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02/09/2017

Lisbon mock trial team advances to regionals

Lisbon Blue Mock Trial 1100x459Pictured are members of the Lisbon Blue Mock Trial team, (from left) Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Weikart, Katie Chludzinski, Lindsey Chludzinski, Spencer Crosser, Eva DeRuyter, Julie Muntean, Aliyah Leyman, Olivia Wagner, David Toot, Jake Liberati, advisor Ron Witman and Judge Mary DeGenaro. (Submitted photo)

LISBON– The Lisbon Blue Mock Trial team defeated Harrison Central and Steubenville in the Ohio Mock Trial District competition. They will now advance to the regional competition in Akron on Feb. 10. Lindsey and Katie Chludzinski were awarded best attorney and Julie Muntean the best witness.

The team began their preparation for this trial in the beginning of November with Ryan Weikart as the legal adviser and teacher Ronald Witman as the faculty advisor.  In the 2017 case, Pat Justice v. CAT News et al., students will consider a case of defamation of a public official by a news station. Pat Justice recently ran for re-election as Governor of the State of Ohio. During the campaign, Trillium High School’s We the People club invited Governor Justice to speak during the lunch hour. Afterward, the Governor met with a student in the principal’s office. Principal I.M Veritas was a rival of Governor Justice in college, and once the two were alone, an argument began which ended with the Governor storming out. As the Governor left, Principal Veritas suffered a fatal brain aneurysm and died. A student reporter heard the argument and reported to a local news affiliate CAT News that the Governor had killed the principal. While it was disproven quickly, the story went viral. Governor Justice lost the election, and has now filed a civil suit against CAT News, alleging defamation. The former Governor will seek to prove that the station published the story with reckless disregard to the truth, and that the story damaged his/her reputation and cost him/her the election.

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