Mock Trial Team Wins State Championship In Bensalem

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —Bensalem High School’s Mock Trial Team has been crowned state champions.

The team was honored by the Bucks County Bar Association for being mock trial champions after competing Wednesday in Harrisburg in the 2023 Pennsylvania Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Bucks County Bar Association.

The competition, in its 40th year, provides high school students with firsthand experience of the American judicial system.

During the competition, the teams were given the opportunity to argue a case before a judge. The students played the roles of attorneys, plaintiffs, defendants, and witnesses, and were assisted by attorney advisor, Deputy District Attorney Brittney Kern, and their teacher advisor, Carrie Cramer.

A jury decided the winner.

The competition started at the county level with 21 teams.

Bensalem placed first with an undefeated record to advance to the regional competition in Media, which had four teams from Bucks, Delaware, and Chester counties, school officials said.

With the win in Media, Bensalem was one of 14 state teams to compete in Harrisburg.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office adopted the Bensalem team several decades ago, and many current and former prosecutors have served as a coach to the team.

District Attorney Matt Weintraub was among those former coaches with his team finishing in second place in the statewide competition.

“Our team is simply amazing and so is the bond that they have formed,” Cramer said.

Congratulations to senior Kadyn Geddes; juniors Victoria Mocarski, Andrew Reznichenko, Zachary Brunell, and Ayesha Siddiq; sophomores Rishi Jani, Kailey Roberts, Chudier Nyak, and Bhavya Patel; and freshmen Greeshma Annagowni and Charlize Seaford; Cramer; and Kern.

"Congratulations on this milestone," school officials said. "They had a wonderful season, remaining undefeated when they advanced to the state competition. They're already looking forward to next year."