PTHS’s Mock Trial’s Qualifying Round Win From the Defense Makes School News

PTHS’s Mock Trial club had its first competition on Tuesday, January 14 at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown. The club has been working on the year’s case since early October, and Mrs. Neumann, the team’s coach, is extremely proud of all the work they have put in throughout the last couple of months to form a strong argument. 

Like any court case, the team is composed of two sides: the plaintiff who filed the suit and the defendant who defends the accused, in this case being Petzicon Products Inc. which was charged with negligence by creating a faulty flea treatment that caused the plaintiff’s dog’s demise. Functioning similar to a play, each team member aside from the attorneys have a “script” or affidavit to follow, though they are encouraged to use fragments of their testimony along with improvisation when speaking on the stand. The attorneys, too, must act quickly on their feet in order to form accurate rebuttals along with formulating a concise closing statement at the end of the trial. 

The plaintiff which was composed of attorneys Jeremy Hawthorne and Andrea Cristea and witnesses Jack Dunham, Gianna Sager, and Caroline Budeshiem did not have a chance to provide their argument in front of a Morris County Courthouse esteemed judge due to the forfeit of the opposing team; however, the defendant composed of attorneys Ben Carpenter and Sean Moore and witnesses Nick Sidoti, Jake VanVarick, and Sabrina Cristea. In a heated trial, the results were close though PTHS’s team came out victorious.

Overall, Mock Trial has allowed students to study the judicial system of the United States along with pursuing potential careers in the future. All the members of the club agree that in the few months they have spent together while working on this case, close bonds have been forged, and everyone learned a thing or two from the trial, whether it be public speaking, spontaneity, or simply how a real court case would function.