This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Two Lafayette students earned Best Witness Awards at the Mid-Eastern Regional Mock Trial Tournament held Feb. 27-28 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The 15 participating schools included Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Dickinson, and University of Pennsylvania. Theresa Giamanco ’07 (Oak Ridge, N.J.) and Marquis Scholar Malorie Ferrick ’07 (McKean, Pa.) were among just 13 competitors to win Best Witness honors.
Giamanco also was a member of the Lafayette mock trial squad that took fifth place at the 26-team Brown & Roger Williams Second Annual Mock Trial Tournament in Providence, R.I. The group finished higher than each of the two squads fielded by Wellesley, Brown, Amherst, Fordham, Roger Williams University, and University of New Hampshire, as well as the New York University team, among others. A second Lafayette squad topped all of those teams in the standings with the exception of one Brown team.
The fictitious criminal case in this season’s mock trial competitions involves the death of an ice hockey player following an injury suffered by the defendant, a member of the visiting team.
Giamanco felt both excited and nervous when she learned that she would play the role of Victoria Harmon, ex-wife of the defendant.
“She is a very flamboyant character and I knew that the role would have to be played with a lot of drama,” she says. “What helped me best prepare for the role was the fact that I also was a lawyer for the defense and Victoria is a witness for the prosecution. By being able to view the character from both angles, I knew what to expect when being crossed and what to ask when cross examining for the defense.”
Giamanco found the role very enjoyable on the stand.
“Her edginess and disregard for proper courtroom decorum gave me a lot of room to build her character,” she says. “Also, I think it put the opposing lawyers in a difficult position when I would answer their questions in a very roundabout way.”
The American Mock Trial Association creates characters that are harmful and helpful to a specific side. Victoria Harmon had previous cocaine charges and other drug charges as well as an affidavit that did not correlate with any other witnesses.
“Upon first reading the affidavit, I thought she was the least credible witness,” says Giamanco. “I figured that if I remained in character well enough and anticipated the questions in advance, I could mitigate the faults in her affidavit. Also, by being a lawyer for the defense, I was able to interpret the witness from a legal as well as dramatic perspective. This helped me follow what the opposing lawyer was getting at and make the seemingly harmful line of questioning work for my team.”
Ferrick portrayed the expert witness for both the prosecution and the defense. For the defense, she played a neuroradiologist, an expert in the field of aneurysms in particular, who proposed that the defendant’s actions were irrelevant because the cause of death was totally unrelated to the incident on the ice. For the prosecution, she played a forensic pathologist who negated the possibility that an aneurysm could have caused the death of the deceased, and that his death was indeed caused by blunt force trauma to the back of the skull suffered when his head hit the ice as a result of the defendant’s actions.
“It was very interesting to play both of these parts because I was forced to know them inside and out,” says Ferrick. “I knew all of the information and therefore was ready to negate anything said by the other doctor. Knowing all of the angles and being prepared for them was definitely an asset to my team whether we were on the defense or the prosecution. I think that was also one of the things that helped contribute to my high scoring: the fact that I was prepared for everything and the other side could not catch me off-guard with any medical testimony.”
Mock trial has given Ferrick an opportunity to learn more about law in general and many aspects of trial law in particular, she says.
“It has given me insight as to what it would be like to actually be a lawyer,” she notes. “Aside from that, it has given me a lot of practice with acting on my feet and presenting in front of a crowd. You have to learn how to read the judges to see what they like and don’t like, just like you would have to read your audience if you were giving a presentation to an actual jury, or even a presentation in the business world. The skills learned and practiced in mock trial have been extremely beneficial to me, and the experience itself has solidified my goal to be a government and law major.”
Participating in mock trial has been an educational, interesting, and fun experience that has reinforced her ambition to pursue a career in law, according to Giamanco.
“Being in a courtroom is exciting and intense,” she says. “I was involved in mock trial for two years in high school and I find college mock trial to be more challenging. It was difficult to learn all of the proper objections, but even more difficult to use them at an appropriate time.”
“All the students involved in mock trial exhibit commitment and interest in the activity,” she adds. “I learned most about mock trial from the upperclassmen on my team. They have an amazing grasp of the legal system and they were always there to answer questions and explain complex parts of the case. I believe that Lafayette has produced very strong mock trial teams.”
Team adviser Diane Elliott, director for public service at Lafayette’s Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government, arranged for the students to scrimmage with lawyers at the Northampton County Courthouse. That allowed Giamanco to learn many different legal strategies and perspectives on the case, she says.
“Understanding the case, scrutinizing it, and forming a strategy were some of the skills I developed from mock trial this year,” she says. “In the years to come, I hope to improve these skills while continuing to be a part of mock trial.”
“I feel that Lafayette is an outstanding institution, but what makes it really stand out to me is the opportunities that it provides,” says Ferrick. “There is honestly something for everyone here. No matter what you interests are, there is a club, group or organization for you, and if not, the administration is extremely responsive to helping new groups get started. I feel that getting involved in college life and all that it has to offer is a crucial part of the college experience and Lafayette does a wonderful job of providing that opportunity to all of its students.
Ferrick is a member of International Affairs Club and the Residence Hall Council, which organizes activities designed to encourage bonding and friendship within residence halls. She also hosts prospective students as a student representative and serves as an America Reads tutor for elementary school children in Easton. She notes that the Marquis Scholars program has organized trips this school year to New York City, Philadelphia, and Lancaster, Pa., and has held intellectual discussions through Fireside Chats.
One of Lafayette’s main strengths is its support for activities outside the classroom, says Giamanco.
“As a first-year student, I feel that the college sees all the different activities as important and educational, and therefore supports them,” she says. “This helps students become more involved in the school community and participate in the activities it has to offer.”
She plans to become more involved with the Kirby Government and Law Society and the College Democrats.