garner at rgarner@msbar.org. She will forward your question to the committee for a response.