Gulf Breeze High School Mock Trial Team heads to state competition

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Staff reports

Members of Gulf Breeze High School’s Mock Trial team are coached by teacher Michael Rodgerson and Levin Papantonio Law Firm Attorneys Brandon Bogle, Troy Bouk, Michael Bixby and Steve Luongo

For the second year in a row, the Gulf Breeze High School Mock Trial Team won the Circuit 1 Mock Trial Competition, moving them forward to state competition March 14-16 in Orlando.

The February 21 mock trial was sponsored by the Florida Law Related Education Association and the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Foundation and was based on a fictional case called the State of Florida vs. Jordan Brooks, wherein Jordan was charged with vehicular homicide (782.071 FS) and manslaughter by culpable negligence (782.07 FS).  

In the span of four days, Gulf Breeze High competed in four rounds of trials at the MC Blanchard Judicial Center in Pensacola, against teams from Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Walton County before winning the competition.

GBHS students Bailey Bouk and Wyatt Sise tied for first runner up for the Most Effective Attorney, and Jack Hitchcock won Best Witness.

The Gulf Breeze students spent months preparing for the competition before and after school.

The team consists of:  Bailey Bouk, Steven DeCesare, Hannah Goto, Jack Hitchcock, Juliana Lucas, Trinity Oatts, Michaela O’Grady, Tulla Bee Picardi, Wyatt Sise, Emma Sontag, Matthew Rodgerson, Emma Thompson, and Liam Werner.

The Gulf Breeze Mock Trial team is coached by teacher Michael Rodgerson and Levin Papantonio Law Firm Attorneys Brandon Bogle, Troy Bouk, Michael Bixby and Steve Luongo, who collectively dedicated hundreds of hours to teaching, supporting and guiding the student trial lawyers.