By Olivia Wyland ’19 (Seton House)

“Objection, your Honor!” Trinity students of the Pennsylvania Mock Trial team competed January 28 against the Cumberland Valley team. We spent months preparing an argument for a criminal case about an opioid overdose by writing, evaluating, and improving our teammates’ direct examinations, cross examinations, opening and closing statements.

All our hard work built up to the important moment when we stepped foot into Dauphin County Courthouse to make our case. The atmosphere brought the case alive; Jurors were in the jury box, the counsel at our tables, witnesses in their chairs, the public in the gallery, and the Honorable Judge in his seat in front of the bar. The case ran smoothly against the allegedly toughest team in our area: Cumberland Valley. However, this did not stop the Trinity team from keeping our game on. In fact, jurors at the end of the trial congratulated us for scoring incredibly close behind CV.

This was a major improvement in our team from past years. It was a very good experience for us, as we learned about the law and courtroom procedure. Judge Cherry gave both teams thoughtful advice on how to build on our skills, and how to use Mock Trial as a learning experience. Congratulations to Giana Abbas ‘20 (Seton House) for receiving the Best Advocate award, and to Patrick Elter ‘19 (De La Salle House) for receiving the Best Witness award. A generous thank you goes to our new Mock Trial coach, Mr. Nicholas Jimenez, a litigation attorney from the firm Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, Also, a big thank you goes to our moderator, Mr. Cominsky. Wish us good luck on our next trial, February 7!