On March 8th, 2024, the Varsity Mock Trial team attended the Elite Eight Quarter-finals in Middletown. The two rounds the members competed in were very competitive and complex.
This year’s case was of “Gillette Lodge and Catering versus the Watson-Stevenson party.”
In a nutshell, this case was of contractual law. The defense had been planning their wedding when the COVID-19 pandemic foiled their plans. While navigating this situation they were frustrated with the lack of accommodations provided by the venue and catering services. The catering service refused to give the down payment back, offering a new date, but the defense did not accept. In the end, the defense sued for breach of contract.
South Windsor High School argued for the defense’s side in the morning for their first round, and for the plaintiff’s side in the afternoon for their last one. While the team was not victorious, the members put in a lot of effort and were happy to make it this far.
The March 8th competition was the Civics First quarterfinals, making this the farthest South Windsor has progressed in many years. It was an especially great experience for the newer members of the team.
“It’s a nice community, and everyone knows each other,” the bailiff for the varsity team, freshman Rayna Reed said.
Bailiff Reed opens court, swears in the witnesses, keeps time, and closes court. Reed believes all the roles play an equal part in winning the case for everyone on her team.
Much to the interest of the team, one of the judges had been nominated by the President of the United States to be Connecticut’s District Attorney.
“It was truly incredible to have someone of that caliber volunteer to judge us,” the defense witness for the team, junior Bhaavni Krishna said.
Krishna, as the defense witness, was required to provide testimony about people, events, and documents in order for the teams to argue the case.
Although the competition did not go their way, the team kept a positive attitude and were thankful for the memories they made.
“It was a great way to end this season,” a witness mentor, junior Nkailu Nsakala commented.
While their season may be over, the members of the SWHS Mock Trial team enjoyed their last event and are looking forward to the future.
