ALICE IN

WONDERLAND

Mock Trial
Written by Heather Gascoigne

Justice Education Society

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 2

ROLES

Judge:

Crown Counsel
Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Witnesses
Knave of Hearts:

White Rabbit:

Queen of Hearts:

Defence Counsel
Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Witnesses
Alice:

Cheshire Cat:

Mad Hatter:

Court Clerk:

Court Reporter:

Deputy Sheriff:
Number 1:

Number 2:

Jury:
Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 3

TRIAL PROCEDURE

1. The case starts when the sheriff calls “Order in the court. All rise.” Everyone stands. The
judge enters and takes his/her seat. Everyone sits down.
2. The court clerk calls the case “Regina versus __________(names of the accused).”
3. The Crown and defence lawyers introduce themselves to the judge.
4. The clerk reads out the charge (the indictment), and asks each of the accused, “How do you
plead?”
5. Each of the accused answers “Not guilty.”
6. The Crown makes an opening statement to the jury.
7. The Crown calls its first witness.
8. The defence cross-examines this witness.
9. Repeat the last two steps for each witness.
10. The Crown rises and says “That concludes the Crown’s case, Your Honour.”
11. The defence begins by making a short opening statement to the jury.
12. The defence calls its first witness.
13. The Crown counsel cross-examines this witness.
14. Repeat the last two steps for each witness.
15. Defence and Crown counsels each make a closing statement to the jury. The defence goes
first, followed by the Crown.
16. The judge instructs the jury.
17. Jury leaves to decide a verdict.
18. Jury returns.
19. The court clerk asks for the verdict.
20. The judge lets the accused go free if the verdict is “Not guilty.” If the verdict is “Guilty,” the
judge asks one Crown lawyer and one defence lawyer to speak to sentence. The judge then
sentences the accused.
21. The court says, “Order in the Court.” Everyone stands, the judge leaves and the trial ends.
Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 4

SCRIPT

Court Clerk: All rise, this court is now in session., His/her honour Judge ______
presiding. (Everyone remains standing until the Judge tells them to be
seated).

Judge: You may be seated. Are all parties present?

Crown: (stands and addresses the Judge) Yes, Your Honour. The case of The
Queen vs. Alice in Wonderland. I am _____ and these are may friends
and _____. We are acting on behalf of the Crown. These are our learned
friends _____, and acting on behalf of the accursed. (Each lawyer stands
as he/she is being introduced.)

Judge: Thank you. (Lawyers sit.) Please read the charge.

(To Court Clerk)

(Alice, the Sheriff, the Defence Lawyers, and the Court Clerk stand. The
Court Clerk reads from the indictment which the Crown Prosecutor now
gives to him.)

Court Clerk: Alice, you are charged that on, or about the 1st day of April, 2003, in
Vancouver B.C., you did unlawfully cause a disturbance in Wonderland,
and have therefore been charged with “Disturbing the Peace,” and did also
commit the crime of “Theft under $ 1000.00” of a box of Currant Cookies
from White Rabbit’s cottage. How do you plead?

Alice: Not Guilty!

Court Clerk: Your Honour, the accused pleads “Not Guilty.”

(Those standing now sit down.)

Judge: (to Crown) Please proceed with your case.

Crown: (Opening Statement) Your Honour, we intend to prove that Alice

deliberately followed White Rabbit down the rabbit hole into Wonderland,
a place where she had no right to be! She upset many of the citizens of
Wonderland with her many requests for directions. Furthermore, she took
food and drink which wasn’t hers, and interrupted a Tea Party and Croquet
Game without being invited!
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Crown: To support our case, we will be calling the knave of Hearts, (who was the
arresting Officer), and White Rabbit and the Queen off Hearts. We no
wish to call the Knave of Hearts.

(All Witnesses remain standing until they have been sworn in.)

Court Clerk: State your name and address, please.

Knave: My name is the Knave of Hearts, and I live in Card Castle, in Wonderland,
B.C.

Court Clerk: Take the Bible in your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Knave: I do.

Court Clerk: Be seated, please. (The Clerk returns to his seat.)

Crown: Knave of Hearts, please tell “The Court” what happened on April 1st of
this year.

Knave: The Queen of Hearts was giving her weekly croquet party inside the castle
rose garden. There was a disturbance, and she ordered me to break it up.

Crown: What did you find when you went to break up this disturbance?

Knave: A young girl pushing over the Queen’s soldiers and yelling “You’re
nothing but a pack of cards!” The flamingo mallets and hedgehog balls
were scampering all over the field! The game was in ruin!

Crown: Do you see the same little girl in the courtroom today?

Knave: Yes, that’s her! (He points to Alice).

Crown: The witness, the Knave of Hearts, has identified Alice as the girl in
question.

Crown: What happened next?

Knave: The Queen was very angry. She is used to winning every game. She was
yelling “ off with her head!” So I arrested Alice and put her in the tower,.

Crown: Did you find any evidence?

Knave: Yes. I took her fingerprints, and they matched with the ones on the cards.
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Crown: Are these the fingerprint charts?

Knave: Yes, they have my signature on them.

Crown: Court Clerk, please enter these charts as Exhibit A.

(The Court Clerk takes the charts).

Crown: Thank you. No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (To Defence) Do you wish to cross-examine this witness?

Defence: (stands) Yes, Your Honour.

Knave of Hearts, were you present when this so called disturbance started?

Knave: No, I was in the castle..

Defence: What were you doing in the castle when an important croquet game was
being played?

Knave: I was locking up three gardeners who had been caught painting the roses
red. The Queen was very angry with them. I didn’t notice the
disturbance until I returned.

Defence: So, it is your evidence that you did not actually see Alice start the
disturbance?

Knave: Well…no.

Defence: In face, I suggest that it was really you who started the disturbance in
order to cover up the fact that you had slipped away to steal the jam tarts,
which the Queen of Hearts had made for tea after fame!

Crown: (jumps up and speaks angrily!) Your Honour! I object!

Judge: Objection overruled. Witness, do you have anything to say? (The Judge
may make further comments if he wishes).

Knave: I deny that I caused any such disturbance!

Defence: I have no further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (to witness) You may step down.

(to Crown) You may call your next witness.

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Crown: We call the queen of Hearts, Your Honour.

Court Clerk: State your name and address, please.

Queen: (haughtily) I am the Queen of Hearts, and I live in Card Castle, in

Wonderland, B.C.

Court Clerk: Take the Bible in your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Queen: I do.

Court Clerk: You may be seated.

Crown: Queen of Hearts, who usually attends your weekly croquet parties?

Queen: Each week I send special invitations to a number of lucky citizens of

Wonderland. The guest list changes every week.

Crown: And had you invited Alice to this weeks’ game?

Queen: I most certainly had not! I’d never seen her before. She burst in on my
croquet game uninvited. Why, she did not even have the good sense to let
me win!

Crown: How did the disturbance start?

Queen: Well, Alice could not seem to keep control of her flamingo mallet and
hedgehog ball. Everyone was getting all mixed up, and she had the nerve
to keep asking what the rules were! Well! When she wouldn’t even let
me win, I finally shouted “Off with her head!” and my soldiers surrounded
her.

Crown: Did she leave peacefully?

Queen: No! She started shouting “You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” and
pushing them over, so my Knave of Hearts arrested her and took her to the
castle tower.

Crown: Thank you . No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (To Defence) Do you wish to cross-examine this witness?

Defence: Yes, Your Honor.

Queen of Hearts, do you always win every croquet game?

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 8

Queen: Of course.

Defence: Don’t you think it was reasonable that a little girl would get over-excited
and confused when playing a game which had no rules?

Queen: Everyone else in Wonderland can do it.

Defence: Don’t you think that yelling “off with her head!” and locking Alice in the
Tower, was rather drastic?

Queen: No! Especially since no one had invited her in the first place!

Defence: No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (to witness) You may step down.

(to Crown) You may call your last witness.

Crown: We call White Rabbit, Your Honour.

Court Clerk: State your name and address, please.

White Rabbit: White Rabbit, of Cozy Cottage, Wonderland, B.C.

Court Clerk: Take the Bible in your right and. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

White Rabbit: I do.

Court Clerk: You may be seated.

Crown: Where were you going on April 1st, 2003, when you disappeared down the
rabbit hole?

W. Rabbit: I was late for a very important date! I had forgotten my white gloves and
fan, and was rushing home to get them before going to the Queen’s
Croquet Party.

Crown: What happened when you noticed that Alice had followed you into
Wonderland? Did you stop to speak to her?

W. Rabbit: (shocked) Oh my fuzzy ears and whiskers! NO!

Crown: What did she do then?

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 9

W. Rabbit: Well! It was very annoying! She followed me through Wonderland,

upsetting the little mice and birds by talking about her cat, Dinah, getting
mixed-up in a Caucas race and complaining because it had no beginning
or end, and scaring the flowers! They thought she was a weed!

Crown: What happened when she finally caught up with you at your cottage?

W. Rabbit: She offered to go inside and run upstairs to my bedroom to get my white
gloves and fan.

Crown: And is that what she did?

W. Rabbit: No! She found a hidden box of very serious cookies. Which I was saving
for a special occasion, and ate them all up!

Crown: (holding up the cookie box) Is this the empty box?

W. Rabbit: Yes!

Crown: Your Honour, we would like to have this cookie box which has Alice’s
fingerprints on it, entered as Exhibit B. (hands the box to the C. Clerk)

(then, turning back to W. Rabbit) Would you tell the court what happened
when Alice ate the cookies.

W. Rabbit: She grew so big that her head pushed up the thatched roof of my cottage,
and she had to dangle her arms out of the bedroom windows. Her hands
reached into my garden!

Crown: How did you get her out?

W. Rabbit: Well, she pulled out a carrot out of the garden and when she nibbled on it,
she became tiny again, and ran down the stairs, out the door, and into the
forest, without even saying she was sorry!

Crown: Did you follow her?

W. Rabbit: Good gracious no!

Crown: When was the next time you saw her?

W. Rabbit: In the middle of a disturbance on the Queen of Heart’s croquet field.

Crown: Thank you. No further questions, You Honour.

Judge: Does the Defence wish to cross-examine this witness?

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 10

Defence: (to witness) You may step down.

Crown: We rest our case, Your Honour.

Judge: (to Crown) Thank you.

(to Defence) Will the Defence please begin.

Defence: (Opening Statement) We submit that this little girl, Alice, ahs been
wrongfully accused of both crimes. She followed White Rabbit down the
rabbit hole only because she was curious. She did not mean to upset the
citizens of Wonderland, and joined in on their games and parties simply
to be friendly.

Defence: We will call Alice, Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter as witnesses. I now
call, the accused, Alice to the stand.

C. Clerk: State your name and address, please.

Alice: Alice. I live at one hundred and eleven Curiosity Lane, Vancouver, B.C.

C. Clerk: Take the Bible in your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Alice: I do.

C. Clerk: You may be seated.

Defence: Alice, what were you doing on the afternoon of April 1st, 2003?

Alice: I was sitting under a big oak tree in our yard, with my cat Dinah, making a
chain of spring flowers.

Defence: What did you see?

Alice: A strange sight! I t was very curious! A large white rabbit ran by!

Defence: Can you describe this rabbit?

Alice: Yes. He had white gloves, a fan, and the biggest gold watch I have ever
seen, on the end of a chain attached to his waistcoat.

Defence: Did he say anything?

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 11

Alice: Not to me… but he was muttering something about being late for a very
important date!

Defence: What happened next?

Alice: He disappeared down a large rabbit hole under the hedge, and I was so
curious I followed him.

Defence: Did you find him?

Alice: NO! We fell down a long tunnel and he disappeared again, through a tiny
door. I was too small for me to get through until I found a bottle which
said “Drink Me.” When I did, I became small enough to get through the
door.

Defence: Should you have drunk from the bottle, Alice?

Alice: No… but I didn’t mean any harm, and I was so curious!

Defence: (holding up a bottle) Is this the same bottle?

Alcie: It looks like it. It says “Drink Me.”

Defence: Your Honour, we would like to have this bottle entered as Exhibit C.
(hands the bottle to C. Clerk)

(turning to Alice) Now, Alice, did you intend to bother the citizens of
Wonderland?

Alice; No! I was only asking directions and trying to find White Rabbit. I’m
sorry I scared the mice and birds and flowers, and spoiled the Caucas race.
If only someone would have told me the rules.

Defence: You’ve heard the testimony of White Rabbit. Did you intend to grow so
big that his thatched roof nearly came off?

Alice: No. I only went upstairs to get his white gloves and fan. I was trying to
be helpful.

Defence: And, did you intend to eat his special box of Currant Cookies?

Alice No… it’s just that I was beginning to get so tired and hungry from
wandering al over Wonderland!

Defence: Why did you run away without apologizing to White Rabbit?
Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 12

Alice I mean to, but I thought he’d be angry with me.

Defence: What happened next?

Alice: I met a Cheshire Cat, who had the biggest grin I have ever seen (!) and he
gave me directions to March Hare’s, because he is a very close relation to
White Rabbit.

Defence: Did the March hare tell you which way to go?

Alice: No. He was too busy having a tea party.

Defence: Where did you finally find White Rabbit?

Alice: I had wandered down a path and found myself in a lovely rose garden,
when along came a parade of card soldiers and the Queen of Hearts to play
croquet, and much to my surprise, there was White Rabbit! He had been
invited to play croquet with the Queen!

Defence: In your own words, Alice, tell us what happened at the croquet game.

Alice: Well, it was very strange! They used flamingos for mallets, and
hedgehogs for balls, and there didn’t seem to be any rules , as long as the
Queen won.

Defence: Did you intend to cause a disturbance?

Alice: No. But my flamingo and hedgehog got away, and the Queen got angry,
and all of a sudden I was surrounded by a pack of card soldiers!

Defence: What did you do?

Alice: I tried to push them away, but the Knave of Hearts took me to the Castle
and locked me in the tower!

Defence: Thank you Alice. No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: Does the Crown wish to cross-examine this witness?

Crown: Yes, Your Honour.

Alice, what good is it to say you didn’t mean to cause any harm? Don’t
you agree that if you hadn’t been so curious and followed White Rabbit
into Wonderland, none of this would have happened?
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Alice: (sadly) I try not to be curious, and I give myself very good advice, but I
very seldom follow it.

Crown: No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (to Alice) You may step down.

(to Defence) You may call your next witness.

Defence: We call Cheshire Cat, your Honour.

C. Clerk: State your name and address.

Cheshire Cat: Cheshire Cat, Grinning Grove, Wonderland, B.C.

Defence: Do you know Alice?

Cheshire Cat: I met her in the forest in Wonderland, on April 1st.

Defence: What was she doing?

Cheshire Cat: She was wandering about, looking for White Rabbit, and asking for
directions.

Defence: What did she say?

Cheshire Cat: She was very polite, and said “Would you please tell me which way I
ought to go from here?”

Defence: And what was your answer?

Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to go.” She didn’t seem to know, so I
gave her directions to March Hare’s house, because he is a close relation
of White Rabbits.

Defence: Did you like Alice?

Cheshire Cat: Yes! I thought she was a very polite, well-mannered little girl.

Defence; Thank you. No further questions, Your Honour.

Judge: (to Crown) Do you wish to cross-examine this witness?

Crown: No, Your Honour.

Judge: (To witness) You may step down.

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 14

(to Defence) You may call your last witness.

Defence: We call the Mad Hatter, Your Honour.

C.Clerk: State your name and address.

Mad Hatter: Mad Hatter, Tea Cozy Lane, Wonderland, B.C.

C.Clerk: Take the Bible in your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Mad Hatter: I do.

C. Clerk: You may be seated.

Defence: Mr. Mad Hatter, would you please describe how you met Alice.

Mad Hatter: Certainly. My friends and I, March Hare and Dormouse, were having a
tea party on March Hare’s front lawn, on April 1st, 2003. Suddenly, Alice
came out of the woods and sat down at the table with us.

Defence: What did she say?

Mad Hatter: She asked March Hare if he’d seen his relation, White Rabbit, but he
hadn’t.

Defence: What did you do then?

Mad Hatter: We decided to celebrate Alice’s unbirthday.

Defence: Was she pleased?

Mad Hatter: Well, I think so. She thought it was a curious idea. But then we started
telling riddles, and when she realized we didn’t know any of the answers,
she went off in search of White Rabbit, again.

Defence: Did you mind that Alice had joined your tea party without being invited?

Mad Hatter: If she hadn’t, how would we have been able to celebrate her unbirthday?

Defence: Thank you. No further question, Your Honour.

Judge: (to Crown) Do you wish to cross-examine this witness?

Crown: Yes, Your Honour.

Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 15

Mr. Mad Hatter, were you giving this tea party?

Mad Hatter: Well, no. It was at the home of March Hare, so I guess it was his party.

Crown: Don’t you think it was rather rude for Alice to sit down at a Tea Party to
which she hadn’t even been invited?

Defence Your Honour, I object!

Judge: Objection overruled. Please answer the question.

Mad Hatter: No… we don’t have many rules in Wonderland.

Crown: No further questions, You Honour.

Judge: (to Witness) You may step down.

Defence: We rest our case, Your Honour.

Judge : (to Crown and Defence) You may begin your summations.

Defence: Thank you, Your Honour.

(to Jury) Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, we have shown that Alice
only followed White Rabbit because she was curious. She did not mean to
disturb anyone in Wonderland, and only ate White Rabbit’s cookies
because she was hungry. Therefore, we can certain that you will agree
that Alice is innocent of both charges, and will find her not guilty.

Judge: (to Defence) Thank you.

Crown: Thank you, Your Honour.

(to Jury) Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, we have shown that Alice
followed White Rabbit into Wonderland, where she had no business
going, upset the inhabitants, took food and drink that was not hers,, and
ruined the Queen of Heart’s Croquet Party1 she must be taught that it
does not pay to be so curious! There fore, you must find her guilty of both
charges!

Judge: (to Crown) Thank you.

Judge: (Jury exists, and votes on all charges based on the evidence. A majority
decision is all that is needed. A foreperson is selected to speak for the jury.
The Jury returns).
Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 16

Madam/Mister Foreperson, have you reached a verdict?

Jury Foreman: Yes, Your Honour. (Alice, the sheriff and Defence counsel stand). We the
Jury find the Accused (“Guilty” or “Not Guilty”) of the charge of
Disturbing the Peace, and (“Guilty” or “Not Guilty”) of the charge of
Theft under $1000.

Judge: Thank you. (The Judge then passes sentence if “Guilty” or acquits if “Not
Guilty”) Court is adjourned.

Sheriff: Order in the court. All rise.

The End
Mock Trial: Alice in Wonderland 17

GLOSSARY

1. Trial: hearing before a judge, or judge and jury, to decide if a person has
broken the law.

2. Verdict: finding by the court if a person is guilty or not guilty.

3. Evidence: information presented by lawyers during a trial i.e. witnesses,

exhibits, etc.

4. Witness: person giving information during the trial.

5. Exhibit: object, such as a weapon or piece of cloth as part of the evidence

used by lawyers to prove a case.

6. Sentence: punishment ordered by judge after accused is found guilty.

7. Judge person who finds a person guilty or not guilty.

8. Jury: group of twelve people who find a person guilty or not guilty.

9. Crown lawyer for the government who has to prove that a person is guilty of
Counsel: breaking the law.

10. Defence lawyer who defends a person accused of breaking the law.
Counsel:

11. Accused: person suspected of breaking the law.

12. Court person assisting the judge.
Clerk:

13. Sheriff: person who is like a police officer of the court whose job it is to
maintain security in the courtroom.

TIPS

 Stick to the script although some improvisation can occur.

 Remember that witnesses cannot be asked to make statements on matters that
they have not personally seen or heard.
 Crown and Defence Counsel should always stand when speaking.
 Always address the Judge as “Your Honour”
 Judge may ask other questions throughout the trial to clarify points, so
lawyers should be prepared to answer these.
 Speak clearly!