On Saturday, January 6, 2024, JCHS’s Mock Trial team traveled to Piscataway High School to participate in an inter-county scrimmage. Featuring schools from Bergen, Middlesex, Essex, and other counties, the scrimmage provided the team with its first opportunity to put their arguments to the test.
This year, the Mock Trial team features a familiar list of names, with seniors Alexandra Li and Agostina Pieri serving as lead attorneys for the prosecution and junior Sophia Basile returning to argue the defense’s case. Seniors Jaylene Robles, Shayna Block, and Matt Glenn also return to serve as witnesses.
The team also has some exciting new additions. Junior Izzy Raimondi’s strong writing and presentation skills landed her the position of defence attorney. Additionally, senior Richard Zhang will star as the defendant in the case.
This year’s case revolves around one of the most central experiences of a high school student’s life: the college application process. Alleging that the defendant Ellis Kirwin, Dean of Metropolitan University, accepted bribes in exchange for admissions, the State aims to find Kirwin guilty of mail fraud and failure to deliver honest services to the public as a public official.
At Piscataway High School, the prosecution team was up against a strong team with previous scrimmaging experience. While no verdict was delivered on the case, the team left proud of their first performance against another school and ready to take on their second case in the afternoon.
The defense team had their first opportunity to scrimmage in the afternoon. While they were only able to get through the prosecution’s witnesses and their first witness, Ellis Kirwin, due to the inclement weather, the team too left with valuable experience that will help them on the day of their trial. Likewise, while the prosecution team was unable to deliver their closing remarks due to the impending snow, they left with a better understanding of how to improve their case before the date of their trial.
Currently, the Mock Trial team is set for the first round of the Essex County Tournament on Tuesday, January 30 and Thursday, February 1.
