The Westerville North High School Mock Trial Team participated in the annual Ohio Center for Law Related Education’s State High School Mock Trial competition held March 7-9. The team advanced to the state semi-finals for the third straight year, one of only three teams in the state to do so. The students placed first in both the district and the regional competition, earning the right to advance to the state tournament.
In the case this year, a high school sophomore is suspected of setting a fire at the school that resulted in the death of a maintenance worker. The police then engage in a lengthy interrogation process that involves driving to the scene of the crime and the victim’s home as well as various interrogation techniques. Late in the day, the defendant makes a statement claiming responsibility for the fire and is subsequently charged with Murder and Arson. However, the defendant later recants the confession. The defendant has alleged that the statements were improperly coerced by the police in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments and filed a Motion to Suppress. Students participating this year included Leah Finley, Mitchell Habegger, Brooke Mayberry, David Nield, Grant Eberst, My Trinh, Sandy Saleh, Tristan Justice, Sarah Bright, Luke Hall, Matthew Spadaro, Tiffany McCutcheon, Manette Asta, Calvin Vordem Esche, Jennifer Finkelstein, Diana Asta, Jacob Waldruff and Julia Baumann. Coaches were Ken Donchatz, Tom Peet and Zach Wilkerson.