The HHS Mock Trial team faced major accomplishment this season, shocking the school with awards and honors that rival their success in the past. Led by co-advisors Robert Fenster and Julianne Anderson, the team’s hard work and dedication clearly paid off. Their first achievement came when they clinched the county championship with a record of 4-0. The win wasn’t without its difficulties, however; they beat Ridge, the defending champions of the past two years. This is the team’s first county championship win since 2011, and their fifth in the team’s history. Coming off a major win, the team continued their success into the first round of regionals. Not long after, their season came to an end due to a close loss to Bordentown. Despite this loss, the team can still boast an unprecedented 5-1 record. According to Fenster, their win streak in the state competition matched their past record.

Mock Trial simulates real-life legal proceedings, forcing attorneys to cross-examine the evidence and witnesses to step into the shoes of those with firsthand knowledge of the case The county championship trial dealt with a teenager who shot and killed a police dog, claiming the dog was vicious and his actions were out of protection for his friend. Sophomores Julia Zhang and Richa Shah as well as junior Alex Bauman and seniors Shweta Parthasarathy and Alex Ascensio acted as the witnesses, while sophomores Om Shah, Aidan Neuberger, and and Vaibhav Potluri were the attorneys.

“[The attorneys] all worked extremely hard to master the facts of the case and the rules of the competition,” Fenster said. 

Despite the fact that their season recently came to an end, the team remained understandably excited about their accomplishments.

“We walked out with high hopes, because our school had only made it there 3 times in our school history,” junior Alex Bauman said. “This year we worked really well together and we all were able to benefit from this experience.”