GVHS Mock Trial Team Litigated Bog Turtle Case

Great Valley High School’s Mock Trial team suffered a close loss to Bishop Shanahan and Bayard Rustin last week at the West Chester courthouse.

The team, made up students filling the roles of six lawyers and six witnesses, invested many after-school hours reviewing case materials, developing a “story,” and preparing to present their arguments in front of a jury comprised of lawyers from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Despite the loss, students gained invaluable experience working within the justice system and interpreting the law.

Each year, the state bar association creates a legal scenario for mock trial teams across the state to litigate. This year’s case centered on the environmental impact of the bog turtle, an endangered species in Pennsylvania. The presence of the benign reptile—or the potential of a property to serve as its habitat—can bring an expansion or construction project to a halt.

In the case, officially titled The Wisawe Chapter of Friends of Bog Turtles vs. ZenoPharma Inc., a fictional pharmaceutical company seeking to expand must determine whether or not its property contains land that is essential to the conservation of the bog turtle—and thus be rendered inappropriate for expansion.

In actual court proceedings, the outcome of such cases can have serious repercussions beyond the welfare of turtles. Potential economic impacts and job losses are considered in the equation, and the legitimacy of opposition to development projects is tested.

At the competition, teams are scored mainly on effectiveness of arguments, poise and articulation, knowledge of court rules, and timing. Though the Great Valley team lost, they turned in a professional performance, assessing all aspects of the case before and during the proceedings.

“We’re really proud of the way our defense and plaintiff teams worked throughout the year,” said Satya Naagesh, senior and co-president of Mock Trial at Great Valley. “It just came down to timing and execution of rules.”

The Great Valley delegation consisted of two groups: The plaintiff team included Dani Smith, Brian Huang, Katie Maningas, Cheyenne Wigley, Ranjani Srinivasan and Dan Dore.  The defense team consisted of Satya Naagesh, Allison Loose, Ben Richey, Evan Fisher, Nikhita Singh and Laura Beebe.