By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
HOWELL — Students representing Howell High School won the Monmouth County Mock Trial Competition and have advanced to win the regional semifinals.
"Mock Trial, part of a national competition, is sponsored by the New Jersey Bar Foundation to involve students in understanding the process of law, civic responsibility and trial preparation and presentation," said Ilse Whisner, public information coordinator for the Freehold Regional High School District.
School teams research and prepare a case designed by the foundation. Team members assume the roles of attorneys, the plaintiff and the defendant in civil cases, or prosecution and defense in criminal cases. Whisner said they even portray witnesses, experts, jurors and a bailiff.
Teams compete against each other in rounds until two teams are left in a county or regional competition. The winning teams go on to compete at the state level and finally at the national finals.
Students, not knowing which position they will be asked to defend, must prepare for both the defense and the plaintiff, Whisner said.
"Howell student attorneys, witnesses and jurors spent three months studying, identifying issues and practicing the roles of both the plaintiff and defense aspects of the same case," she explained. "Roles are assigned at the competition by drawing lots. The trials or rounds are presided over by a bar association attorney acting as judge. In some cases, Superior Court judges have volunteered to preside as the mock trial judges."
"This year’s intricate legal problem involved the case of a serious injury that occurred from a fire started by an illegal electrical tap," Whisner said.
The attorneys for the plaintiff are senior Lindsey Gil and sophomore Stephanie Novelli, and their witnesses are seniors Riana Ackley and Katie Meeker and sophomore Dara Goldberg.
Leading the defense team are attorneys Kristen Jones and Julianne Matis, both seniors. The defense’s witnesses are senior Laura Zinsman, junior Kelli Mercurio and sophomore Matt Rasmussen.
The role of the bailiff is played by sophomore Christine Fitzpatrick and the student coach was Jennifer Simester.
The Howell team attorney coaches are J. Patrick McMorrow, of Freehold, an attorney with offices in Manalapan, and John Bava, of Manalapan. McMorrow, who is married to the school’s principal, Barbara McMorrow, has coached the team for four years.
"He was so confident of a win that he predicted it in our holiday letter to friends and family in December," said McMorrow, who noted that her husband wrote, "This year we will win the county championship."
Advising the Howell Mock Trial team is English and Humanities teacher Diane VanderHorn.
"The competition is a great way to involve kids in speech and debate," said VanderHorn. "Mock Trial develops good critical thinking skills, good communication skills and the ability to think fast on your feet. The competition is very intense, but our kids were ready and all their hard work paid off."