Mock trial team heads to Madison
The New London High School Mock Trial Team is state bound.
Just in its third year of competing, the team qualified for the state semifinals to be held March 9-10 at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison.
New London placed first of eight teams at the Green Bay Regional Mock Trial Competition presented by the State Bar of Wisconsin on Feb 10.
At Brown County Courthouse, New London High School beat out Bay Port High School, De Pere High School, Green Bay East High School, Roncalli Catholic High School, St. Mary Catholic High School and Sturgeon Bay High School.
De Pere took second and will also appear at state.
In mock trial, high school students act as attorneys and witnesses in a court case developed by State Bar members. Teams of six to 12 students argue a criminal case before a panel of volunteer attorneys and judges.
This year teams have been preparing a fictional civil property damages case, Dig Deep Iron Mining Company v. Jessie Green. According to the case, Dig Deep’s mining equipment has been sabotaged and the company alleges activists are to blame. Mock trial teams have to argue who is to blame for the destruction.
The coaches for the New London team are Attorney Hans Thompson of Sweeney Law Office and School District of New London employees Kristin Dalen-Bard and Mary Dickrell.
“These students have been putting in countless hours at weekly and weekend practices in order to perfect their approach to this case … and it sure has paid off,” Dickrell said. “If you see any of these students please give them a huge shout out for their amazing accomplishment.”
Across the state, 121 mock trial teams competed at 11 regional tournaments on Feb. 10. The top 22 teams advanced to the state semifinals next week.
Following two days of competition, the two finalist teams will appear before the Wisconsin Supreme Court on March 11. The winning team will advance to the National Mock Trial Tournament in Reno, Nevada.
Last year New London competed at the Green Bay regional but did not advance to state. Students tackled a fictional first-degree reckless homicide case involving an oxycodone overdose.