Archmere Mock Trial Team Finishes on Top at State Competition

On February 24th and 25th, The Mock Trial Team participated in the 21st Annual Delaware High School Mock Trial Competition. Each year in November, teams from Delaware's public and private schools are provided a law case (often adapted from real world trials) to analyze and present. The case includes statements from 6 witnesses, exhibits to be used as evidence, and rules of evidence and procedure that must be followed properly during the trial. This year's trial revolved around a young man, Les Hayes, that was charged with murdering (through poisoning his drink with arsenic) a fellow student that had bullied him at their "elite preparatory high school". The team practices afterschool and on weekends to prepare the case for trial. Although there are typically 25 to 30 members on the team, only 6 to 12 are allowed to compete as lawyers and witnesses. The team works with attorney coaches that volunteer their time to aid the students. The competition is held in the New Castle County Courthouse and is scored by real judges and lawyers.

Archmere continues to have one of the strongest teams in the state. This year the team finished third in the state, only narrowly missing the opportunity to compete in the finals after losing in the 4th round in a split 2-1 decision. The team finished 3-1 overall. Congratulations to all the team members, and a special thanks to the attorney coaches Ms. Neilli Mullen Walsh, Mr. Robert Whetzel, and Mr. Kevin Healy. All three are parents of former or current students. Their dedication and commitment to the team is a great example of what makes Archmere so special.