Mock Trial Success

For the fourth straight year, the NCHS Mock Trial team participated in the Delaware High School Mock Trial Competition at the New Castle County Courthouse. In this competition, students are tasked to assume the roles of the witnesses and attorneys in a hypothetical court case. One part drama and one part civics, Mock Trial calls on students to demonstrate dramatic and improvisational skills while also knowing case law, legal maneuvers and courtroom etiquette. This year, the team argued the hypothetical civil case Creative Internet Technology Investments v. Hayden Joyce.The team finished with an impressive record of 3-1. The only loss in the competition was to eventual state runner-up Sussex Central. In each round, an award for best witness and best attorney is chosen by the judging panel. Out of eight possible gavels, the NCS team won six, with senior Charmy Patel winning two golden gavels, senior Shaily Patel, senior Veronica Kook, junior Michael Chen and sophomore Esha Shah winning one gavel each. Allie Bloom, Cassy Fantini, Nick Gugerty, Hannah Kim, MacKenzie Mills, Camille Olsen, Noah Rossi, and Olivia Skaug also contributed to the school’s best finish in the tournament.The team is led by faculty coaches Brent Freccia, who teaches 10th grade US History, and high school English teacher Timothy Jadick. Newark Charter parents Debbie Gottschalk and Matt Bartkowski, both Delaware attorneys, worked with the teams over the course of 17 after-school practices in the weeks leading up to the tournament.Mr. Freccia shared, “After the courtroom cleared, the underclass students were so pumped they – in true Newark Charter fashion – showed their pride by singing the Alma Mater to the seniors. It was a really emotional moment and it was a nice tradition that hopefully we will continue for years to come!”