Applications Open for Empire Atlanta
Were you excited to try the case of State v. Wilder last fall? Do you still plan out case themes in your head? Have you lost sleep over a question that you just know you should have asked Ryan Manwill during cross examination?
Trust us: you’re not the only one. Here at Empire, COVID has us missing mock trial, too. That’s why we’re so excited to give you one more chance to flex your courtroom muscles before the end of the school year. We are proud to announce Empire Atlanta: The (Virtual) Southern Showdown.
For the first time since 2007, Empire is hosting a spring competition and we want you to be there. Join us virtually on May 20-24, 2021, for the last competition of Empire’s 2020-21 cycle and the final hearing of State v. Wilder in the state of Empirion.
State v. Wilder: An Encore Production
In January 2020, Taylor Amelia’s house was broken into, and Taylor was held at gunpoint. Using the victim’s eye-witness testimony, police arrested Ryan Manwill and Charlie Wilder the next day. In Empirion, burglary is criminal behavior, to be sure, but it doesn’t mean life behind bars. Unlucky for Wilder, though, is Empirion’s three strikes rule: with two previous convictions, a single burglary conviction would automatically send Wilder to prison with a life sentence.
(Click here to read a full summary of the case.)
This year’s case asked students to consider the merits of three-strikes laws in the United States. This fall, Susan Champion, Deputy Director of the Three Strikes Project spoke to students about her experience with Three-Strikes laws:
“Recidivist sentencing schemes have a disparate impact on people of color, the poor and the mentally ill… While Charlie Wilder may not be real, and while Empirion may not be real, there’s nothing mock about three strikes laws. There’s nothing mock about a person facing a life sentence in prison for committing a nonviolent crime.”
We’re not quite ready to put this case to bed, and we suspect that you aren’t, either. But don’t worry—the case isn’t going to be exactly the same as it was in the fall. Empire Atlanta will bring you a new edition of State v. Wilder. Who haven’t you met yet that could make a surprise appearance? Who might you be saying goodbye to? Will there be new evidence?
There’s only one way to find out. Apply now!
Competition Format
For Empire Atlanta, we’re debuting a brand new virtual format: Empire You, a twist on @Home that we hope will accommodate you, regardless of COVID restrictions. While Empire @Home encouraged students to compete using their own devices from home, Empire You allows each student to stream from any location (e.g. school or home) using any computer, even one that they’re sharing with their teammates. The stipulation: only one student may present per computer at a given time. That means while Delaney and her co-counsel Christian can take turns using the same computer, Delaney cannot share a computer with her witness, Edie, while directing her.
Why a new competition format, you might ask?
“It’s necessary,” said Empire’s Executive Director Justin Matarrese. “Given the varying approaches to handling COVID throughout the U.S., we need to give you the flexibility to compete from school or home, while still ensuring that all teams are playing by the same rules.”
In other words, one team in a trial won’t present ala Empire @Home while the other presents ala Empire One. Just like with previous Empire Online competitions, the Empire You Setup Guide (nearly identical to the @Home Guide) will provide clear instructions for how to present in virtual court in Empirion. All teams, and our judges, will know exactly how to prepare and what to expect before the competition ever begins.
In sum, Empire You was designed for exactly that: you. You choose your computer. You choose your location. You take center stage on competition day.
The Empire Experience
But that’s not all. Even in the middle of a pandemic, we are still dedicated to giving you the full Empire experience. This means not only an exciting new version of the case you already know and love, but a trip to one of America’s greatest cities. That’s why the Southern Showdown will include an Atlanta-themed virtual event. It will be like exploring Atlanta with all your mock trial friends, but from the comfort and safety of whatever environment you choose. Stay tuned to find out more about this fun event.
Ready to Apply?
We thought you would be. Apply now for free with an abbreviated application on our website. The registration fee for each team—including t-shirts, giveaways, four full trials as well as an Opening and Closing Ceremony, one Atlanta-themed virtual event and trophies mailed to your school—is $1,500.
We can’t wait to see you there.
Delaney Robertson is a graduate of Parkview High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and competed at Empire San Francisco in 2014 and at Empire New York in 2014 and 2015. She’s been a writer for On The Record since 2021.
Are you interested in joining the OTR team? Let us know. Send an email to admin@empiremocktrial.org.