2023 High School Essay Contest
The Anne Arundel County Bar Foundation invites all high school students in Anne Arundel County to enter its annual high school essay contest. The contest is open to all public, private, and home-schooled high school students in grades 9-12. This year’s contest is focused on the current Supreme Court case regarding remote testimony and whether the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment is violated by denying a criminal defendant the right to cross-examine a key prosecution witness live in court—rather than via remote video feed—pursuant to a general allowance for remote testimony where a trial judge finds that “exceptional circumstances” exist and that remote testimony would “further the interest of justice.”
Prizes: 1st place: $500 2nd place: $250 3rd place: $100
The winners will be honored at a special ceremony at the Circuit Court. All participants will receive a certificate. College admissions offices look favorably upon applications of students who have received writing awards.
How to Enter:
Write an essay on this topic: How should the U.S. Supreme Court should rule on this case and why? Students should submit an essay of up to 1,200 words on the stated topic (see details below). Entries should be double-spaced, typewritten and printed.
The essay must be accompanied by a cover sheet that includes the following information: the student’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address; school’s name (if applicable), address and phone number; and the name of the teacher sponsor (if applicable, or parent if home-schooled). All portions of the essay that are not expressly identified as quotations must be the original work product of the student submitting the essay.
Essays must be received by May 17, 2023 and e- mailed to: info@aabar.org
Essay Topic
The case under consideration:
HAMID AKHAVAN AND RUBEN WEIGAND, Petitioners, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Supreme Court is hearing a case to decide whether the remote testimony has run afoul of the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees a criminal defendant the right “to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”
Questions? Please contact us at 410-222-6860 or info@aabar.org.