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COLUMBUS — Nearly 1,000 Ohio high school students are back in court, bringing them one step closer to representing Ohio at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in May. Out of the 250 teams that participated in the District Competition in January, over 100 teams will now advance to The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s 43rd Annual Ohio Mock Trial Regional Competition, which will take place in courtrooms across the state 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 uploaded their DNA to a genealogy site for extra credit–and unknowingly triggered a chain of events that led police straight to Morgan Remy, a former security guard at CJ’s workplace. Not only is Remy’s DNA a match, but police also discovered 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 Regional Competition, teams must win both trials to advance to the State Competition. 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 Regional Competition is hosted in 11 counties throughout Ohio. The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s website has a complete list of teams participating in the Regional Competition on February 20, along with the location of each competition site. The website will be updated after the competition with a list of teams that qualify for the State Competition.

The 2026 State Competition will take place over three days, beginning on March 12 and culminating in the State Championship at the Supreme Court of Ohio on March 14. The 2026 state champion team will represent Ohio at the National High School Mock Trial Competition on May 7-9 in Des Moines, IA, hosted by the Iowa State Bar Association.

The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve society by developing citizens who are empowered with an understanding of our democratic system. The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education 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 The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education and its programs, visit www.oclre.org.