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The Reading Mock Trial team continued its winning tradition Friday, February 5 by advancing deeper into State competition for the fourth year in a row and the sixth time in seven years. They finished third in the Clermont County District competition and will compete in the regional competition February 26. Winners in both trials of the regional will move on to State competition March 11-13 in Columbus.
The 2010 team consists of attorneys Ethan Dunn (junior), Dan Humphrey (sophomore), and Ben Sandlin (sophomore), witnesses Dale Renner (sophomore) and Andrew Mentrup (sophomore) and bailiff Maranda Giltz (junior). Dan also plays a witness on the plaintiff side. Ethan Dunn who plays an attorney on both the plaintiff and defense side was named most outstanding trial attorney in both rounds of the competition. He was the only student in a field of approximately 64 attorneys to achieve this honorable recognition. Reading has the distinction of being the only school to have one single attorney win this award in both rounds of their competition five times now, districts and regionals in 2007 and districts 2008, 2009 and 2010.
“I am very proud of what this program has done for our students and am pleased to be a part of it. Reading Mock Trial is an exemplary program that all of the community can take pride in,” said Mr. Andy Janig, Reading History/Law teacher and Mock Trial Advisor. “Advancing to the State Competition will require many more hours of preparation. Victory requires perfection!”
Thomas H. Stewart, of Blank Rome LLP has been the team’s legal advisor since 1997, the year the program began. Stephen A. Simon, of Tobias, Kraus & Torchia joined the team as advisor in 2003, and Scott Finney of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office jumped on board in 2009.
Mock Trial, sponsored by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education is the number one high-school academic program in the State of Ohio. Students participating in this program learn the roles of attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and judges. They use their acquired skills in simulating a court case. Teams argue cases against students from other schools.
The Reading Mock Trial team has now won the district title two times, been district runner-up two times, regional runner-up two times and State qualifier five times. The team advanced to the State Final Four in 2008. They also have two third, three fourth and two fifth place finishes at districts.
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