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Mock trial tourney to test courtroom skills Goshen — High school student Terry O’Neal left campus in the middle of the school day to drive two friends, who are siblings, to get lunch. On the way back to school, they were involved in a car accident. One of the passengers, Nicole Anderson, was killed. The state has charged O’Neal with second-degree manslaughter in Anderson’s death. Fortunately, this is not a true story. The fictional case of the State of New York vs. Terry O’Neal presents a challenge to local high school students, whose legal prowess will be put to the test during the 18th annual New York State Bar Association’s Mock Trial Tournament on Saturday, March 18, at the Orange County Courthouse in Goshen. Now in its 18th year, the mock trail program, sponsored by the Orange-Ulster BOCES and the Orange County Bar Association, allows high school students to play the parts of attorneys in local courtrooms. The Orange County Mock Trial Tournament is the first stage in the New York State Mock Trial Tournament, sponsored by the state bar association. The program is coordinated in Orange County by Maryanne Monte and Evelyn Schneider of the Orange-Ulster BOCES and Carol S. Klein, a family court judge representing the bar association. The bar association provides judges to hear cases presented by the students as well as attorney-coaches for the teams. The teams have spent the last few months preparing for their presentations in court. The students play both the roles of the plaintiff and the defendants by studying affidavits and court procedures under the guidance of their attorney-coach and an advisor from their schools. Round 1 will be held from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m., and Round 2 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Because of the uneven number of teams, there will be a lunchtime trial from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The schedule allows each team two trials, one as defendant and one as plaintiff. Each team will be in a different courtroom and face a different opponent for the trial. The single eliminations and semi-finals will be held at the government center on March 25. The county finals are scheduled for April 4. Participating school districts include Chester, Goshen, John S. Burke Roman Catholic High School (Goshen), Cornwall, Highland Falls, Marlboro, Minisink Valley, Monroe-Woodbury, Pine Bush, Port Jervis, Valley Central, Warwick Valley, and Washingtonville. For more information call Maryanne Monte at 781-4363, ext. 10745.