Recent News

February 6, 2009

The Verdict Is In!

More than 300 students and countless parents, friends, coaches, legal advisors and volunteers gathered at the Franklin County Municipal Court last week for the annual district Ohio Mock Trial competition. At the end of the day, seven teams advanced to the regional competition which will take place the end of February.

The case this year was on immigration policy, a political issue at the forefront of our national debate. In Terry Silva vs. Buckeye Equality School District, a talented high school soccer player hoping for a Division I scholarship is threatened by a new school district resolution requiring students to show proof of U.S. citizenship or legal status in the United States before participating in extracurricular activities. The student is unable to comply with the new resolution, having neither documentation nor personal knowledge of status as a citizen or legal immigrant. The mock trial will focused only upon the Fourteenth Amendment issue, whether the school district's resolution is rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest.

The Judge James E. Green and attorneys Mahjabeen Qadir and Komlavi Atsou worked tirelessly to recruit and train volunteers, secure courtrooms for the competition, and manage the onsite logistics of the day’s events. Without their commitment, the Franklin County District Mock Trial would not have been possible.

In addition to Judge Green, Attorney Qadir and Attorney Atsou, Columbus Bar members donated nearly 400 hours of their time to serve on judging panels for the event.

Individuals serving as judges included:

Joshua W. Beasley
Amy Sayward Brown
Nelson D. Cary
James A. Carr
Trudy Farrar Casper
Stuart A. Cole
Matthew D. Crumpton
Maureen Dane
Darlene K. Fawkes
Henry Gary
Megan M. Goeser
Kelley Haddox
James A. Hogan
Rena Alberta Ina
Catherine Frost Lacho
Emily A. Laube
Brooke Eileen Leslie
Beth Matune
Eric R. McLoughlin
Mike Meehan
Christa Thompson Metzger
Tim Miller
Latawnda Moore
Robert Moorman
Barbara J. Petrella
Drew Piersall
Stacy V. Pollock
Zachary B. Pyers
Ashley Rutherford
Casey Russo
Sharon Schnell
Gregory S. Severance
Ryan P. Sherman
Sara A. Stahley
Michelle T. Sutter
Melissa Szosda
J. Kenneth Thien
Meghan B. Valentine
Derek J. Walden
William H. Woods

Congratulations to all competing teams and good luck to the groups advancing to the regional trial: Columbus Alternative; Dublin Jerome Team Blue; Dublin Jerome Team Gold; Dublin Jerome Team Green; St Francis DeSales Team Purple; Thomas Worthington Team America; and Westerville North Team Cardinal.