When the shock of the incident wore off, the inevitable question arose: who was to blame? Was it Danny Kosack—Elias' handler—or Midlands Television Studios? The studio sued Kosack for negligence and, to complicate matters, Kosack filed a countersuit. When the incident went to court, Juniata's newly formed mock trial team took the case. 

Formed at the beginning of the fall 2018 semester, the College's mock trial team first competed at the Guardian Invitational in New London, Connecticut, before tackling the case of the aforementioned prodigal primate at the Friar Face Off, which was held in Olean, N.Y., on November 3 and 4, 2018. The team earned their first victory at the Face Off, which was only their second official competition, when they defeated Allegheny College, St. Bonaventure University, Syracuse University, and the University of Buffalo.

In mock trial competitions, Juniata's team defends and prosecutes both sides of a case in front of real judges, practicing attorneys, and other law professionals who score their presentations. As in a real trial, case information is released before the competition begins so the teams can prepare their witnesses, craft opening statements, and establish useful legal precedents.

"You need to know your case material so you can capitalize on any opportunities that come up," says Charlie Jones '19, one of the team's attorneys. "And in this recent case, very little was clear cut, so it really came down to how well you presented your position."

“Apart from sharpening communication and critical thinking skills, mock trial is one of the best ways to prepare undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in law.”David P. Andrews, coordinator of mock trial.

Attorney David P. Andrews '74 coaches the team. Andrews has coached mock trial teams at the high school and college level, leading Altoona Area High School's team to a state championship in 2014 and a top-20 finish at the national competition.

"Apart from sharpening communication and critical thinking skills, mock trial is one of the best ways to prepare undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in law," says Andrews, who coaches both of Juniata's mock trial teams and teaches two academic courses related to mock trial each semester.

When a student at Juniata, Andrews was active in a similar organization, the Barrister's Club, among whose members was his lifelong friend, Bruce Moyer '74. Moyer became an attorney and a lobbyist in Washington D.C. In 2018, Moyer and his wife, JoAnn Bowman '75, a human resources and international development expert, provided a gift to Juniata to help fund the start of the College's mock trial team.

But neither the generous gift from Moyer and Bowman nor Andrews' steady hand are the only reasons for the success of Juniata's new program. "Juniata's success was a direct result of the amount of time we put into this case," says Rian Fantozzi '20, one of the team's expert witnesses. "The whole team cares about doing well and is willing to put in the long hours to get there." 

The team's strong, collective work ethic is complemented by individual talent as well. Team captain Haley Walker '19 earned the Outstanding Attorney Award at the Face Off, while Olivia Drake '20 earned the Outstanding Witness Award for the defense and Vidal Glassman '21 won the Outstanding Witness Award for the plaintiff. 

For the members of Juniata's newfound program, team victories, individual awards, and valuable experiences are likely to become the new norm, no matter how abnormal the case.