St. John’s Mock Trial Defeats Harvard to Finish Second in Tournament

St. John’s University’s acclaimedMock Trial Team defeated Harvard University in the fourth and final trial of the sixth annual Brandeis University Invitational Mock Trial Tournament last weekend. Twenty-eight teams from 15 of the most highly regarded colleges and universities throughout the country were invited by Brandeis to this prestigious pre-season preparation for the upcoming national tournament.

Professor Bernard Helldorfer, of the College of Professional Studies, and a Mock Trial team coach, stressed that St. John’s strong showing bodes well for a successful season. “We did extremely well as a team and the performance of the rookies was especially strong,” he observed. In addition to defeating Harvard, the team overcame the University of New Hampshire and both squads from Tufts University.

Co-Captain Gary Dunn, ‘13CPS, was named one of ten outstanding student attorneys. Professor Helldorfer added, “St. John’s has established an outstanding reputation in the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament, earning a bid to the nationals in 17 out of the last 19 years.  Every team has reflected the rich diversity of the University community and this record is a testament to the academic excellence of our students.”

St. John’s went undefeated, capturing second place with a nearly perfect overall record of seven wins, no losses and one tie. The tournament champion was Cornell University which ended with a perfect 8-0 record. Harvard went into the last trial with a record of 4-2-0 while St. John’s was 5-0-1.

The competition simulates a real court case where students play the roles of attorneys for plaintiff and defense, as well as witnesses. Points are awarded based on the students’ individual performances. This year’s case involved a criminal prosecution of a college-age individual for murder committed by driving a car while severely intoxicated, resulting in the death of a 21-year old female passenger.

St. John’s next preseason tournament will be held at the University of Pennsylvania, November 11-13. The regional round of the national tournament will take place next January or February.