An incredibly underrated, fun extracurricular at Cherry Hill West that is extremely complicated and loaded with extra work, but a fun and worthy team sport for those interested in law is the Cherry Hill West Mock Trial team. We are in the process of an incredibly challenging but fun season for the 2024-2025 school year. It has been coached by longtime AP United States History/Government and Politics teacher Derek Field since 1995. Here are the aspects:
Although it is a non-athletic team sport, it follows a similar process to such team sports. The first step is tryouts. All candidates are given some time to prepare and familiarize themselves with the assigned case, which Mr. Field will provide for them. Once all candidates have familiarized themselves with the case, they should attend tryouts, or they will not be considered for positions as either lawyers or witnesses. The assigned mock trial case applies to all of the schools within the South Jersey area.
The two types of cases assigned for the season are either criminal or civil cases. In tryouts, interested students are tested on their abilities as either lawyers or witnesses. Certain aspects include how much you know about the case, how much you know about the law, and your public speaking skills. After a week or so of tryouts, Mr. Field posts the cast list, or team selection of who is doing what. Four students are selected to participate as attorneys. Two of the prosecution/plaintiffs, and two for the defense side. They are responsible for directing their assigned witnesses and cross-examining others. Direct questions are easy questions designed to make the witnesses look good, while cross questions impeach the witness’s credibility, as in an actual trial.
The rest of the selected students are asked to serve as witnesses. Their responsibility is to act out as witnesses and memorize everything about them in accordance with their affidavits or witness statements. This year’s case was about a woman named Carmen Capella, the owner of a famous show dog named Sally. One night, she applies a treatment from Petzicon products for Sally after she develops fleas. However, Sally’s condition worsens, and she soon dies. She decides to sue Petzicon Products.
This year’s lawyers include veteran seniors Ioannis Kyriakou (West Boys Tennis, Cross Country, West Track and Field, West Model UN, West SGO, and West Lions Roar), who is a defense lawyer and successor for previous defense lawyer Elio Dzhiurby, and Hana Kolenovic (West Tennis, West Art Club, West Theater), serving as successor for previous prosecution attorney Mahiyah Nock. Their co-counsels include junior Julian Asman, and sophomore Selin Dogan (West Swimming). Other witnesses include junior Ilirjan Duka (West Wrestling), who will be a successor defense attorney next year. Other veterans who have served as witnesses for an extensive time include juniors Alexis Akwetey (West SGO, Project Lit), Naliya McClinton (West Soccer, West Golf), and Ilirjana Zayes (West Tennis, West Softball). New witnesses include junior Nick Milewski and freshman Genesis Mendez.
After months of practicing, usually during the winter season, either January or February, mock trial season begins when schools are assigned to go against other schools. In the case of Cherry Hill West, they are primarily held at the Camden County Hall of Justice Courthouse in Camden, New Jersey.
- West (D) vs. Collingswood (P)
- West (P) vs. Sterling (D)
- West (P) vs. East (D)
- West (D) vs. Eastern (P)
The first tournament included the West Defense Team going against Collingswood’s prosecution team. The Collingswood team presented a strong defense, beginning with their opening. Both teams were effectively prepared. Kyriakou and Asman worked effortlessly to get all of their required cross-examination questions within their required time limits. With the support of their teammates and coach, they completed everything on time. The defense team focused on their case theory that they simply did not know what caused the death of the little dog Sally, just that it had absolutely nothing to do with the product or Petzicon Products. West’s plaintiff side, meanwhile, focused on their claims that there was a defect in the product. Kyriakou and Asman succeeded in completing their questions and directing and cross-examining their witnesses on time.
That same day, on February 1, West’s plaintiff side went against Sterling High School, and they focused on their case theory overall as well. The performances of their witnesses, particularly with Duka and Kolenovic (also playing defense witness and dog show expert Val Popinjay), were effective in their success at trial. However, the outcome of the case always comes down to the jury. In a rare occurrence in a high school mock trial, West’s trial with Collingswood resulted in a tie with the jury, accomplishing something on both sides. In a controversy, the judge passed the decision to the bailiff (the person keeping track of the times). Unfortunately, the bailiff turned out to be playing a witness for Collingswood, and so the win was handed to Collingswood, marking their first loss of the season. On the bright side, West’s plaintiff side defeated the Sterling team, marking their record for the day 1-1.
The next week, on February 8, would be the day to determine whether or not West would be continuing to move to the next round in the Camden County Finals Championship. The West plaintiff would be going against their top rival, Cherry Hill High School East, and the defense team would be going against another one of their rivals, Eastern Regional High School. Kolenovic and Dogan led a strong fight against their main rival, and due to the excellent witness performances of plaintiff witnesses Akwetey and McClinton, they were able to frame Petzicon Products as the villain against East’s defense team. They were able to attack the credibility and attack them on their extensive narration and speculation. However, according to the jury, East’s defense team was still able to grant them a better case, simplifying that the plaintiff, Carmen Capella, was simply looking for someone to blame. Regardless, the jury granted East the win, and West’s record was then 1 win and 2 losses.
As a result, it all came down to the most important and final trial: West’s defense team against Eastern’s prosecution team. Eastern Regional High School’s Mock Trial team was incredibly talented and awarded, becoming South Jersey Champions in 2022. It didn’t seem like the West had the odds to beat them. With Kyriakou delivering the opening, he gave it his all. He was able to truly become emotional and sincere to the jury, expressing deep sympathies and apologies for Sally’s death, and being able to truly be human to the jury, which is what the jury usually tends to look for in any trial. Kyriakou made their witnesses completely sympathetic and human to the jury through his calm, yet clear, direct examination questions. Ilirjan Duka and Nick Milewski came across several obstacles while on the stand, including an aspect of the case that included a certain memo from another witness that could have damaged their credibility. Instead, they preserved, and they stood confident as they became their witnesses and answered truthfully and honestly.
Working together, Kyriakou was able to make the defense sound caring, effective, and equally focusing on blame instead of choosing to save their money over justice, while Asman was able to deliver great and effective cross-examination questions to make the witnesses from Eastern look bad, and the opening and closing was delivered too close and too rushed by Eastern’s lawyers. Ultimately, it was decided by the jury. It seemed likely that it would result in another tie, since two jury members were associated with Eastern, and two of the jury members were associated with West. Yet, in a surprising move, the win was awarded to West, resulting in them defeating one of the top high school mock trial teams in South Jersey.
Ultimately, West was not selected to move forward in the Camden County Finals Championships, with those going to East and Collingswood. Regardless, West’s Mock Trial team has a bright future, as they faced off against the best mock trial team in South Jersey and won.