Trinity team headed to mock trial competition
The district mock trial championship held Saturday morning at the Washington County Courthouse was a close one, with Trinity’s Team 1 earning 694 points to beat the combined Fort Cherry-Burgettstown team’s 664 points. Trinity’s team also won all seven juror votes and will advance to the regional competition to be held Saturday in Blair County.
The tri-county mock trials for Washington, Greene and Fayette counties are organized by the Washington County Bar Association as part of the Pennsylvania Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division’s statewide competition.
Seven school districts fielded teams: Connellsville, Fort Cherry and Burgettstown (combined team), Frazier, Peters Township, Ringgold and Trinity (two teams). These schools are among more than 300 high school teams from across the state that are participating in this year’s competition. Pennsylvania’s mock trial program is one of the largest in the nation.
The mock trial competition gives eight-member student teams the opportunity to argue both sides of a case in an actual courtroom before a judge. The students, who play the roles of lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants, are assisted by teacher coaches and lawyer advisers in preparing for competition.
Teacher coaches were Justin Guess, Connellsville; Jackie Newman, Fort Cherry; Linda O’Brian, Burgettstown; Rachel Lindey, Frazier; Adam Brado, Peters; Maria Baker Degnan, Ringgold; and Mary Ellen Jutca and Mary Ann Berty for Trinity’s two teams. Attorney advisers for the district teams were Michelle Kelley, Connellsville; William Miller, Fort Cherry/Burgettstown; Jeremy Davis, Frazier; Jonathan McCloskey, Peters; Brad Bassi and David Finder, Ringgold; and Jim McCune and Corey Kirkwood, Trinity teams 1 and 2.
Washington County Court of Common Pleas judges who volunteered to serve as Presiding Judges for the district trials were President Judge Katherine Emery, John DiSalle, Gary Gilman, Valarie Costanzo and Brandon Neuman. Judge Michael Lucas was unable to preside, as his daughter participated on the Ringgold team.
Local attorneys serving as bailiff/scorekeepers were Katherine Bacher, Brett Clancy, Brian Gorman and Joe Zupancic.
Dozens of volunteer attorneys were needed to serve as jurors for the trials. Scoring jurors determine the winners in each trial based on the teams’ abilities to prepare their cases, present arguments and follow court rules. Local attorneys serving as scoring jurors were Bill Allison, James Anderson, David Bassi, Tim Berggren, Morgan Bonekovic, Kate Bosomworth, Renee Colbert, Mike Fagella, Judge Damon Faldowski, Josh Gallo, Molly Gaussa, Chrissy Grasso, Patrick Grimm, David Haber, Michael Ierino, Jim Jeffries, Washington County Bar Association President Susan Key, Tom Lonich, Jasmine Margaria, Dorothy Milovac, Susan Moser, Megan Patrick, John Rodgers, WCBA Young Lawyers Division President Rose Semple, Stephanie Sewak, Karl Skrypak, Joe Sobocinski, Kelly Stepp, Dan Stoner, Dan Svidro, Tiffany Temas, Kyle Thomas, Jim Valecko, Steve Warren and David Wolf.
WCBA Executive Director Kathy Sabol served as coordinator of the district competition.