English Trial

LLCE

VERSION 1

Cross-Examination of Jean Roberts

Purpose: Establish that Alex had the idea and initial plan for the social networking site, that Jessie might have had access to Alex's materials, and that Jessie’s project bore a strong resemblance to Alex’s original idea.

Attorney: Good afternoon, Professor Roberts. Thank you for being here today. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your CS50 class in the fall of 2016.

1. Attorney: Could you please describe the final project assigned to your CS50 class in 2016?

• Roberts: The final project required students to use a line of code learned in class to create a functioning website.

1. Attorney: Do you recall Alex Evans discussing his idea for the final project with you?

• Roberts: Yes, Alex proposed creating a social networking site specifically for Harvard students.

1. Attorney: How would you describe Alex’s performance and effort in your class?

• Roberts: Alex struggled with basic coding skills and often made tactical errors in his problem sets. However, he was ambitious and put in a lot of effort.

1. Attorney: Did Alex seem committed to his social networking site idea?

• Roberts: Yes, he was very enthusiastic about it and discussed it with me multiple times.

1. Attorney: Did Alex mention working with Jessie Morgan on this project at any point?

• Roberts: Yes, he mentioned that Jessie was helping with the coding for their project.

1. Attorney: In your experience, is it common for students to share their project ideas and work together in this manner?

• Roberts: Yes, collaboration is encouraged, but each student is expected to submit their own work.

1. Attorney: When Alex and Chris ultimately submitted their project, was it different from their initial idea?

• Roberts: Yes, it was quite different. It seemed they had changed their approach.

1. Attorney: How did Jessie’s final project compare to the idea Alex initially discussed with you?

• Roberts: Jessie’s project was a social networking site that bore a resemblance to what Alex described, which was unusual given the diversity of ideas typically presented.

1. Attorney: In your professional opinion, how advanced was the coding for Jessie’s project?

• Roberts: It was quite advanced, particularly for a freshman in the class.

1. Attorney: Is it possible that Jessie could have used information or ideas from Alex’s project to create his own?

• Roberts: It is possible, but I cannot say for certain.

Cross-Examination of Remi Lulseged

Purpose: Highlight the timeline and events that suggest Jessie could have used Alex’s idea and work to create 'Handbook', and address the accusations made by Alex and Chris.

Attorney: Good afternoon, Mr. Lulseged. Thank you for your time today. I have a few questions about your involvement with Jessie Morgan and the 'Handbook' project.

1. Attorney: When did you first become involved with Jessie Morgan's 'Handbook' project?

• Lulseged: I joined Jessie at the very beginning of the project in late December 2016.

1. Attorney: Can you describe your role in the project?

• Lulseged: I am the CFO of 'Handbook' and helped with expanding the business.

1. Attorney: How did you first learn about the 'Handbook' site?

• Lulseged: I overheard chatter about it and checked it out myself, and was impressed by its advanced features.

1. Attorney: When you met with Jessie to discuss the expansion, did he already have a business plan?

• Lulseged: Yes, Jessie was surprisingly prepared with a detailed plan for expanding to other Ivy League schools and beyond.

1. Attorney: During your meetings, did you ever see Jessie with documents or notes that could have belonged to Alex Evans or Chris Johnson?

• Lulseged: Jessie did have a mess of papers, which I assumed were his notes, but I can't say for sure if they were from Alex or Chris.

1. Attorney: On January 20, 2017, you mentioned discovering a site called 'Crimson-Link'. How did it compare to 'Handbook'?

• Lulseged: 'Crimson-Link' looked like a rudimentary version of 'Handbook' and seemed to have similar features.

1. Attorney: After returning to campus, did Alex and Chris contact Jessie regarding their concerns about 'Handbook'?

• Lulseged: Yes, they left angry voicemails accusing Jessie of stealing their code and business plan.

1. Attorney: Did Jessie ever explain to you why Alex and Chris were so upset?

• Lulseged: Jessie dismissed their claims, saying it was just a disagreement over not helping them with their project.

1. Attorney: Did Jessie ever admit to using Alex’s or Chris’s work in creating 'Handbook'?

• Lulseged: No, Jessie always maintained that he created the code himself and that the business plan was developed together.

1. Attorney: In your professional opinion, do you believe Jessie could have completed the project entirely on his own without any input from Alex or Chris?

• Lulseged: Based on what I know, Jessie is very talented, but I can’t speak to the specifics of his coding process.

VERSION 2

        [Interrogation of Jean Roberts]

Me: Good day, Mrs. Roberts. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Can you confirm that you were the CS50 professor for both Jessie Morgan and Alex Evans during the final project in 2016?

Jean Roberts: Hello. Yes, that's correct. I taught the CS50 course at that time.

Me: Could you describe the guidelines for the final project that you provided to your students?

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