Eight Shoreham-Wading River High School students set out in the inaugural year of the Mock Trial Club with great hopes of success and have achieved just that.

Mock Trial Club members seniors Giovanna Costa, Hannah Rafuse and Savannah Roth, juniors Harley Loscalzo and Madisyn Perez and freshmen Joey Calandrillo, Maddy Mayer and Clara Pederson work alongside coach Ann Gianfalla in the educational program that features tournament-style competitions in which teams compete to earn points based on their presentation and legal skills.

The recent competition featured SWR against Miller Place High School on March 5, in which SWR won the civil suit of libel case. The fictional case is based on a former superintendent who is suing a student for allegedly creating and posting a deep fake video that ruined the Superintendent's run for the State Senate.  The video is allegedly in retaliation for the cutting of the Computer Science club from the school budget. 

The students in Mock Trial learn about the legal system by simulating a trial and take on roles of lawyers and witnesses to convince the judge of, or against, reasonable doubt.  The attorney who took the role of the judge was David Desmond, a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association.

In addition to learning about legal procedure, the students also learn life skills, including public speaking, active listening, teamwork, persuasiveness and self-confidence. 

SWR’s record is now 2-2. 

Click here to view the The Verdict is In! slideshow.