Mock Trial

1. Please state your name and age.

A: My name is Alex Mishler. I am 20 years old.
(p. 35, l. 4)

2. How do you know the defendant?

A: I am in the auto-shop class at  college with Nova Martz, Val Foley, and Jae Duffy.
(p. 35, ll. 5-7)

3. What experience do you have with drag races in Condorville?

A: I was never a drag racer, but I attended almost every race for two years, until January 2026. I filmed races and posted clips on social media.
(p. 35, ll. 9-11)

4. What changed in January 2026?

A: I read about the ordinance and the racing deaths, realized I could get in trouble, and stopped attending races. I helped organize a petition for legal drag racing.
(p. 35, ll. 15-23)

5. What did you hear in auto-shop class on February 23?

A: Nova and Val were yelling at each other. Nova yelled, “Your car is pathetic!” and Val called Nova’s car a “piece of junk.”

(p. 35, ll. 27-31)

6. How did Nova respond?

A: Nova said, “You’re all talk.”
(p. 35, l. 34)

7. What did Nova say about Nova’s own car?

A: Nova said, “I think my Nitro Newt can beat Val’s piece of junk.”
(p. 35, ll. 39-40)

8. Over the next few weeks, what did people in class talk about?

A: The “upcoming race” between Nova and Val, many times.
(p. 35, ll. 41-42)

9. What happened at about 7:50 p.m. on May 22?

A: Jae Duffy called me and said, “Val’s ready to go! Get down to Main and Coyote!”
(p. 36, ll. 6-8)

10. What did you do next?

A: I rode my motorcycle to Main and Coyote and parked on the northwest corner, across from Cam Doggett’s station.
(p. 36, ll. 8-14)

11. What did you see about five minutes later?

A: Nova’s Nitro Newt pulled up to the red light, about 70 or 80 feet from me. Then Val pulled up next to Nova in the wrong lane.
(p. 36, ll. 16-17)

12. What did you hear?

A: What sounded like two engines revving.
(p. 36, ll. 18-2

13. What did Nova’s car do when the light turned green?

A: It peeled out into the intersection and appeared to be accelerating very quickly.
(p. 36, ll. 22-23)

14. What allows you to judge how fast a car is moving?

A: I have seen a lot of races over the years, and I can tell when a car is going to speed.
(p. 36, ll. 23-25)

15. Where was Nova’s car when Val’s car hit the pole?

A: Just to my left, almost right in front of me.
(p. 36, ll. 29-30)

16. What did you hear then?

A: Screeching from Nova slamming on Nova’s brakes.
(p. 36, ll. 30-31)

17. What did you do after the crash?

A: I ran over to Val, who looked badly injured. I tried to get her out of the car, but the door was jammed.
(p. 36, ll. 32-36)