There’s a courtroom showdown looming for the Huntington High School mock trial team. The Blue Devils will face former state champion William Floyd on Wednesday afternoon in the semifinal round of the Suffolk tournament.
Huntington will attempt to make history as it has never before reached the county championship match in the mock trial competition. The legal battle against William Floyd will play out in Courtroom 820 at the Alphonse. M. D’Amato United States Courthouse in Central Islip.
The Blue Devils have been engaged in fierce preparations for the trial. The team spent three hours rehearsing on Sunday night with another three hour session set for Tuesday evening. Team members have also been studying their roles and practicing their lines on their own time. Huntington is 5-0 so far this season.
William Floyd will argue the plaintiff’s case in Wednesday’s showdown while Huntington has been assigned the defense. The winner between the Blue Devils and the Colonials will face the victor of the other semifinal round match between Ward Melville and John H. Glenn.
The Huntington team is hoping to pack the courtroom with Blue Devil fans for Wednesday’s battle. The judge will be prepared to start the trial at 2:45 p.m. sharp. Federal court rules prohibit phones, cameras, video cameras and weapons from being brought into the facility.
Huntington’s vaunted defense team line-up is comprised of:
Attorneys:
1. John Panos
2. Alyssa Befumo
3. Max Robins
Witnesses:
1. Claudia Villatoro as Carson Connors
2. Riley Tucker and Rory Boccelli as Dr. Avery Johnson
3. Lena Annunziata as Billie Jo Stapleton
Local attorneys and district residents Xavier Palacios, Jack Piana and John LoTurco are the team’s legal advisors. Sarah Buckhalter and Suzie Biagi are the squad’s faculty advisors.
Directions to US District Court in Central Islip:
• Via Long Island Expressway to Exit 56 (Rte 111): Turn right at the first traffic light, Wheeler Road. Bear left onto Wheeler Road (SC17), going south - cross Suffolk Avenue, Wheeler Road becomes Carleton Avenue, continue south to Spur Drive North. Left onto Spur Drive North. Parking lot is on the left. (Courthouse is approximately four miles from the Long Island Expressway.)
• Via Northern State Parkway to the last exit: Veterans Memorial Highway (Rte. 454). East to Wheeler Road (Rte. 111). Proceed south approx. 1 mile, go under Long Island Expressway overpass, bear left onto Wheeler Road (SC17), going south, cross Suffolk Avenue, Wheeler Road becomes Carleton Avenue. Continue South to Spur Drive North. Left onto Spur Drive North.