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Lafayette’s mock trial first team placed fifth at the College-hosted Colonial Regional Mock Trial competition last weekend and will be moving on to compete at the St. Paul National Tournament March 16-18 in Minnesota.
A total of 23 teams from nine colleges and universities competed in Lafayette’s competition Feb. 16-18 in Pardee Hall, including Rutgers University, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, University of Maryland, and Villanova University.
The College’s first team took one of five bids to compete in the St. Paul National Tournamentheld at Hamline University. The top finishers at St. Paul will then move on to the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament held April 13-15 at Stetson University in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Members of the first team are captain David Myers ’07 (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), a double major in history and government & law; Andrew Fagal ’07 (Skaneateles, N.Y.), a history and economics & business double major; Theresa Giamanco ’07 (Oak Ridge, N.J.), a philosophy and government & law double major; Tiffany Patafio ’10 (Staten Island, N.Y.); Christopher McGuinn ’07 (Pittsburgh, Pa.), a government and law major; Ryan Osterweil ’08 (Forest Hills, N.Y.), a chemistry major; and Trustee Scholar Margaret Schierberl ’10 (West Hartford, Conn.).
The first team also won the Spirit of AMTA award. The peer voted award is given to the team which epitomizes the core values of the competition – civility and respect in the courtroom. Lafayette’s second team placed 10th overall and received an honorable mention.
Numerous individuals also won awards. Myers and Trustee Scholar Carolyn Fast ’10 (Rockaway, N.J.), who is a member of the third team, both received All-Region Attorney Awards. Schierberl and Marquis Scholar Stephen Hornstein ’09 (North Potomac, Md.), an economics and business major on the third team, won All-Region Witness Awards.
Because of a previous commitment, Patafio will not be able to attend the National tournament. Additional team members will be Fast and Adam Pie ’09 (Doylestown, Pa.), a history major and team three co-captain.
Lafayette’s three mock trial teams are coached by Diane Elliott ’74, visiting instructor of government and law, and Carmela Karns, administrative assistant.
This year’s case is Sean Jeffries, et. al. v. Polk County Police Department. It is a fictitious civil rights claim brought by the parents of a teenager named Max Jeffries, who was shot by Officer Jamie Conmey because he fit a general description of a robbery suspect. Jeffries is in a coma, and Conmey committed suicide shortly after shooting Jeffries, raising questions about his mental health at the time of the shooting. Alleging that the officer deprived their son of due process, the parents are suing the entire police department.