Perrysburg Court Explorer Post Argue Mock Trial Civil Case

Perrysburg, Ohio – January 10, 2005 – This month student attorneys are making final case preparations, and witnesses are nervously reviewing their depositions.  No, they are not getting ready for an appearance on "The People's Court" or "Judge Judy."  These members of the Perrysburg Court Law and Government Explorer Post #2306 are fine-tuning their team’s entry into the 22nd Annual Ohio Mock Trial Competition.

Perrysburg Court Explorers will compete in the district competition on Friday, February 11, 2004, in Wood County Court of Common Pleas.  This will be the Explorer’s third year participating in the Ohio Mock Trial program sponsored by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE).  Each year the OCLRE creates a fictitious case involving a constitutional issue that is relevant to students’ own personal experience.

The case before the students involves a lawsuit brought against the Animal Rights Foundation (ARF) for printing “inflammatory” statements on their web site against a Zanesville laboratory. The lab was performing animal testing for an antidote to the nerve gas Sarin.  The company claims that because of the web site’s declarations, those who were incited by the statements on the web site attacked the building. Years of research destroyed; equipment smashed and the animals let out of the cages, putting their work back at least six weeks.  ARF claims it did nothing wrong and is not responsible for the actions of those who read their web site.

To maximize student learning in competition, a team of five to eleven students must play the roles of both plaintiff and defendant, and participate in two trials against different teams.  District winners from throughout the state will advance to the state competition in Columbus, March 10-12, 2005. The final championship round will be held in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.  The state winner will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to compete in the national competition in May.

Perrysburg Court Explorer's teams are comprised of Jenna Anderson, Nick Bade, Ross Buchanan, Kaitlin Burhans, Kari Campbell, Kelsey Campbell, Alan Chan, Frank Colarusso, Paul Delaney, Maria Dicke, Sarah Donahue, Trent Dorner, LiMin Hang, Sohaib Hashmi, Danielle Jensen, Colleen Kauth, Lindsay Kilpatrick,  Alifia Merchant, Mike O'Brien, Lauren Olzak, David Prephan, Nicholas Prephan, Angela Robinson, Brett Samsen, Lauren Schaeffer, Chris Sladky, Jon Sladky, Kevin Swiatek, Pamela Twu, Sara Walker, and Alex Zavala.  John P. Donahue, an attorney in Perrysburg, and Peter R. Casey, III, an attorney with the firm of Eastman & Smith Ltd. in Toledo, serve as legal advisors to the Mock Trial teams.  Judge S. Dwight Osterud of Perrysburg Municipal Court is the coach.

There are a limited number of positions available.  Call the Perrysburg Municipal Court at 419-872-7915 for information about joining the Explorer Mock Trial team.

The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education designs programs to assist teachers in teaching schoolchildren about government, citizenship, and the law.  The Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio State Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office sponsor OCLRE.  In addition, the Ohio Mock Trial competition is made possible in part by grants from the Ohio State Bar Foundation.

John Donahue instructs the Perrysburg Explorer Post Mock Trial Team in cross-examination.

Ross Buchanan, Brett Samsen, Nicholas Prephan, and Jenna Anderson sit in rapt attention as John Donahue instructs them on trial procedures.  Sitting in the jury box second row are Kari Campbell, Kelsey Campbell, and LiMin Hang.  Sitting in the top row are Alan Chan, Kevin Swiatek, and Danielle Jensen.

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