The case seemed like a slam dunk for the prosecution.
The available evidence suggested that former college student Ele Woods had accessed a secured internet site, harvested credit card numbers and used those numbers to make fraudulent purchases. Sinister stuff. Indefensible, even.
Except that the defendant had a crack defense team with the legal chops to turn presumption into uncertainty and a seeming slam dunk into a tightly contested fadeaway against the long arms of reasonable doubt.
The team called into question the most fundamental assumptions — Did the defendant in fact access the site legally? Are we sure the numbers in her possession were even credit card numbers? — and sicced Alyssa Futa, lead attorney and one of the team’s most eloquent interrogators, to cross-examine the defendant’s roommate, sowing seeds of possibility that it was actually the roommate who had perpetrated the nefarious deed.
In the end, the presiding judge had little choice but to award the victory to the defense, thus handing Hawaii Baptist Academy its first-ever Hawaii Mock Trial State Championship title.
For Futa, the team captain, the victory earlier this month was validation both of the team’s shared sacrifices and her own commitment to learning as much as she can about the profession of law.
“I was pretty shocked,” said the HBA senior. “We were just happy to be there, and we were really appreciative of the opportunity to compete.”
Futa grew up in Waipahu and spent much of her early adolescence playing basketball. As a high school freshman, however, she decided to try something different and joined a friend in looking into the school’s mock trial program.
To that point, much of what Futa knew of the law and of courtroom protocols was limited to what she had seen on TV. It didn’t take long for her to recognize and ultimately appreciate the deeper, more mundane nuances of the profession.
“I thought the courtroom was much more intense — like ‘A Few Good Men,’” she said. “As I got a better understanding of the law, I was surprised at how both sides worked to have a civil argument with each other.”
Futa got her legal toes wet that year making an opening statement and participating in direct examination. In the years since, she’s found satisfaction immersing herself in the meticulous work of case research, identifying applicable statutes and learning how and when to raise strategic objections.
“The best part for me has been working with the team and building such strong bonds and friendships,” said Futa, who is also president of her school’s National Honor Society chapter and a member of the Chinese Club.
Last summer Futa participated in the Volunteers in the Public Courts program and learned how to prepare documents for use in traffic court. The experience was just another part of the dues Futa is happily paying as she sets her sights on an prospective career in international law with a focus on prosecuting human rights violations.
In the meantime Futa is enjoying the satisfaction of helping to win the state championship for her school. (The team earned a spot at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Hartford, Conn., next month but will not participate due to a conflicting exam schedule.)
“I’m just really grateful for all of the opportunities that mock trial has presented and all of the support we’ve received,” she said. “It takes up a lot of time and resources, but our coaches, parents and school administrators are very supportive.”
Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
