The gavel smashes down on the dark mahogany table to the sound of “Objection, your Honor! The prosecution’s claim is completely unfounded.” Twelve pairs of eyes turn in intrigue. Not a sound is heard in the courtroom. Confidently, the defense attorney pushes back the chair and stands up to deliver a rebuttal.

These are the sights and sounds of the Saint Stephen’s Mock Trial team, often times utilizing the facilities at the Manatee County Courthouse. This year, the team showed that hours of hard work and dedication pay off: their extensive awards speak to this. To name just a few of the team’s impressive achievements at the state level, they have placed in the top ten 22 times, won Best Attorney 14 times and received the Professionalism Award twice.

Mock Trial is offered as an after-school club, taught by US history teacher and Mock Trial coach Ms. Patricia Murphy. She is assisted by attorney Jim Delgado of the Manatee law firm Kallins, Little & Delgado. She is also supported by Maite Clarke from the District Attorney’s Office.

When the Mock Trial team captain, senior Sabel Duncan, first joined the team her sophomore year, she knew that she was joining a highly successful team with a very competitive coach. “I’d heard stories of what regionals, states and national competitions were like and I worked my hardest to be at that level,” she said. “When I actually saw opposing teams in action in the courtroom, that’s when my motivation ramped up. I wanted to be at that level and even higher.”

“Self-confidence, maturity, and strength of character sum up this year’s Mock Trial team,” said Ms. Murphy. “These qualities are manifested by the arduous process of preparing for competition.”

Mrs. Diane Neeves, a parent of Mock Trial team’s member Carson, said that she was amazed by how composed the team was while presenting the case. “They are given a case to study and they have to represent both sides of the case,” she explained. “When the opposing counsel objects, they have to defend the objection, or rephrase the question to get what they need from the witness to prove their argument.”

Delgado said that he tries to get the students from “acting like attorneys to being attorneys.” His role depends on the students: “If a student is too aggressive, my goal is to make them less aggressive and more in control,” he explained. “If they are too mild-mannered, my goal is push them to be more aggressive.”

Ms. Murphy said that Mock Trial requires students “to learn to construct opening statements, powerful cross examinations and crushing closing arguments.” These qualities allow for the student to be “agile and quick in remembering facts and laws; ultimately, the students build self-confidence and character,” Delgado added.

In speaking about the program, Head of School Dr. Jan Pullen said: “You get learning based on personal interests and experience in teamwork to [reach a desired result], while also doing something that represents your school.”

Upper School Director Mr. Andrew Forrester said that “Mock Trial is an excellent opportunity for students to gain experience in the legal field.”

However, to be able to speak confidently during a trial and understand the case from all angles requires a great amount of work and dedication.

“It’s amazing to watch a student go from having very little knowledge about courtroom rules of evidence and procedures to hearing them confidently present their side of a case in front of a jury,” said Ms. Murphy.

Mrs. Neeves added, “Carson was part of something special, something he had not been exposed to previously, nor would he have been if not for Saint Stephen’s or the passion of Ms. Murphy and his Mock Trial teammates. He not only loved it but it will be one of his most impactful high school experiences.”

The Mock Trial members become a team, according to Delgado. “They listen, help, critique, and take notes on each other. Individually they build confidence, since they’re used to going up in front of people and public speaking,” Delgado said.

Forrester explained, “Students learn all about the correct procedures of a legal setting in a court of law and a whole new vocabulary of legal terminology. Since they present all of this orally, they learn excellent presentation skills: how to move, react, get your point across, and to be firm but not aggressive,”

Dr. Pullen said that the “beauty of Saint Stephen’s is that we can’t have everything here, but we try to have enough variety of extracurricular activities to entice different interests of our students.”

From the variety of clubs and other activities offered at the school, Mock Trial specifically exposes students to the legal field and sparks an interest to pursue related studies in college.

Duncan said, “Each and every teammate that I’ve had in my three years of Mock Trial has possessed unique characteristics that no one but they alone have created,” she said. “My goal as captain has been to set the tone for a very conducive environment in which every teammate can better themselves as a team member.  That type of environment is bound to yield success.”

Yet it is important to remember where the success of the ever-growing Mock Trial team comes from: the miracle-working instructor, Ms. Murphy, who recently received the first annual Ed Lange Award during the States awards ceremony.

“Not only are we so proud of what Ms. Murphy does at Saint Stephen’s,” Dr. Pullen said, “but we are so proud that others have recognized her in the state for her years and years of dedication.”

Ms. Murphy has been the advisor, the coach, and the reason there is a Mock Trial team at Saint Stephen’s, according to Pullen.

“It’s been her energy, dedication, and commitment in bringing this wonderful activity to our students. The hours and hours she spends working with the kids is so admired,” she said.

Although Mock Trial is a big time commitment, it is something Ms. Murphy manages to always prioritize on her list. With such passion and love for both Mock Trial and her students, she creates the ideal image of a Mock Trial teacher by embodying a student’s best qualities.

Mr. Forrester spoke glowingly of Ms. Murphy: “We are very fortunate that we have a faculty member to spend hours after school to put together a very competitive team at the state level.”

“Mock Trial is one of those gems where students really embrace the philosophy and work very, very hard to become the very best that they can be,” Forrester said.