On March 18th, the Byron-Bergen High School Mock Trial team traveled to the Genesee County Courthouse in Batavia, NY to compete in the New York State Mock Trial quarterfinals competition. The Byron-Bergen team qualified for the quarterfinals after competing in two opening rounds at the Wyoming County Courthouse, in Warsaw, NY.  

This year’s quarterfinal court case involved a four-alarm fire that destroyed a local painting supplies business. Upon investigation, the state indicted the business owner with arson in the third degree. The Byron-Bergen teams displayed a strong effort that included four first-time lawyers and three first-time witnesses. Despite a strong effort on the Defense’s side, the Byron-Bergen teams were eliminated in the semi-final round. The Byron-Bergen High School Mock Trial team is co-led by advisors Evelyn Hunt and Andrew McNeil. The program is a joint venture of The New York Bar Foundation, the New York State Bar Association, and the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program.