A Penn State organization is bringing police brutality to trial -- mock trial, that is.

The Penn State Mock Trial Association will travel to Chicago, Ill., over spring break to compete in the Northwestern National Tournament for the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). The Silver Nationals are the qualifying competition for the Gold Nationals, the final competition of the year, which will take place in April at Stetson University in Florida, said Jenna Lyle (senior-psychology and philosophy), president of the Penn State Mock Trial Association.

The same fictional trial is used all year by every participating team. This year's trial is a civil suit regarding suspected police brutality. The family of a teenage robbery suspect who was shot by a police officer is suing the police department. At the time of the trial, the teen has been in a coma for two years, but the suit had to be brought against the police station because the police officer in question, who maintained that he thought the teen was reaching for a weapon, committed suicide after the incident.

The competition in Chicago will feature at least 40 teams. At the Silver Nationals last year, the Penn State Mock Trial Association took first and second place and finished 12th at the AMTA National Championship Tournament, Lyle said.

The trials will begin on Friday during spring break and will continue through Sunday. Each participating team will compete in four trials over the course of the weekend, whether they win or lose. Two of the trials are representing the plaintiff, and two are for the defense.

To make sure that two teams from the school don't get placed to compete against each other, all competing teams are split into two divisions, said Mike Thomas (sophomore-international politics), a team member.

The teams remain in their divisions for the entire competition, and at the end when the points are totaled, the two top teams from each division compete against each other for first place, Thomas added.

Unlike many other universities, the Mock Trial Association at Penn State is open to anyone who would like to join.

The organization currently has more than 130 members, but not every member competes regionally or nationally, Lyle said.

During the fall, after the American Mock Trial Association releases the year's trial, members of the Penn State team participate in an intramural league. For regional and potential national levels, there are three teams with eight members each. The members of these teams are selected based not only on their previous performances and scores, but also their dedication to the organization and availability to make the preparations necessary.

"It's basically like having two extra courses," Lyle said.

Mock trial is not only for those on the law school track, and the club is always seeking new members, Lyle said. There is no seniority in the selection process for the Penn State teams, which include members ranging from freshmen to seniors, she added.

"It does get to be entertaining, kind of like the law side of Law and Order," Lyle said.