ARCHBISHOP MURPHY MOCK TRIAL TAKES 18TH PLACE AT STATE MEET

  • AMHS

OLYMPIA, March 23-25, 2018:In a courageous effort by a fun-loving group of freshmen and a sophomore, Archbishop Murphy’s Junior Varsity Mock Trial team finished in 18th place at the Washington State high school mock trial championship at the Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia on March 23-25, 2017.

AMHS finished with a 1-3 record in their four trials against tough competition, winning 4 ballots out of 12 ballots throughout the tournament and losing an extremely close trial to the 5th ranked team in the state on the first night.

Twenty four teams had moved on from various District Competitions to make it to State. About 350 students participated as lawyers and witnesses.

The 2018 State case, crafted by Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis, involved an assault charge against a fictitious defendant who shot a man playing loud music in his car late at night. The case featured topical issues such as self-defense, stand-your-ground laws, and detailed forensic testimony related to sound and bloodstain patterns.

AMHS students received recognition at the awards banquet, including best witness awards for Donovan Harmon and Jenna Suh. Best lawyer awards were earned by Jaida Ivy and Maria Morales. The team also benefited from strong performances turned in by witnesses Jaelyn Ashley, Luke Kendrick, Grace Lefcourt, Milen Niftalem, Ian Alvarez, and Paola Medina, and lawyers Matthew Kenny, Thea Zabala, Emily Kim, and Elissa Elmorr, and bailiff Alex Miller.

One highlight of the trip was getting to meet Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, who spent an hour with the team in her chambers, in the Supreme Court itself, and in a behind-the-scenes look at the Justices’ Conference Room and Robe Room.

This year’s appearance at State marks the 13th straight trip to the State Meet for AMHS, a streak dating back to 2006. The exciting season included an overnight to Port Townsend, a 3rd and 5th place finish at Districts for the JV and Varsity teams, respectively, and a fantastic group of young people who truly reflected the strong professional and relational values of the AMHS mock trial program.

The team is excited to be moving forward with a trip to the Harvard Mock Trial High School Seminar Program in Boston, Massachusetts scheduled for mid-October, 2018.