May 11, 2015 – Congratulations to Hunter College High School, this year’s champion team of the 2015 NYC Mock Trial Tournament! The Justice Resource Center serves as the administrator of the tournament for the New York City Region. New York City represents Region 5, the largest region in the state, with 91 schools competing this year. The New York City Department of Education, the Justice Resource Center, and the New York County Lawyers’ Association sponsor the New York City Mock Trial Tournament.
The final round took place on April 30, 2015, in the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Federal Courthouse for the Southern District of NY. Hunter College High School, plaintiff, argued against Forest Hills High School, defense. The case, written by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), includes Casey Cheatham, treasurer of the Morningside Heights Booster Club, who is accused of conversion by the Morningside Heights Booster Club. The Booster Club held a Fun Fair in the summer of 2013 as a fundraising event to alleviate school budget cuts created by a funding crisis. The fair included carnival rides for all attendees, a chicken barbecue, and various games of chance for adults. The overseer of the event, Club President Peyton Pearson, delegated to Cheatham the responsibility of gathering proceeds of ride ticket sales and games of chance at the end of each day of the Fair. The Booster Club alleges that Cheatham wrongfully took a portion of the money collected and used it to pay for expensive purchases and support his/her gambling habit. The Plaintiff (Morningside Heights Booster Club) needed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Defendant Casey Cheatham took an identifiable amount of Fun Fair proceeds, and without authorization, exercised control over it and spent it for personal gain.
The case was presided over by Honorable Vernon S. Broderick, who was nominated to the Southern District of New York bench on April 15, 2013, and confirmed on September 9, 2013. His practice focused on white collar criminal cases, regulatory investigations and business litigation. In 2003, he was appointed to the Commission to Combat Police Corruption by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In 2011, Judge Broderick was appointed to the New York State Commission on Public Integrity by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Judge Broderick has also served on the Boards of numerous not-for-profit organizations, including The Justice Resource Center, Latino Justice PRLDEF, the Fund for Modern Courts, and the City Bar Justice Center.
The final round ended with an awards ceremony and reception at the Courthouse. Both of the NYC finalist teams advance to the 2015 New York Statewide Mock Trial Tournament which will be held in Albany on Sunday, May 17 through Tuesday, May 19, 2015.
Article written by Valerie Kornitchouk