Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 17th annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides the material for a mock criminal trial. The federal government charges Martha Monroe with first degree murder for shooting her husband, George Monroe, while he slept. Martha Monroe asserts that she acted in self-defense because her husband had subjected her to severe and continual physical abuse that she feared would lead to her death. The handout clarifies the laws and explains the legal precedents. As evidence, the handout provides a police report; the defendant's medical report; and witness statements from the defendant, a detective, the former director of a woman's shelter, the defendant's brother, the director of the Emergency Medical Services at Washington Hospital Center, and an expert on the battered woman syndrome. Through participation in mock trials and analysis of the activity, students gain an insider's perspective on courtroom procedure and a basic understanding of the legal mechanism through which society resolves its disputes. Mock trials develop critical analysis, questioning and listening skills, and skills in preparing and organizing materials. (JD)