Aside from CSI and Law and Order, most Auburn students don't know the inner workings of a courtroom.
The Auburn Mock Trial Team, however, spends a portion of each year in a courtroom competing against other schools in a "mock trial".
The team is composed of two teams, one with eight members and one with 10, and the members play a variety of roles to prepare for competition every spring.
"The American Mock Trial Association sends us a case packet every year with affidavits and exhibits that we have to study," said Paul Bergen, sophomore in microbiology and treasurer on the team.
From the case book, witnesses and attorneys are constructed, and the team comes up with witness performances along with direct and cross examinations.
"We have to prepare for both sides, so you don't know if you're going to show up to a competition and be the defense side or the prosecution side, so we prepare for everything," said Sam Lamere, junior in political science.
When the team competes, it forms a defense or prosecution and acts out the case with another team who is playing the opposite side.
Just like a real lawsuit or trial, despite preparation with witnesses, the members never know what to expect from the other team.
"During the fall semester we meet weekly and work out all aspects of the case, then scrimmage (act out the trial) with ourselves," said Kate Boston, junior in English and secretary of the team. "We're coached by local attorneys."
The case this year is The State of Midlands v. Jackie Owens and involves three Hollywood stars, two directors and an actor/actress (the role is gender neutral), who form a production company together, Bergen said.
The three partners were offered a chance to sell the company and one, Jacob Bennett, owned 55 percent of the company and did not want to sell, while the other two did.
A while later he was found dead and the actor/actress, Jackie Owens, is the main suspect because he/she did not have a strong alibi, Bergen said.
This is the team's second year to compete in the regionals.
"It was our first year at competition last year," Lamere said. "We did pretty well, but we hope to do better this year."
With new ideas and returning members, the team feels it has improved.
"As a team we did really well, but we didn't know what to expect," Bergen said. "There were technical issues like how witnesses were supposed to be more like actors and actresses and how attorneys should walk in the classroom. Now that we know that, I think we'll do much better."
In addition to being prepared for competitions, the team members also feels prepared for law school.
"It is really good prep for law school because there is a lot of analytical reading involved and you learn how to look deep into something and find the different angles," Lamere said.
Boston said regionals begin in late February and early March, and the team will compete against other Southeastern colleges.
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