{"id":560,"date":"2012-03-13T11:45:56","date_gmt":"2012-03-13T16:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hlsorgs.com\/bsa\/?page_id=560"},"modified":"2026-07-20T03:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:00:29","slug":"semi-final-round","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/bsa\/ames-competition\/semi-final-round\/","title":{"rendered":"Ames Semi-Final Round"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n

The Ames Semi-Final Round<\/h1>\n
<\/div>\n

The four teams competing in the Semi-Final Round began the competition in the fall and reached the final four on the strength of their research, writing, and oral advocacy.
The cases, briefs, and teams are below.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n
Congratulations to The
2026 Semi-Final Best Overall Teams<\/div>\n
\n
March 10, United States v. July<\/div>
The Richard H. Fallon, Jr., Memorial Team<\/div><\/div>\n
March 11, United States v. Davis<\/div>
The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Memorial Team<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n

March 10 at 7:00 PM<\/p>\n

\n
United States v. July<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Defendant Magnus July, who lives in Ames City in the Western District of Ames, is the parent of a young child named Liam. Liam’s mother, who lives in Springfield in the Eastern District of Ames, has sole legal and physical custody of Liam pursuant to a state court order. During one of the weekends in which Liam was visiting July, July purchased two airline tickets, crossed into the neighboring state, and flew with Liam to Canada. After a significant manhunt throughout Ames\u2014which included assistance from the federal government and law enforcement in Canada\u2014July was apprehended in Montreal, and he and Liam were brought back to Ames City. July was arrested and charged in the Eastern District of Ames with international parental kidnapping. After his arrest, July was interviewed by a state official from the Department of Children and Families concerning Liam’s well-being and custodial placement. July was not Mirandized during this interview, and he made incriminating statements during it.<\/p>\n

July moved to dismiss for improper venue in the Eastern District of Ames and to suppress the statements he made to the social worker. He was convicted after a conditional guilty plea. The questions presented on appeal are:<\/p>\n

\n
1.<\/div>
Whether the district court erred in denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss for improper venue in the Eastern District of Ames.<\/div><\/div>\n
2.<\/div>
Whether the district court erred in denying the defendant’s motion to suppress statements.<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n Appellant Brief<\/a>\n Appellee Brief<\/a>\n Appellant Reply Brief<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

The Teams<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n
Appellee<\/div>\n
The Richard H. Fallon, Jr., Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Eric Krebs<\/div>\n
Mira Kumar \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Leila Malak \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Demirkan Coker<\/div>\n
Ceylan Milor<\/div>\n
Brennan Szabo<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\u2605 Best Brief<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
Appellant<\/div>\n
The Honorable Justice David H. Souter Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Rachel Yan<\/div>\n
Amanda Kaplan \u2014 Best Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Kaveh Badrei \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Olivia Hinch<\/div>\n
Hannah Pouler<\/div>\n
Luisina Kemanian Leites<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n \n
\n

March 11 at 7:00 PM<\/p>\n

\n
United States v. Davis<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Brittan Davis, an unhoused man, lived in a small red tent in Casy City\u2014a long-running encampment on public land in Ames City. Over the years the city shifted from clearing the encampment to tolerating it, fencing off streets for safety, running needle exchanges and portable restrooms, and dispatching medical and social services, even as it continued to leaflet residents with warnings that they could be evicted at any time. On the morning of January 11, 2022, officers responded to a report of a fight that had already dissipated, leaving them without probable cause or reasonable suspicion. Officer Dickerson began knocking on tents; when Davis did not answer, the officer unzipped the tent, roused him, ordered him out, and then entered, discovering a loaded handgun in Davis’s sleeping bag.<\/p>\n

Because Davis had a prior felony conviction, he was charged as a felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 922(g)(1). He moved to suppress the firearm, arguing that he retained a reasonable expectation of privacy in his tent despite its location on public land. The district court denied the motion\u2014holding that he had no such expectation because the tent sat on public land\u2014and applied a sentencing enhancement for a prior crime of violence. Davis was convicted following a conditional guilty plea and appealed. The questions presented on appeal are:<\/p>\n

\n
1.<\/div>
Whether the district court erred in denying the motion to suppress the evidence seized from a tent on public land.<\/div><\/div>\n
2.<\/div>
Whether the district court erred in applying the sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. \u00a7 4B1.2(a) (2021) for a prior crime of violence.<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n Appellant Brief<\/a>\n Appellee Brief<\/a>\n Appellant Reply Brief<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

The Teams<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n
Appellee<\/div>\n
The Justice Byron White Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Luke Seminara<\/div>\n
Janson Requist \u2014 Best Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Katherine Wang \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Irene Loewenson<\/div>\n
Will Randolph<\/div>\n
Pierce Sandlin<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
Appellant<\/div>\n
The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Serena Zhou<\/div>\n
Spencer Thieme \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Kathy Li \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Thomas Chang<\/div>\n
Alex DiMeglio<\/div>\n
David Colon<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\u2605 Best Brief<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n \n
\n

Questions about the Semi-Final Round?
Email the Ames Committee at amesHLS@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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