On January 11th, Stuart’s Mock Trial team competed in the Mercer County Mock Trial Competition. After five months of hard work and preparation, both the defense and plaintiff teams emerged victorious in their rounds.
This year’s case revolved around the wrongful death of a West Highland Terrier named Sally. In the case, Carmen Capella, the plaintiff, was suing Petzicon Products Incorporated for $500,000 for they claimed that one of Petzicon’s products was responsible for Sally’s death. Sally was a show dog who had recently won a $100,000 prize in the American Accredited Dog Breed Show and was set to win more. Unfortunately, one terrible night in October, her owner, Carmen Capella, noticed she was itching and thought it was fleas. In response, she used a flea shampoo, but with no improvement. As Sally’s condition worsened, her owner was thrown into more distress. She picked up what is assumed to be a Petzicon bottle and barely read the label before pouring the contents on Sally. Her condition only worsened. The next morning, Carmen took Sally to the veterinarian (Dr. Alex Delani) and was told Sally’s symptoms would improve. Unfortunately, they did not and Sally died that night in her owner’s arms. The jury had to decide whether Petzicon is liable for Sally’s death and if Carmen Capella deserves compensation and how much.
The plaintiff side had the burden of proof and sought to prove that the Petzicon product was the main cause of Sally’s death. They argued that the product had a manufacturing defect, inadequate labeling, and that there was a failure to warn. They claimed that Carmen did not misuse the product, and if there were proper labels, Carmen would have followed them. On the other hand, the defense team worked to dispute this claim by highlighting Petzicon’s commitment to safety and how the unfortunate passing of Sally resulted from the product’s misuse on Carmen’s behalf. They did this by presenting evidence that Carmen had mixed products with the Petzicon one and that one was expired. They also focused on the regulations put in place by the company to prove that the company was not to blame. Both sides presented three witnesses, including at least one expert witness. The plaintiff’s witnesses included Carmen Capella (the plaintiff), Jamison St.Claire (owner of the American Accredited Breed Dog Show), and Dr. Alex Delani (Sally’s vet). The defense presented W. Pat O’Connell (CEO of Petzicon), Sam Stone (lead investigator of the case), and Val Popinjay (expert in dog evaluation and finances).
Stuart’s plaintiff team competed against Plainsboro West Windsor South for the second year in a row, and, once again, won. The defense team was originally supposed to compete against Hun, but they decided to drop out of the competition at the last minute. Therefore, the defense competed against Lawrence High School, also winning their round. Despite the last-minute change, both teams stayed focused and nailed their performances, winning their rounds and making all those hours of preparation worth it.
One team member notes, “My favorite part of Mock Trial was seeing us go from reading off papers and iffy about what we were talking about to devouring at the competition – seeing such significant growth in everyone on the team”.
To celebrate the end of the Mock Trial season, the team plans to continue their tradition of watching Legally Blonde, a perfect way to unwind and look back on all they’ve accomplished. The team’s victory is incredibly significant to all the members, but to the seniors, it is particularly momentous as they end their last year of Mock Trial with a win. They recall the bittersweet days when they were underclassmen and how they witnessed the Stuart Mock Trial team go from never winning their rounds and being hesitant in their skills, to winning both rounds for two years in a row. During the Mock Trial celebration, the team plans to surprise their senior members with handmade posters to thank them for their leadership, guidance, and dedication throughout the season, marking the end of their high school Mock Trial career.
