Robin Cole was accused of involuntary manslaughter this weekend.
The judgment comes after he plowed his Chevrolet Suburban into George Vanderlay’s Saturn Coupe on his way home from the Realto Bar and Grill where he had just watched the Spartans beat the Florida Gators in the NCAA tournament.
But this decision has a twist.
Robin Cole doesn’t exist - well, he did. But just in the minds of participants in the National Trial Advocacy Competition which was held this past weekend at the Detroit College of Law at MSU.
And Robin Cole played a vital role - as the major suspect in the mock trials.
The prosecution presented evidence against Cole saying he was drunk and unable to drive.
“Mr. Cole made a series of bad choices that resulted in death,” Erica LeBlanc, a student at the Dallas, Texas-based Southern Methodist University, said in her opening statements. “We ask that you find him guilty.”
The defense, meanwhile, said the accident was unavoidable due to the horrible weather conditions of rain and fog.
“If you hold any reasonable doubt about any of the evidence you are presented with today you must find him not guilty,” Florida State University student Jason Hill told the jury in his opening argument.
Each team consisted of four members with two acting as lawyers and two serving as the witnesses that took the stand and faced questions from the prosecuting and defense attorneys - just as they would in an actual trial.
The trials proceeded as a normal court case would, with both sides able to call witnesses to the stand and question them and, later, present their closing statements.
When the trials were finished, the judge and jury gave the students an evaluation of their performance, while noting their strengths and offering suggestions for improvement.
Juror Herb Tanner, a Michigan prosecuting attorney, stressed the importance of letting personality shine through so the jury can identify individually with each lawyer.
“Be yourself because you are in charge of the courtroom,” Tanner said.
The jury and Judge Richard Pijtas, a circuit court judge from Charlevoix, even said some students were just as good as some of the lawyers they have seen in the professional world.
“They were better than the average attorneys I see in my courtroom,” he said. “In 16 years as a judge I was very impressed by all the competitors’ knowledge and performance.”
Southern Methodist University prevailed as champion in the final trial held Saturday afternoon. The tournament was the first of what MSU-DCL officials hope will be many.
“The other teams we saw were so good and included such high caliber advocates,” Regan Williams, a member of the Southern Methodist University team.
“The honor of winning really means a lot to us.”
Grant Carlson, who served as director of competitions for the Moot Court Board, said he could not have asked for more from the trials.
He said the top programs in the country were in attendance. Carlson also said he received great responses from the teams.
“This gives us a great reputation,” he said.
“It was a lot of work but it was also a lot of fun for everyone involved.”
