Mock trial teams from Sherburne-Earlville and Greene school district faced off at the county NYS Bar association Mock Trial Competition. Chenango County Supreme Court Justice, Joseph McBride, presided over the trial and scored the competition. The team from Greene won by one point and will move on to the regional competition. (Photo by Zachary Meseck)

NORWICH – On Thursday, April 16 two teams from Chenango County participated in the New York State Bar association High School Mock Trial County Finals at the Supreme Court located in Norwich.

The returning county champions from the Sherburne-Earlville school district faced off with the team from Greene.

In the end, the Greene school district team won the competition by one point and will move on to the regional competition that takes place on April 26.

“The sad thing is that there has to be a winner and loser. The real win for both teams is how well they did, how well they performed, the preparation that they showed and demonstrated throughout the proceedings,” said the Chenango County Supreme Justice Joseph McBride who presided over the mock trial. He added “both of these teams, without any disrespect to kids from the prior years, were the best mock trial teams I've ever seen.”

Law Clerk Jen Mason, who coordinated this year's county mock trial competition said that each year the statewide program is sponsored by the New York State Bar Association. It starts at the county level, then goes on to a regional competition, and then finally a state competition held in May at the state capital in Albany. She explained that each year the bar association publishes the problem or case that the students will debate which could be a civil or criminal case. They provide all of the necessary materials for the trial including evidence, case law, and witness statements for the students to work off of.

“The case this year is a criminal case that is a petty larceny and resisting arrest charge. The allegations are that there was a pair of codefendants and they stole used cooking oil from a local restaurant and then when the officers went to arrest them, they fled,” Mason explained.

According to Mason, to participate a team needs at least six students so that three can act as attorneys, and three as witnesses. Each team has at least one school advisor and an attorney to help them prepare for the mock trials.

“They prepare the case with their witnesses, with their teachers and their attorney advisors, and then they have to go build the case for whatever side they are. So if they're prosecution, they're trying to prove that the defendant's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and then if they're defense, they're trying to show that the prosecution wasn't able to make their case or that their client was innocent,” said Mason.

In Chenango County the participating schools in the NYS Bar Association Mock Trial Program were Unadilla Valley, New Visions program from DCMO BOCES, Oxford Academy, Sherburne Earlville, and Greene, who will be representing Chenango at the regional competition against six other schools.

“Each of the teams get graded on one through five for their performances as attorneys and their performances as lawyers for the openings, the closings, and they get graded for their witnesses too. And at the end of the proceedings, I get the opportunity to grade both teams for how professional they were. I gave both of them a 10,” said McBride, adding, “I think a couple of the kids really did a great job on preparation, controlling the risk on cross examination, and making sure that you ask short, tight questions, and then they also did a great job in their preparation for their roles today. So it was a fun thing to participate in, and I'm sure all those kids are on their way to ruling the world.”

The Sherburne-Earlville team was advised by Teacher Kenneth Buehner who teaches classes in global history, psychology, and microeconomics, along with Chenango County Attorney Zach Wentworth. Who Buehner describes as a “truly great guy” and said, “he has been invaluable couching our team the last two years. The students on the team were: Katrina White, Rose Rivenburgh, Adam Singh, Lydia Dulina, Hannah Barth, Parker McCracken, Aurora Burk, Isaac Larchar, and Gavin Ingerto. About half of the team had also competed in last year's county finals where they won the competition.

“I want students to come away from mock trial with the experience of thinking critically to build arguments, public speaking and thinking on their feet. That's the essence of mock trial and it's fun to see students pushed out of comfort zones and emerge more eloquent and confident at the end of the process,” said Buehner.

The Greene School District team was advised by teachers, Elizabeth Pluta and Evelyn Frair, along with the Assistant District Attorney Christine Rudy. The students on the team are Corinne Dicenzo, Ethan Gardner, Lazarus Ludolph, Sherman Ludolph, Audrey Johnson, Louise Mendolia, Kaylin Morrison, Paloma Patino-Montoya, Brooke Relyea, Shane Rideout, Isabelle Stewart, Clare Tompkins, and Bryson Zech.

Audrey Johnson, twelfth grade student and team captain from Greene, played the role of an attorney in the mock trial and made the closing argument.

“I've done this for three years now. It's gotten easier over time, but at the same point, it's really fun working with these people because they are so passionate. But it's a lot on the shoulders, a lot to do of course. Balancing being a student and mock trial,” said Johnson.

When asked what they learned throughout the experience Johnson replied, “Oh gosh, so much. I can genuinely see such an increase in my public speaking to begin with. I public speak for a lot of other things as well. In addition, this really touches on a whole other part where you have to rope your critical thinking in with your public speaking, in a way that your mind doesn't work in other activities. So I think it actually improves a lot. Everything from school performance to just the way you interact with other students.”

Johnson said they are planning to go to college after graduation to double major in both political science and environmental studies, and added, “I'd love to go on a pre-law track. I'm not sure if necessarily a lawyer is the right path for me, but I'd love to still be involved with the law after high school.”

“I'd like to thank my teacher, Mrs. Frair. She doesn't work at our school anymore, but she was the one who started us off on this. Ms. Pluta, our other teacher, and my co-student, Shane Rideout, who lets us use his house for practices all the time,” said Johnson.

Coordinator Mason, would like to thank and acknowledge all of the attorneys, judges, teachers, and advisors who volunteered their time to help students and support the mock trial program.

The Greene School District's mock trial team will compete next on April 26 in the regional competition which will also be held at the Chenango County Supreme Court in Norwich.