COLUMBUS (April 9, 2026) - Over 500 Ohio middle school students will bring S. E. Hinton’s beloved young adult novel to life at the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s (OCLRE) annual Middle School Mock Trial Showcase on April 17, April 24 and May 8 at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus.
OCLRE middle school mock trials are crafted from literature commonly taught in middle school classrooms. This year’s case is based on S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. The case is set in Oklahoma during the 1960s, a time marked by deep social divides between the working-class youth of the East Side, known as the Greasers, and the wealthier teens from the West Side, known as the Socs. One summer night, a confrontation between the groups turns deadly. Bobby Sheldon, a popular Soc, is killed during an altercation near a public park. Johnny Cade, a 16-year-old Greaser, is arrested and charged with murder. Johnny and his best friend, Ponyboy Curtis, claim that the act was done in self-defense after being attacked by Bobby and his friends. The prosecution, however, argues that the act was intentional and stemmed from long-standing animosity between the groups.
Students must consider both sides of the case, as they will argue as both the prosecution and defense before a panel of volunteers who evaluate their performance. With the help of teachers and attorneys, students learn about the legal system and develop reading, research, writing and public speaking skills.
Teams from the following schools will participate in the state showcase: Belpre Middle School (Washington County), Bethany School (Hamilton County), Bishop Fenwick Elementary Middle (Muskingum County), Buckeye Valley Middle School (Delaware County), Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (Hamilton County), Cornerstone Academy (Franklin County), Danville Middle School (Knox County), Dominion Middle School (Franklin County), Garfield Middle School (Cuyahoga County), Harding Middle School (Cuyahoga County), Jackson Memorial Middle School (Stark County), Kenston High School (Geauga County), Langston Middle School (Lorain County), Laurel School (Cuyahoga County), Menlo Park Academy (Cuyahoga County), Notre Dame Middle School (Geauga County), Perrysburg Junior High School (Wood County), Reading Community Middle School (Hamilton County), Ridgeview Middle School (Franklin County), Seton Catholic School (Summit County), Shaker Heights Middle School (Cuyahoga County), Solon Middle School (Cuyahoga County), St. Hilary School (Summit County), St. Matthew the Apostle (Franklin County), Wheelersburg Middle School (Scioto County) and Woodward Park Middle School (Franklin County).
OCLRE is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve society by developing citizens empowered with an understanding of our democratic system. OCLRE is sponsored by the Supreme Court of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio State Bar Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation. Middle School Mock Trial is additionally funded, in part, by the Ohio State Bar Foundation. For more information, please visit www.oclre.org.
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