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High Point, Frankford students conduct mock trial

| 24 May 2016 | 03:50
    High Point and Frankford students enjoy the success of their mock trial event.
    High Point and Frankford students enjoy the success of their mock trial event.
    Prosecutor Dylan Halbig reads his closing remarks to the jury.
    Prosecutor Dylan Halbig reads his closing remarks to the jury.
    PHOTOS BY VERA OLINSKI Witness Madison Preste portrays defendant Hayden Blair during the High Point mock trial event.
    PHOTOS BY VERA OLINSKI Witness Madison Preste portrays defendant Hayden Blair during the High Point mock trial event.

SUSSEX BOROUGH — “Objection!”
“Overruled.”
These words could be heard frequently within the halls of High Point Regional High School on Tuesday, May 17. Frankford eighth-grade students put into practice what their High Point student mentors taught them earlier in the morning: how to conduct a mock trial.
Lisa Huber, their eighth-grade Language Arts teacher, said 60 eighth-grade students participated in the event. The students were broken down into around 40 attorneys, 20 witnesses, and two judges.
This is the second year in a row Frankford eighth grade students participated in a mock trial event.
In the morning, the High Point students reviewed all the rules and hints for a mock trial competition and facilitated creating direct and cross examinations, opening, and closing statements. The eighth graders were also given a tutorial in objections.
During the afternoon, the Frankford students acted as: judges, attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs, and performed two mock trials simultaneously.
Kory Loyola, recently awarded the N.J. History Teacher of the Year award, and Julie Clawson team teach the High Point Debate and Public Speaking class. Their students and the Mock Trial team wrote a mock trial for the eighth graders, based on the witnesses and evidence in the play, “12 Angry Men.”
Loyola said the Frankford students have been reading the play; and “This is the trial that should have happened.”
One could see bailiffs swearing in witnesses; prosecutors cross-examining witnesses about a pawn shop and knife blades; defense and prosecutor attorneys giving closing arguments; defense attorneys emphasizing reasonable doubt; and prosecutors emphasizing murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eighth-grade defense attorney Gabby Carchia emphatically and frequently said, “Objection!”
Molly VanStone, expert opinion witness, expressed the impossibility of someone hearing, “I'm going to kill you!” while traveling in a train.
Madison Preste, portraying the defendant, Hayden Blair, said she felt like a part of her was taken away after her father was murdered, even though he abused her.
Closing prosecutor Dylan Halbig emphasized all the facts and affirmed to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt, defendant Hayden Blair had killed her father, Robert Blair.