TACOMA, WA – On November 27, 2013, the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s (PCPAO) Diversity Committee will host a mock trial for Upward Bound high school students. The mock trial will begin at 9:00am in Courtroom 210A, immediately following opening remarks delivered by Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, James Curtis, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and Diversity Committee Chair, and Mary Kay High, Chief Deputy Attorney for the Department of Assigned Counsel. Volunteers from the PCPAO will be actors in the recreation of a real criminal trial. The students will play the role of the jury and will deliver a verdict.

“These energetic students represent our community’s future,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “We’re looking forward to an exercise in civics that will be as entertaining as it will be educational.”

This experience will give students the opportunity to learn how the justice system operates in their community. In addition to a great learning opportunity, students will have the chance to discuss their experience and the justice system with local attorney and judges.

The students participating in the mock trial represent the Upward Bound programs at Lincoln High School, Mt. Tahoma High School and Foss High School. Upward Bound provides fundamental support as participants prepare for college. The program offers opportunities for participants to succeed in their pre-college performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families as well as students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education, enroll in institutions and graduate with a post-secondary education.

The PCPAO’s Diversity Committee’s THINK program was created to provide Pierce County students with an introduction to law, public policy, and community leadership, while creating opportunities to gain knowledge and skills in legal analysis.