Mock Trial travels to see opening statements of Horner Trial

By Rhett Everhart and Bethany Harker

The Nicholas Horner trial is scheduled on Monday, March 19, 2012. He is being tried for accused double murder.

His victims were Raymond Williams, age 64, and Scott Garlick, age 19, who was an employee at the Subway.

Once arrested Horner claimed temporary insanity due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The TAHS mock trial team has arranged to sit in on the trial to observe what a real trial is like.

“We were able to reserve seats at the trial because our attorney advisor, Rich Lipinsky, is involved in the trial so he was able to get us an inside advantage when it came to seating,” Mr. Cammarata, mock trial coach, said.
Not all mock trial members are required to go due to the emotional toll the trial may have on the students.

“I think it seems interesting and exciting on paper, but actually thinking about it, makes it creepier knowing this person killed two people,” Kate Bock, junior, said.

Students were given permission slips and if they wish to go they returned the permission slips.

“I still don’t know who is all going yet because not all slips have been returned, but I hope that the students who are going will learn from this experience,” Cammarata said.

The mock trial team will be leaving the school at 7a.m. on Monday morning and will travel to Altoona for the trial.

Once they arrive at the courthouse the members of the mock trial team will have to go through security because this is a federal case.

The team will either spend half a day at the trial and leave when the trial is in “recess”, or they will spend the entire length of the trial because you are unable to leave the court room when a trial is in process.

“We will get to experience a big case like this, and it’s not every day that happens in Blair County, so I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of decisions lawyers make in a big courtroom,” Ben Makdad, junior, said.
Cammarata is hoping the students going will learn from this experience and see what an actual trial is like.

“It’ll be a time to see lawyers at the top of their game so the students can get a good view of how the Judicial System works,” Cammarata said.