The North Platte High School mock trial team earned an honorable mention at state after winning the Region 2 competition against Ogallala on Nov. 20, 2023.
The state competition is in Lincoln on Dec. 11 and 12. This is the first time NPHS has made it to the state mock trial competition since 2010.
The team is coached by Megan Dailey and lawyers Audrey Kingston and Maggie Jackson.
“I am very proud of them. They have worked very hard and it has been years we have made it to state,” Kingston said. “It’s about time.”
At the state competition, the students competed in their first two rounds as prosecution against Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer High School and Skutt Catholic High School.
Sawyer Davis-Magnuson received the “Best Lawyer Award” for both competitions. Barbara Eugenio received the “Best Witness Award” during the first competition and Ean Coe earned it in the second trial.
The students competed as defense the third round of competitions against Gibbon High School.
Davis-Magnuson received the “Best Lawyer Award” and Hailee Raefelli received the “Best Witness Award” for the 3rd.
The fourth competition is limited to the top two teams, where they have a chance to compete for nationals, which will be held in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 2-5, 2024.
On the first evening of competitions, a banquet was held. The students were recognized for their achievement of being Region 2 winners and played “Mock Trial Trivia.” The team took home three trivia awards.
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation is responsible for writing the case. This year’s case is a federal criminal case, Higgs Schrodinger V. The United States of America.
The Defendant is being charged with having unlawful possession of a photograph. In this case, it was a selfie with top secret government information in the background.
Each side follows a theme to lay out their case. The prosecution’s theme is “It’s all fun and games until you get caught,” and defense’s is “There are two sides to every story.”
This case was a challenge for students all around the state, due to the level of complexity of this year’s case material, NPHS coaches said.
“The team has worked really hard this year, especially those who have been doing it for multiple years,” Kingston said.