After sweeping to victory in two trials Friday morning at the Lake County Courthouse in Painesville, NDCL's Mock Trial team will now advance to regional competition on February 19 at the Old Courthouse in downtown Cleveland.
NDCL and two teams from Mentor High School were the only teams to make it out of the hotly contested competition, which included a total of 10 teams from Hawken School, Andrews Osborne Academy, Kirtland High School, Lake Catholic High School, Gilmour Academy, and Willoughby South.
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| LEGAL EAGLES: Junior Chris Jerme, sophomores Antonia Mysyk and Briana Cowman, and junior Tom Fogarty show off their individual awards from Friday's Mock Trial competition in Painesville. APPROACH THE BENCH: The Honorable Eugene A. Lucci, judge of the Lake County Court of Common Pleas, meets with members of the NDCL Mock Trial team after ruling in their favor. With Judge Lucci are freshman Kayla Powell (left), sophomore Briana Cowman, freshman Hannah Taylor, junior Tom Fogarty, and senior Alexandra Edmonds. |
The budding barristers tried a case involving the use of deadly force by the police—a timely issue in Cleveland and throughout the nation. An officer shot a teenager dressed in an archer's costume and carrying what later turned out to be a toy bow and arrow. The teen was on his way to a medieval faire at the time of the incident.
On the prosecution side, junior
Tom Fogarty won the award for best attorney and sophomore
Briana Cowman earned the best witness honor. NDCL's prosecution team also included senior
Alexandra Edmonds, attorney, and freshman
Hannah Taylor, witness.
Defense lawyer junior
Chris Jerme also won the best attorney award, with sophomore
Antonia Mysyk taking the prize for best defense witness. Junior
JD Delahunty served as Chris's co-counsel, and senior
Machala Comenschek acted as the second defense witness.
Freshman
Kayla Powell and junior
Randy Cumley served as timekeepers and bailiffs for Friday's trials.
Social studies teacher
Mr. Alex Dowger and English teacher
Ms. Vicki Frabotta coach the team, with legal assistance from attorneys
Mr. Matt Lallo '02 and
Mr. Shawn Maestle, father of junior
Emma and freshman
Morgan.