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New Glarus Mock Trial Team competes in 17th tournament
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The New Glarus Mock Trial team is pictured, in front, from left, Madelyn Thoemke, Dylan Fritz, Sam Copeland, Helen Marty, Lola Endicott and Bronwyn Mayhew; and in back, from left, are Ella Shaw, Lily Lounsbury, Heather Niceschwander, Aden Gobeli, Ben Copeland, Ben Wolf, Anderson Justman, Merrick Fong and Julian Lutz.

NEW GLARUS — The New Glarus High School Mock Trial Team competed in Madison Feb. 8 in its 17th mock trial tournament and took sixth place in the regional out of 14 teams. Students are responsible for mastering a manual with over 90 pages of rules and procedures, and 61 pages of witness statements, exhibits and legal standards before they compete against teams from across southern Wisconsin. 

They assume roles either as lawyers presenting the case and making arguments or as witnesses who must make a convincing presentation of their facts. The witnesses are then cross examined by student attorneys from other teams before the panel of three judges decides on points which side has “won” that particular trial.   

This year’s case is a civil case arises from the death by drowning of a teenager, Jonah Stark, in a local country club pool. Jonah’s a parent, Kingsley Targareyn, is suing the country club alleging that Jonah committed suicide because another student (Kris Marks) who was also a pool employee, mercilessly tormented and bullied Jonah so that he had no choice but to drown himself in the pool. Targareyn is claiming the country club should have better supervised and trained its employees, and restricted access to the pool. Alternatively, Targareyn alleges the pool had a defective surface such that Jonah slipped and fell.

The fact situation is entirely fictional and is not based on any actual events.

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In the courtroom, New Glarus students are pictured, in front, from left, Dylan Fritz, Sam Copeland, Julian Lutz and Heather Niceschwander; middle row, from left, are Merrick Fong, Ben Wolf, Aiden Gobeli and Ben Copeland; and back row, from left, are Anderson Justman, Helen Marty, Bronwyn Mayhew, Madeline Thoemke, Lola Endicott, Ella Saw and Lily Lounsbury.

The plaintiff lawyer team is Ben Wolf, Maddie Thoemke and Anderson Justman. Defense lawyers are Ben Copeland, Heather Niceschwander and Julian Lutz. 

Plaintiff witnesses are: Kinglsey Targaryen, played by Merrick Fong, Parent of Jonah; Andy Lannister, played by Lily Lounsbury, Jonah’s friend; Elliot Funke-Keyworth, played by Dylan Fritz and Sam Copeland, Jonah’s mental health counselor. 

Defendant’s witnesses are: Kris Marks, played by Helen Marty and Lola Endicott, Jonah’s tormentor and pool concessions worker; Parker Posie, played by Ella Shaw and Bronwyn Mayhew, another pool lifeguard; and Sam Swimplebun, played by Aden Gobeli, pool manager.

The tournament runs the entire day at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison and four versions of the trial were presented — two as plaintiff and two as defendant. There was a follow-up exhibition performance in the high school library Jan. 29. 

The New Glarus Mock Trial team is coached by New Glarus Middle School teacher Lexa Speth, and attorneys Faun Phillipson and Dan Gartzke. The group is also supported by financial donations from the Green County Bar Association, the Bank of New Glarus and Sugar River Bank Branches and RPM Motors Inc., and in-kind donations from Boardman & Clark as well as the volunteer services of local judge Duane Jorgenson as well as attorney Daniel Bestul who donated a Sunday afternoon to hear practice rounds.

The State Bar of Wisconsin has been running the Mock Trial program for over 30 years. Monroe’s own Rodney Kittlesen was one of the original founders of the program. In that time, many thousands of Wisconsin high school students have benefited from the rigors of preparing and trying realistic cases. It is part of the Bar’s public education program.