Tuesday evening ended in a victory for the St. Dominic Mock Trial team after they faced off against Marquette High School in the first round of the St. Louis Preliminaries.

Representing Defense, the team took to the courthouse Tuesday, January 22, to argue their side of the case in front of a judge and two “jury members” who scored the competition on three ballots. The team has been preparing since September, and the courtroom was definitely alive with nerves and excitement as the first trial of the season began.

The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) Mock Trial Competition alternates between what type of case teams will compete with every year. As last year’s competition dealt with a civil case, this year Mock Trial teams are tackling a criminal case regarding a murder.

At 6:00 p.m. the trial began, and for the next two and a half hours both schools engaged in opening statements, lines of questioning, closing arguments and objections.

After receiving their scores, St. Dominic reigned victorious, winning all three of the ballots over Marquette. This early success could mean a lot for the team in the long-run.

Last year, the Mock Trial team made St. Dominic history by reaching the Regional and State competitions for the first time. This year’s team, primarily comprised of new members, knows that with another big win like this one, they hold a good chance at advancing to Regionals. Mock Trial coordinator and coach Mr. Asher notes how this year’s team can benefit from the experiences of last year.

“After last year, we have a better understanding of the caliber of competition and what it takes to compete at a higher level, including that you can never be too prepared. Know the essentials: objections and refutations, entering exhibits into evidence, be flexible, always keep the main goal(s) in focus,” Asher said.

Tuesday’s competition was the first taste of a real mock trial for the vast majority of the Defense team. Tori Larner, a freshman and lawyer for the team, was one of the several members who made her Mock Trial debut on Tuesday.

“The competition definitely surpassed my expectations. Although it was stressful, it was also very fun. We all helped each other prepare so much and we worked really well together,” Larner said.

Moving forward, the team will continue to work on their case for Prosecution, which they will compete with in mid-February for the second round of Preliminaries. Make sure to wish the team luck on the rest of their hopefully lengthy 2019 season!