KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — On Monday, the Dobyns-Bennett High School Mock Trial Team hosted a free Mock Trial Exhibition Community Performance at the former Kingsport City Hall building.

A mock trial is a simulation that schools use to teach students the processes of courtroom trials, and Dobyns-Bennett students worked a criminal case during the event.

The trial the team was assigned to was The State of Tennessee vs. Jules Capps. This incident involved Ronnie Montgomery and neighbor, Jules Capps. Capps is under suspicion of pulling a prank gone wrong and is being charged with Vandalism over $1000, Aggravated Burglary, and First Degree Murder.

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Sarah Beth Lovell, a teacher at Dobyns-Bennett and the mock trial’s sponsor, told News Channel 11 that she leaves it up to the students to ask the right questions and build their case during the trial.

“You’ve got kind of a script sort of to go by,” she said. “You’ve got a framework to work within, but it’s up to the kids to ask the right questions, to piece together the right evidence, to build their argument, to make their case and to advocate for their side.”

Lovell said the students’ capabilities when working with a realistic court trial continue to amaze her.

“It’s amazing because no matter what happens, the kids are so impressive with the product that they present; that it’s just mind-blowing what they are able to do.”

Much of the team’s time is spent practicing or in a competition room, so leaders at Dobyns-Bennett worked with the city to allow the kids to utilize the old city hall’s Chancery Courtroom to exhibit all they’ve learned to the community.

“We wanted to have a community exhibition for our mock trial team,” Lovell said. “Most of what I do is kind of kept in a competition area arena, and so we wanted to do something for the community so that they could showcase themselves.”

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