Niagara High School Students Engage in Mock Trial Competition

In the heart of St. Catharines, the Ontario Justice Education Network recently hosted the sixth annual Niagara High School Mock Trial Tournament. This educational event brought together teams of high school students to participate in a simulated court trial, where they assumed the roles of prosecution and defense in a gripping legal battle.The case at the center of this year’s competition involved a tragic neighborhood dispute that escalated to violence, resulting in the death of Bailey Tanner. Charles Lavel, the defendant, was charged with second-degree murder following the incident. During the trial, Lavel testified that he had purchased a gun for protection because he feared his neighbor. He claimed that on the day of the shooting, Tanner aggressively approached him with a knife, prompting him to fire the shots in self-defense.Adding complexity to the case, a psychiatrist provided testimony suggesting that Lavel suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which might have influenced his perception of danger on that fateful night.The student teams were tasked with examining these details to determine whether Lavel was guilty of second-degree murder. The mock trial provided a platform for students to develop their legal skills and understanding of the judicial process, all while engaging in a realistic and challenging courtroom scenario.