Mock Trial

Melanie Lofaro , Coordinator, Division of Instructional Support Services

4 Harriman Drive
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: 845-781-4363 ext. 10702
 

MOCK TRIAL OVERVIEW

The Mock Trial Program, coordinated by Orange-Ulster BOCES, is sponsored by the New York State Bar Association. Each year, teams from a number of Orange County high schools are given the opportunity to analyze and interpret a trial prepared by the NYSBA and to present their interpretation in a courtroom before a county judge. To prepare for the tournament, each school has a teacher-coach as well as a local attorney working with them to help them with the nuances of the courtroom and presentation skills. This experience is one that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. The winner of the county tournament goes on to regionals with the possibility of going to the state tournament.

2024 MOCK TRIAL

Goshen High School Wins 2024 OU BOCES Mock Trial Competition

Goshen and Washingtonville faced off on April 9, 2024 in the Mock Trial finals in the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen. Congratulations to the team from Goshen High School for winning the Orange-Ulster BOCES Mock Trial finals.

The Mock Trial Program began its 2024 multi-round competition on Saturday, March 16 with teams from Chester, Goshen, James I. O'Neill, Minisink Valley, Middletown, Monroe-Woodbury, Newburgh Free Academy, Port Jervis, Valley Central, Warwick Valley, and Washingtonville.

The high school teams faced off in "courtrooms" and argued their cases before Orange County judges. Eight of the participating teams scored enough points to advance to the next rounds. 

New York State Mock Trial Tournament is an educational program designed to teach secondary students basic legal and trial skills. Students learn how to conduct direct and cross examinations, how to present opening and closing statements, how to think on their feet, and learn the dynamics of a courtroom.

Students also learn how to analyze legal issues and apply the law to the facts of a case.  On the state level, the Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the New York State Bar Association. Locally, the program is coordinated by Orange-Ulster BOCES in collaboration with the Honorable Craig S. Brown and the Honorable Kimberly Van Haaster.

2023 MOcK TRIAL

Goshen High School Wins 2023 Mock Trial Finals

Following two weekends of trials between Mock Trial teams from 10 local school districts, Washingtonville High School and Goshen High School faced each other in the Orange-Ulster BOCES Mock Trial Finals held on March 28 in the Orange County Courthouse. Goshen High School's team played the role of plaintiff while Washingtonville played the defense in this year's fictitious civil case, "Remington Stone v. Marley Miser and Acme Construction Company". The Honorable Judge E. Loren Williams, Supreme Court Justice and supervising judge for all city courts in the ninth judicial district, presided over the trial.

After well-developed arguments presented by both sides, Goshen High School was awarded the win. Judge Williams was highly complementary of both teams and their performances. Goshen High School will move on to the Regional Tournament at the Clarkstown Justice Court in Rockland County on April 29, where they will compete against teams from the lower Hudson Valley. The winner of the regional trial progresses to the New York State Mock Trial Tournament in Albany on May 21 through May 23.

The Orange County Mock Trial is one of the many extracurricular enrichment programs for districts coordinated by the OU BOCES Division of Instructional Support. Students learn how to conduct direct and cross examinations, how to present opening and closing statements, how to think on their feet, and learn the dynamics of a courtroom. On the state level, the program is sponsored by the New York State Bar Association. Locally, the program is sponsored by the Orange County Bar Association and coordinated by OU BOCES in collaboration with the Honorable Craig S. Brown and the Honorable Kimberly Van Haaster. Local judges, attorneys, legal professionals, and educators volunteer their time to preside over the mock courtrooms and assist with the program.

Goshen High School team members include: Jolina Dong, Michelle Gukhman, Judah Gordon, Naima Puertas, Darmis Rodriguez, Mia Colangelo, Angel Melendez- Nunez, Jason Barnes, Jack Moran, Gigi Gahra, Mary-Ann Mitchell, Franz Brendle, and Nate Mulse. Goshen High School's Teacher Coach is Fred Miles and the team's Attorney Coach is David Fish. Zak Constantine served as special advisor for the team.

Washingtonville High School team members include: Juliet Adams, Bryan Babcock, Zendrah Bonnick, Madison Brown, Andrew Butcher, John Carola, Andrew Dahlstrom, Angela Dubuisson, Victoria Dubuisson, Jamelis German, Connor Harris, Kathryn Kerwan, Dutch McGregor, Lesandro Medina, Gianna Spindler, Karl Tedaldi, and Avery Upeslacis. Washingtonville High School’s Teacher Coaches are Peter Sale and Scott Lerner. The team's Attorney Coaches are Rebecca Ohm, Michael Ohm, and Alex Rosen.

For more information about the Orange County Mock Trial Tournament, please reach out to Melanie Lofaro, Assistant Director of Instructional Support Services, at Orange-Ulster BOCES by phone at (845) 781-4363, extension 10702 or by email at melanie.lofaro@ouboces.org

2022 Mock Trial

The New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament Brings Out the Best in Local High School Students Interested in Law

Through collaboration with local students, high schools, and legal experts Orange-Ulster BOCES supports legal education through a mock trial program.  Orange-Ulster BOCES would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all of the New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament students, advisors, attorney coaches, and local judges who participated in the 2022 New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament. Students worked countless hours with their teammates, teacher adviser, and attorney coach since the fall of 2021. This year students from eight local high schools (Goshen High School, James I. O’ Neill High School, Middletown High School, Minisink Valley High School, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Port Jervis High School, Warwick Valley High School, and Washingtonville High School) participated. Students competed in two rounds of trials before the final trials held on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The first place winner of the 2022 New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament is the team from Monroe-Woodbury High School in the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. Second place winner is the team from James I. O’Neill High School in the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District. The team from Monroe-Woodbury High School will compete in a regional competition in April. The New York State High School Mock Tournament will be held May 22-24, 2022.

The New York State High School Mock Trial Program is a joint venture of The New York Bar Foundation, the New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, and Orange-Ulster BOCES. In this educational program, high school students gain first-hand knowledge of civil/criminal law and courtroom procedures. Through the partnership of Orange-Ulster BOCES and the Orange County Bar Association, students participate in the New York State Mock Trial Program annually. Objectives of the tournament are to teach students ethics, civility, and professionalism; further students’ understanding of the law, court procedures and the legal system; improve proficiency in basic life skills, such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning; promote better communication and cooperation among the school community, teachers and students and members of the legal profession; and heighten appreciation for academic studies and stimulate interest in law-related careers. Nancy Faddis-DeCerbo, the tournament coordinator stated, “It was amazing to see the teams present their cases to the judges. It is a fantastic way to learn about courtroom procedures. We are indebted to Judges Steven W. Brockett, Victoria Campbell, Richard Clarino, John Goldsmith, Christine Krahulik, Anika Mohammed, Timothy P. McElduff, James McKnight, Bruce Schonberg, Christopher Turpin, and Matthew D. Witherow for their investment in the program and the youth of our region.” Kimberly Hooper, Orange-Ulster BOCES Coordinator of Library Services, said, “We were thrilled to be able to collaborate again this year with the Orange County Bar Association. We are also thankful for the investment of Orange County Court Judge Craig Brown and Chief Assistant County Attorney, Family Law Unit, Kimberly VanHaaster for the success of the tournament and legal education in our region.”

2022 New York State Mock Trial Region 4 Tournament participants from regional high schools include:

Goshen CSD: Fred Miles (Advisor), David Fish (Attorney Coach), Mia Colangelo, Rachel Seo, Damaris Rodriguez, Judah Gordon, Naima Puertas, Jacqueline Garcia, Dezmin Colon, Jolina Dong, Michelle Gukhman, and Gigi Gahra.

Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery CSD: Amy Patino (Advisor), Randy Siper (Attorney Coach), Lee Conklin, Lydia Terry, Amber Wojciechowski, Nora Nowicki, Anna Bellocchio, Gavin Wickeremasuriya, Kayla Terry, Caleb Hagemaster, Eleanor Sullivan, Hunter Mallory, Evan Maasik, Jeremy Stoll, and Tykhon Rudenok.

Middletown ECSD: Luis Garcia (Advisor), Alex Smith (Attorney Coach), Summer Elrefaei, Madeline Moran, Oluwasayo Kumapayi, Mariam Bah, Kianna Aguilar, Patricia Mejia Magallon, Joshua Leake, Jenell Matuszewski, Ashleigh Wheeler, and Kara Abiodun.

Minisink Valley CSD: Ezra Clementson (Advisor), Morgan Torres (Advisor), Len Kessler (Attorney Coach), Mike Wolfe (Attorney Coach), Alexis Montgomery, Elijah McDonald, Rose Phillips, Eric Bautista, Wesley Mardyniak, Kate Lukasik, Ella Gonzalez, Emily Bartels, Dan Guido, and Maria Ricca.

Monroe-Woodbury CSD: Anthony Verboys (Advisor), Mark Gordon (Attorney Coach), Eric Parker (Attorney Coach), Latrice Campbell (Attorney Coach), Peter Phelan, Emma Malabanan, Anushree Buragohain, Jenna Rowen-Delson, Ethan Laderman, Matthew Ocasio, Azure Bolling, Alexandra Butkevich, Zachary Rowen-Delson, Matthew Ebenhoe, Jude Farrell, Anthony Grueiro, Cristal Jimenez, Grayson Joseph, Revathi Kalavakuri, Matthew Kuchar, Anya Malhotra, Anne Mangatt, Mia Montevirgen, Reyanna Moralez, Kria Thabet, and Victoria Sharmine-Gloria.

Port Jervis CSD: Michael Dunleavy (Advisor), Tracy West-Barnes (Advisor), Joshua Mursalin, Michael Fedrizzi, Lukasz Husson, Logan Hoffman, Olivia Trotta, and Eric Durkins III.

Warwick Valley CSD: Eduardo Avila (Advisor), Evan Zucker (Attorney Coach), Azia Bey, Morgan Chabut, Sydney Pascullo, Arianna Cruz, Matthew Doherty, Chance Wilson-James, John Rivera,  Alyese Garner, Jason Rowe, Andrew Cimino, Christian Katsabanis, and Noah Conley.

Washingtonville CSD: Peter Sale (Advisor), Scott Lerner (Advisor), Michael Ohm (Attorney Coach), Rebecca Ferrigno-Ohm (Attorney Coach), Alex Rosen (Attorney Coach), Emma Rudzinski, Alayah Fernandez, Aryanna Wongsing, DeLisa Harper, John Kerwan IV, Kathryn Kerwan, Steven Tripodianos, Fiona Duffy, Madison Brown, Karl Tedaldi, Noah Scopteuolo-Rosen, Jade Sampson, Bryan Babcock, Miranda Frisbee, Juliet Adams, Isabella Cuadrado, and Jamelis German.