16-02-2025
Wheelersburg and Gallia Academy advance to State Mock Trial
PORTSMOUTH — Earlier in the school year, students across the state received an example case between two parties, and they form teams to compete in a legal system against other schools. Students were expected to learn the basics of law and presentation, while studying the supplied case. After months of students getting into character as witnesses and student attorneys preparing for anything and everything that could happen in a trial, they went against other local teams to see which school had dedicated the most time to learning the case inside and out. It takes hours and hours of memorization, coming up with strategies and planned responses, and more.
This year, over 2,000 Ohio high school students will take their places in courtrooms across the state for the 42nd annual Ohio High School Mock Trial State Competition.
The Scioto County OCLRE (Ohio Center for Law-Related Education) Regional Mock Trial Competition took place February 7 at the Scioto County Courthouse.
After making it through District Mock Trial Competitions, and eliminating local teams outside of Wheelersburg and Valley, two teams from the Scioto County Regional site that competed in the regional division are now qualified to advance to the Ohio High School Mock Trial State Competition, March 6-8, in Columbus. State qualifiers include Wheelersburg High School and Gallia Academy Team 1.
Eric Kephas, legal advisor for the Wheelersburg team said, 'Coach Stamper and I couldn't be more proud of this team, not just because of what they've accomplished but because of how hard they've worked to get here. We've been blessed with great student leaders over the years, and this season that's really made all the difference. No matter what they are asked to do, they never complain — and no matter what challenges they face, they never blink. Making it back to state was our goal from the moment the season began, and the students deserve every bit of the credit for making that happen.' He went on to say, 'I'm especially proud of our seniors, particularly those who have been part of the program all four years of high school. Addison Mullins and Addy Bowling have been so important to the success we've had in recent years. In their four years of high school, they've now helped us qualify for state three times. That's a rare achievement, and they played a big part in it.'
The 2025 state champion team will represent Ohio at the National High School Mock Trial Championship which will take place on May 7-10 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Scioto County Regional Competition included teams from 4 schools — Gallia Academy Team 1 and Team 3, North Adams Team 2, Valley Team 1 and Team 2, and Wheelersburg.
The Wheelersburg High School team includes Legal Advisor Eric Kephas, Coach Jarrett Stamper, Addison Bowling, Josh Ferguson, Gracie Glenn, Trevan King, Vance Lauderback, Addison Mullins, Rudra Patel, Madalyn Reed, Brady Schomburg, Aedin Strickland, and Nick Sylvia.
The other advancing team, Gallia Academy Team 1, includes Coach Aaron Walker, Legal Advisor Brynn Noe, Isaac Caison, Leylah Eplin, Isabell Johnson, Keagahn Lloyd, Addison Nolan, Silas Patterson, Sophia Rocchi, Austin Rykowski, Reagan Skidmore, Wilson Smith, Brittyn Snedaker, and Gabriella Washington.
When asked how he felt about his team advancing to State Competition, Gallia Academy Coach, Aaron Walker, commented 'To say that I am proud is an understatement. This really is a testament to the students' hard work and perseverance. To be recognized in this way is so encouraging and sets a new bar for our program. It's also a testament to the countless people who have supported these young people. It's undoubtedly a team effort and we can't wait for Columbus!'
Outstanding Attorney awards were presented to Bella Johnson and Reagan Skidmore of Gallia Academy Team 1, Paige Evans of North Adams Team 2, Nathan Cooper and Reagan Rolfe of Valley Team 2, and Trevan King of Wheelersburg High School.
Outstanding Witness awards were presented to Sophia Rocchi and Austin Rykowski of Gallia Academy Team 1, Leeland Barry of North Adams Team 2, Travis Thompson of Valley Team 2, and Van Lauderback and Brady Schomburg of Wheelersburg High School.
The 2025 Ohio Mock Trial case examines the intersection of the First Amendment, defamation and the rise of generative artificial intelligence. This case specifically looks at what happens when the public interest in parody and political commentary bumps against the new capabilities for realistic deepfakes in a political campaign. Denver Saidi, a candidate for the local city council and principal of Trillium High School, was giving a speech at the school's Snow Ball Dance when they accidentally mispronounced a name. Instead of just laughing it off, Trillium student Wyatt Latu used a generative AI app to create a deepfake video of Saidi making jokes about fleeing from the cops after a night of drinking. Pretty soon, everyone in town had seen the video, and many believed it was real. Saidi filed a lawsuit for defamation and sought a preliminary injunction to have the video taken down. Students will participate in the hearing to consider the preliminary injunction, weighing the legal factors that pit free speech against the damage to a person's reputation and campaign.
The Scioto County Regional Competition is coordinated by Jay S. Willis, Assistant Prosecutor at the Scioto County Prosecutor's Office and Sharee Price, Gifted Services Coordinator at the South Central Ohio Educational Service Center.
'We're very grateful for the local lawyers and judges who volunteer their time to serve as judges for this competition,' Price said. 'The students and their advisors spend a great deal of time preparing for this event and it means a lot to them to work with real-life attorneys and judges. Participation in Mock Trial helps develop useful knowledge about the law, questioning techniques, critical thinking and oral advocacy skills.'
Her sentiments were echoed by Wheelersburg's Legal Advisor, Eric Kephas, who stated, 'Mock Trial is an important program because it builds skills that translate to so many fields. I've seen this program help develop some of the most amazing young people I've ever met, whether they've wanted to be attorneys, architects, or something in between. It's definitely something I'd recommend everyone consider trying if they get the chance.'
