01/21/2026

High School Students Head to Court, Tackle Fourth Amendment Rights in Mock Trial Competition

COLUMBUS (January 21, 2026) - Over 2,000 Ohio high school students will take their place in courtrooms across the state for the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s (OCLRE) 43rd Annual Ohio Mock Trial Competition on Friday, January 30. Students will compete for a chance to move on to the regional competition, which will take place on Friday, February 20.  

Students will argue both sides of a motion hearing that combines forensic science, emerging technology and Fourth Amendment questions. The case begins with the 2000 murder of 24-year-old Caleb “CJ” Jansen, a warehouse worker found strangled in his Harmony apartment. A violent struggle left DNA under the victim’s fingernails—but no match was found, and the case went cold. That is, until 25 years later, when high school student Frankie Moyo uploads their DNA to a genealogy site for extra credit—and unknowingly triggers a chain of events that leads police straight to Morgan Remy, a former security guard at CJ’s workplace. Not only is Remy’s DNA a match, but police also discover CJ’s long-missing gold signet ring hidden in Remy’s home. 

But this isn’t an open-and-shut case. Before trial, the defense files a motion to suppress the genetic genealogy evidence, arguing that the police violated the Fourth Amendment by using a third party’s DNA without a warrant. The court must now decide: Is this powerful new investigative tool a breakthrough—or a constitutional overreach?   

According to Program Coordinator Jenna Lewis, the 2026 Mock Trial case challenges students to grapple with how advancing technology intersects with long-standing constitutional protections. “Genetic genealogy has become an incredibly powerful investigative tool,” Lewis said. “But as law enforcement turns to new forms of forensic technology, courts must decide how to balance public safety with individual privacy and Fourth Amendment rights.” 

Each Ohio Mock Trial team consists of five to twelve students who assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses to present both sides of an original, unscripted case based on an important constitutional issue. Each team competes in two trials against opposing teams. At the District Competition, teams must win both trials to advance to the Regional Competition in February. More than 1,000 legal professionals serve as volunteer judges, competition coordinators and team advisors. Ohio Mock Trial is Ohio’s largest high school academic competition and among the largest high school mock trial programs in the nation. 

The Ohio Mock Trial District Competition is hosted in 23 counties throughout Ohio. The High School Mock Trial page on the OCLRE website has a complete list of teams participating in the competition on January 30, along with the location of each competition site. The page will be updated after the competition with a list of teams qualifying for the regional competition.  

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. The Ohio Mock Trial program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation. For more information about OCLRE and its programs, visit www.oclre.org.  

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