Mock Trial Team Earns Showcase Honors

Garfield’s two teams together won two of four possible “Best Attorney” awards and one of four possible “Best Witness” awards. Harding’s two teams swept the competition, winning all four "Best Attorney” awards and all four “Best Witness” awards in their trials. Garfield’s “Best Attorneys were Ryan Dulik and Brie Saunders.  Harding’s “Best Attorneys” were Keira Gardner, Virginia Lindberg, Laine Taylor, and Penelope Yeager. Garfield’s “Best Witness” was Ori Crider-Wicks. Harding’s “Best Witnesses” were Rachael Foster, Maddex Gardner, Julia Hanna, and Neve Janke.

Team scores are ranked into three tiers. Forty-four teams from districts across Ohio competed over three days, and only 11 teams scored in the top tier. Both Garfield’s Purple and Gold Teams and Harding’s Team 1 received the highest designation of “Superior.” Harding’s Team 2 received the second-highest designation of “Outstanding.”

This year the Middle School Mock Trials were based on the book The Outsiders by SE Hinton, in which the Greasers and the Socs were locked in endless battles, resulting in the death of Bob Sheldon, putting Johnny Cade on trial for murder. 

Each middle school team subdivides into a prosecution and a defense squad, and prepares for two different trials against other Ohio middle schools. Students take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and bailiffs/timers. The trials take place in front of real attorneys who act as trial judges and who rate teams on case understanding, professional demeanor, oratory skills, and understanding of trial technique and courtroom procedure. Harding and Garfield each sent two teams, split into prosecution and defense. This means that two trials were running simultaneously in the morning and afternoon.

Special thanks to attorney Sarah Cleves, a Lakewood resident and senior claims attorney with ABA Insurance Services, Inc., who acted as a legal advisor for Garfield’s teams, coached by Mrs. Colleen Gromek. Garfield’s seventh-grade participants were Lucas Lam, David Sent, Ryan Dulik, Dylan Schwab, Arden Steindam, Ori Crider-Wicks, Ezra Lottig, Julia Moyer, Landon Metz, Emily Erker, Victor Stevenson, Edison Belsito, Leo Mariano, Brie Saunders, Simon Frederick, Carter Packwood, June Weaver, and Matthew Gayner.

At Harding, Mrs. Batkiewicz and Ms. Basinski guided their seventh- and eighth-grade teams, along with help from countless attorneys and judges present during the week of playoffs, which decided Harding’s teams. Special thanks to attorney Jeff Gardner, who acted as a legal advisor for Harding’s teams.