Students play Law and Order for a day

Natasha Smith is just 16 years old, but on Saturday she was a bomb technician with a master's degree and a Ph.D. in biochemistry.

"How well was the bomb constructed?" prosecutors asked Smith, who was playing the role of Kim Killian.

"It was fairly amateur, but still effective," Smith said.

Killian was one of the prosecution's expert witnesses Saturday during the annual Mock Trial Competition at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse.

The sophomore from Ensign Peak Academy in Magna was to testify about a plastic device with a chemical inside and a timing mechanism that had been found in a trash can at the fictitious Park Lane High school.

This year's scenario found student Casey Campbell on trial for attempted aggravated murder, possession of a weapon of mass destruction and possession of a dangerous weapon on a school campus.

Prosecutors alleged the artsy Campbell, who drew surreal-style pictures of a burning high school with depictions of students inside, was responsible for the plastic device and its intended consequences.

"Casey Campbell put his soul on paper and it was ugly," said prosecuting attorney Zachary Park, 16, a junior from Ensign Peak, who was later awarded best attorney on the prosecutor's side.

But a love of Salvador Dali-esque art, access to paint thinner and frustration with the school bully, Sawyer, aren't big enough pieces of evidence to tie the 17-year-old to the crime, defense attorneys argued.

In closing arguments, sophomore Andrew Glover compared the prosecution's case to a wall, which had faulty bricks and chinks, thus allowing reasonable doubt to creep in.

"These assumptions and guesses prove nothing," Glover said, adding the prosecutors can't rely on "could haves," "might haves" and "maybes" as solid proof.

The judge praised Glover's closing arguments and awarded him best attorney for the defense.

Real-life defense attorney Augustus Chin was one of the judges and praised each team for their preparedness and poise, but ultimately awarded the case to the defense team from Orem's Mountain View High School, saying prosecutors had failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

"In this case, it did come down to the closing argument," Chin said. "It made the difference."

He encouraged the students to consider professions in law, based on their thorough arguments, well-based objections and professional manners.

The students have been poring over the case since late January, memorizing their profiles and practicing cross-examination with their peers.

"It's helped me grow intellectually," said Dominique Montoya, a student on Mountain View's prosecution team. "It's helped me think on my feet a lot better."

Lineah Cancilla, a Mountain View sophomore, who was playing the role of a high school counselor during the trial, said she joined the extracurricular group because of her interest in the law.

"I want to be a crime-scene investigator," she said. "This is exactly what I want to do."

The competition is in its 29th year and each year involves more than 1,000 students, 80 teachers, 300 attorneys and 100 community representatives during the 110 state-wide mock trials, according to the Utah State Bar.

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com