A racehorse owner is found violently murdered. His onetime protege is accused of the crime.

The facts of the case are fictitious, but high school mock trial teams had to use real courtroom techniques to prove whether or not the defendant committed the murder.

Jim Thorpe Area High School students showed they were among the best in the region at making their case. The school’s mock trial team took top honors among the district covering Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties.

It was a rewarding finish for the team’s seniors, most of whom have been participating in mock trial since they were freshmen.

“A lot of us have been here since freshman year. Knowing what to expect really helped us,” said McKenzie Snyder, who played one of the witnesses in the case.

The 2022 Jim Thorpe mock trial team was made up of over a dozen students, divided into defense and prosecution. Each team had lawyers and witnesses. The team also had a timekeeper, because finishing arguments within an allotted time is a key part of the competition.

Months before the actual trials took place, the team started practicing, with a lot of memorization.

Teams received a 75-page book containing the witness statements, evidence, and grand jury indictment that formed the basis of the case.

The team’s witnesses had to absorb their character’s statements, to be prepared to recall facts under cross-examination by the opposing attorneys.

“You really have to know what you’re talking about when it comes to your affidavit. It’s kind of like playing a character,” Snyder said.

The lawyers had to study all the evidence and witness statements in order to form an argument, and have the facts to support it.

“You had to make sure you had all your points set,” said Alexandra Ramey, who was a prosecution lawyer.

In addition to a high school teacher, Greg Strubinger, the team had an attorney adviser. Matt Mottola was a public defender when he started supervising the team. He now works as a prosecutor for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Mottola said that the team had been building up to the performance it showed in this year’s competition.

“They were the first group that was there all four years. They had the benefit of having experience, and having the confidence to try a case,” Mottola said.

Mottola said he realizes that many of the team members will be pursuing other fields when they get to college. But he said the lessons from mock trial - like public speaking skills, and forming an argument that grabs someone’s attention - will benefit them in whatever field they choose.

“I try to teach them more of a persuasive speaking style that I hope that they can use regardless of the field they go into,” he said.

Some of the team members, such as Mackenzie Swift, do plan to pursue a career in law. Swift got to participate as a witness, a prosecutor and a defense attorney during her four years on the team. And as she continues on, she’ll have experience with skills like cross-examining a witness, and preparing opening and closing statements.

“I want to be an attorney. When I started doing mock trial was when I developed an interest in the law,” Swift said.