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Pictured above: All the members of the Garfield and Harding teams.

Garfield’s “Best Attorneys” were Tyler Kemp, Avery Spahr, and Adam Tanina. Harding’s “Best Attorneys” were Julia Thomas and Ingrid Matera. Garfield’s “Best Witnesses” were  Cory Clemens, Zsofi Flasher, and Henry Trefethen. Harding’s “Best Witness” was Harper Haney.

Team scores are ranked into three tiers. Forty-three teams from districts across Ohio competed over three days, and only sixteen teams scored in the top tier. The Garfield Ranger Team received the highest rating of “Superior.” Garfield Gold and Purple Teams as well as Harding Team 1 received a rating of “Outstanding” and Harding Team 2 received a rating of “Excellent.” 

This year the Middle School Mock Trials were based on the book The Giver by Lois Lowry in which a teenager in a dystopian society risks his well-being and goes against the rules of his community to save the life of a small child. 

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 bailiff/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. Garfield sent three teams of seventh graders and had three trials running in the morning as well as three in the afternoon. Harding sent two teams, one seventh grade and one eighth grade, and had two trials running simultaneously in the morning and repeated that schedule in the 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 Sam Anderson, Mustafa Anwari, Nixon Biasotti, Cory Clemens, William Costello, Dylan Emerson, Zsofi Flasher, Colleen Flynn, Gian Frederick, Brock Hammersmith, Emmy Hansen, Danica Herberger, Rylan Hongosh, Orri Hudson, Tyler Kemp, Ben Knight, Jonah McAlister, Toast Miklowski, Samantha Moran, Mallory Mossman, Norah Murtha, Nick Orefice, Evelyn Quesada, Emaline Reba, Elm Russell, Avery Spahr, Desmond Stevenson, Adam Tanina, Claire Timieski, Meagan Towner-McCormick, Henry Trefethen, and Andy Witwer. 

At Harding, Mrs. Batkiewicz, Mr. Avila-John, and Mrs. Murray guided their 7th and 8th grade teams along with help from countless attorneys and judges present during the week of Playoffs which decided Harding’s teams.  

Harding’s 8th grade students participating were: Veronica Allie, Ally Demaline, Luca Eppley, Connor Hibinger, Darwin Hurley, Delia Jablonski, Jack Janko, Julia Myers, Delaney Rodgers, Maddie Sheils, Anthony Smith, Savannah Sullivan, Alden Therrien, and Julia Thomas

Harding’s 7th grade students were: Andrew Babson, Marie Brosky, Deagan Carney, Ace Griggs, Harper Haney, Tyler Kinder, Quinn Liderbach, Caroline Lubas, Ingrid Matera, Marlo Melnick, Lane Rowland, Autumn Seeley, Amelie Snipes, and Anna Winchester 

Also, a special thanks to the Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation for helping fund this project! We could not have done this without your support!