Hillsdale's Pooja Agarwal and Jack Spillner Place 5th and 6th at Gladiator; Jack Also Takes Home Top Witness Award

This weekend in a national field of 44 of the best mock trialers in the country, Pooja Agarwal and Jack Spillner finished in 5th and 6th place, respectively (the two highest any Hillsdale student has placed at Gladiator).  In the case, United States v. Augie Shepard, the government charged Atlanta mob boss Augie Shepard with murder and retaliation against a witness. The government alleged that Shepard, while on a college trip to UCLA with his 18-year old, spotted a mob "rat" in downtown Los Angeles and murdered him the night before Shepard was to return to Atlanta.  The "rat" - a former mob member now in witness protection - was strangled by a pair of jumper cables at the home where he had been relocated. Jack and Pooja competed both as government and defense attorneys, as well as both witnesses over two days.  Jack also received Gladiator's top witness award, and received a full scholarship to Top Mock mock trial camp at Furman University for finishing as one of the top rising juniors.