Mock trial team takes the bronze

New Brunswick — The Kittatinny Regional High School mock trial team won third place in the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s second annual American Mock Trial Invitational May 2 through 4 in New Brunswick. “I went down and saw their performance,” School Superintendent Robert Walker said. ”The way they presented the case, whether plaintiff or defendant, was outstanding.” Walker also said the mock trial program provides the opportunity for students to use skills such as speaking, poise, thinking, analysis, and even acting. “These students have all of those attributes, and are among the best and brightest in the nation,” he said. Mock trial finalist teams from 14 high schools brought nearly 150 participants from around the world to the invitational, held at the New Jersey Law Center. Teams representing high schools in Ohio, Washington State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and South Korea competed. First-place winners were a group of homeschooled students from the Family Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., and second place was awarded to University Preparatory School of Seattle, Washington. The elimination tournament gave three rounds to each team. They presented the imaginary criminal prosecution case of The State of New Jersey v. Daniel Gunnet, Defendant, which deals with aggravated manslaughter and death by vehicular homicide. The case was written by the Hon. William E. Nugent and Mark E. Roddy, Esq., former chairs of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Mock Trial Committee. Dr. John Brick, a biological psychologist and the executive director of Intoxikon International in Yardley, Pennsylvania, which provides forensic training and educational consulting in alcohol and drug studies, was available as a consultant. Kelly Gannon, a Kittatinny Regional freshman, was asked what she learned from mock trial: “Most of the other teams we met were not as close-knit as we are, and that contributed to our success.” The New Jersey invitational is the only nationwide mock trial competition that allows more than one team to represent each state n as many as three of a state’s top four high school championship teams are eligible to participate. Last year the invitational was held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with Middle Township High School of Cape May County capturing second place and Redlands High School of California placing first.