Reading Mock Trial history was made on Friday, February 16 when both Reading teams were announced as advancing to the State tournament. The teams each won their regions with identical 6-0 records earning them two Regional Championships on the same day (Clermont County Municipal Region and Clermont County Common Pleas Region). Reading was the only school in the tournament to win all of the judge’s ballots in their trials. The young mockers (3 seniors, 7 sophomores, 6 freshmen) went a perfect 12-0 against Turpin, Mason, Batavia, and North Adams. Reading’s two teams are joined out of Clermont County by St. Xavier and Centerville.
For the past 27 years, the little school has never sent two teams to the State tournament. In fact, this is only the third time in the program’s history that they have even had 2 teams. Reading now joins 26 other teams who will battle it out in Columbus, March 7-9. Only four schools in Ohio advanced more than one team to the state tournament.
Senior Alexa Massey took her 6th straight Outstanding Witness Award for her performance as a classic car judge in the fictional state of Buckeye. Sophomore Matthew Lawson earned his first Outstanding Witness Award for portraying the same witness on the other team. Senior Mia Hankerson and Sophomore Lorena Zander also won Outstanding Witness Awards for their portrayal of the defendant, Ash Espinosa, and an IACP certified automotive appraiser, respectively. Senior Krissy Bailey and Sophomore Kiersten Kleehamer both earned outstanding attorney awards as closing attorneys. All told, of the 16 members of the Mock Trial team, 12 have earned an Outstanding Award this season. State Qualifiers William Moeggenberg, Cameron Millette, Ariel Baston, Jackson Brubaker, Kaine Colvard, Hannah Cook, Lilly Jones, Mouhamadou Ndiaye, Micah Neely, and James Wooten also contributed to the team’s success with amazing performances. The team is coached by Andy Janig and John McClellan and their legal advisor is Chuck Reynolds.
This year’s case, sponsored by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education, was particularly challenging, requiring both the Defense and the Prosecution to prove a burden. Each team had to argue both sides of the case. In the case State of Buckeye v. Ash Espinosa, students examine the history and application of the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment. Specifically, this case looks at excessive fines in the context of property forfeiture resulting from a crime. The defendant, Ash Espinosa, has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The State is now looking to recover the loss of the conspiracy by seizing Espinosa’s 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. However, Espinosa argues against the Camaro’s seizure for two reasons: 1) Espinosa asserts that the State has seized more property and funds than what Espinosa owes and 2) Espinosa argues that, even if the Court determines that Espinosa is responsible for the remaining loss, seizure of the Camaro would violate Espinosa’s Eighth Amendment right against excessive fines.