Mock Trial

The St. Stephen’s Academy Mock Trial competed in the Clackamas County Regional Mock Trial competition on Saturday, March 3. They won their first two rounds and, in the third and final round, systematically fought the incredibly capable West Linn Green team, splitting the verdict of the three judges in St. Stephen’s favor. However, since place is determined by points, overall number of judges’ ballots, and verdicts, St. Stephen’s did not receive one of three spots to the State Competition. From Clackamas County, West Linn Green, West Linn Gold, and Sandy High School will progress to the state competition.

This year’s team performance is especially remarkable, given that over half of the team was composed of rookies! Regardless, throughout the fall and winter months, they honed team-based skills such as writing for the courtroom, acting, responding to objections, timing speeches, and disciplining the witness on cross examination. They also cultivated a particularly positive and open culture, which enabled them to have fun together despite the serious nature of what they were studying and the workload required to strategize and execute two cases – one for the Prosecution and one for the Defense. This year’s case involved a teen, Dannie Deluca, played by St. Stephen’s sophomore Aiden Smith, indicted for Manslaughter in the First Degree and accused of texting while driving, thereby hitting an elderly woman head-on with his car. There were many dramatic moments in the courtroom through the three Saturday rounds, and the team represented St. Stephen’s with unprecedented calm, stellar listening and reasoning, and exemplary character.

The Mock Trial Coaches wish to thank each of our students for their dedication and commitment to maturing our SSA Mock Trial Program by encouraging all of their fellow team members and taking the SSA Mock Trial Team to a new level. We are so proud of each of our students and the manner in which they excelled to compete against the very best in our district. The SSA Mock Trial Team demonstrated how an inclusive and supportive team is competitive against any team in the regional competition. Again, we are so proud of each of our Mock Trial students.

After a celebratory party, to include the coveted St. Stephen’s Academy (MT) Awards, the team will disband for the remainder of the year and begin practices with the start of school in September. They are looking for additional motivated SSA students to join the fun.