Scott Turtur of Oratory Prep Wins National Award at Mock Trial Finals

Albuquerque, New Mexico—Scott Turtur, a junior at Oratory Prep School in Summit, was honored at the 28^th Annual National High School Mock Trial Championship in Albuquerque, NM with one of only seven “Outstanding Attorney” awards.
    At the Saturday, May 05, 2012 Awards Gala, the teen was presented an engraved Lucite award in front of an overflow crowd in the Grand Pavilion Ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel. The awards ceremony was the culmination of the Mock Trial finals from May 3 – 5 that were hosted by the New Mexico State Bar Association and the Center for Civic Values.

     A New Providence resident, Scott expressed his appreciation to the people who worked with him and the team along the way to this achievement. In an interview after the awards presentation, he said he was grateful to his faculty coach Bill Martin, his attorney coach Bob Scirocco and adviser Chris Darcy, a 2009 Oratory graduate and former mock trial champion himself as well as his teammates.

     When asked about the secret to his success, he replied, “I guess those long hours of study have finally paid off.” He also mentioned that the administration, namely Head of School Bob Costello and Dean of Academics Owen McGowan, was supportive. “Just the fact that our school would send our whole team here shows the pride they have in us and the support and respect they give Mock Trial.”
     In the Oratory Prep Mock Trial Team’s journey to the state title, two different judges on two different occasions told Scott in front of his teammates and the opposing teams that “You have a real gift.”
    During one of the trials in Albuquerque, one of the judges said of his opening argument, “It was dynamite the way you, Mr. Turtur, were able to take the prosecutions’ words in their opening argument and use those words against them. It diffused their argument completely.”
    In the four trials that the Oratory team presented, Scott won two special awards for Star Advocate (attorney) that were voted on and presented by the opposing teams.
    Oratory Prep School is a Roman Catholic school for boys in grades seven – twelve. For more information about the school, visit the website at oratoryprep.org.

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