The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
MOCK TRIAL HELD
Area high schools advance to regionals in annual competition
Area high school students presented compelling arguments during the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s 35th annual Ohio Mock Trial Competition.
On Jan. 26, 15 teams from schools in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties faced off in Lake County Common Pleas Court in Painesville, tackling realistic issues in a simulated trial.
Six teams won both their morning and afternoon sessions, making them eligible to compete in regionals Feb. 16 at a location yet to be determined.
The winning teams were: Andrews Osborne Academy in
Judges and attorneys volunteered their time to preside over and score the mock trials.
Willoughby, Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, both Mentor High teams (“Free Adam” and “Johnson 8”), the “Legal Lions” (one of three teams from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in Munson Township) and Perry High School.
Students from Charles F. Brush High School in Lyndhurst, Cornerstone Christian Academy in Willoughby Hills, Ginn Academy in Cleveland, Kenston High School in Bainbridge Township, Mayfield High School, Riverside High School in Painesville Township and South High School in Willoughby also competed.
The teams consisted of five to 11 students who prepared both plaintiff and defense arguments and competed in two trials against opposing teams, assuming the roles of witnesses and attorneys in a fictitious case. They competed twice, once as a plaintiff or defendant in the morning, and once in the afternoon representing the other party.
This year’s case involved a student who claims to have been wrongfully convicted in a 1998 crime. Students were required to consider the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
The teams practiced several months to prepare the mock trial.
Thomas Hull, who is Andrews Osborne Academy’s head mock trial team coach, said he was very proud of the students this year.
Hull, who is also the high school history teacher, said many of the students have been a part of this competition for three to four years.
“This is my third year being a part of mock trial and I have been both a lawyer and a witness and I think it’s a really great opportunity for high school students to be involved in law and be able to conduct a trial in an actual court,” said Natalie Sipula, a junior at Andrews Osborne Academy.
Natalie and high school senior Eric Vermilya were defense attorneys in the morning mock trial.
Although Eric has participated in the mock trial for several years, he said he still gets a little nervous.
“Three years in a row, I’ve started the trial with the opening statement — first person to go up to talk,” he said.
However, after the opening statements, he said he is able to relax.
The opposing team could relate to that nervous energy, considering this was their first mock trial.
“They took on a new experience and they performed very well,” said Riverside’s coach, Jeff Eckles. “Every kid in school needs to have something to do and something to be a part of and this is one of those great things that is both academic and competitive. You get exposure to law, but beyond that they are developing research, presentation and critical thinking skills. To me, I think this is the most valuable co-curricular activity we have because of that.”
Riverside sophomores Ryan Jones and Jake Parida were the two prosecuting attorneys in this trial.
Ryan and Jake agreed with their coach, noting that they learned a lot from the experience.
The Riverside mock trial team plans to return next year.
Regional winners will compete in the state competition on March 8 through 10 in Columbus.
The 2018 state champion will represent Ohio at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Reno, Nevada in May.
Judges and attorneys volunteered their time to preside over and score the mock trials.
Ohio Mock Trial is the state’s largest high school academic competition and among the largest high school mock trial programs in the nation, according to a news release. More than 3,000 students participated in mock trials statewide.