Pictured, left to right: Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne H. Bauknight; Emma Steel, Federal Bar Association president, Greeneville Chapter; Marteze Simpson; Gabriella D’Agostino; Alexa Longmire; U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia R. Wyrick; and U.S. District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer.
photo by Shanna Fuller Veach
The winners of the Seventh Annual Federal Court Civics Essay Contest were honored at a celebration held on May 13 at the Howard H. Baker, Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville.
The 2025 first-place winner is Gabriella D’Agostino, a rising sophomore at Greene County’s Chuckey Doak High School in Afton. Ms. D’Agostino, who was awarded $500 for her winning essay, is the daughter of Trilla D’Agostino.
Marteze Simpson, son of Marteze Simpson and Lennesha Blair, won the second-place award of $300.
Mr. Simpson is a rising senior at Knox County’s Fulton High School.
The third-place prize of $200 was awarded to Alexa Longmire, rising senior at Jefferson County High School in Dandridge. Ms. Longmire is the daughter of Ed and Ellen Longmire.
The contest was open to public, private and homeschool high school students in 24 East Tennessee counties. Contest sponsors are the court’s Civics and Outreach Committee and the Federal Bar Association chapters in Knoxville and Greeneville.
This year’s essay prompt noted the Supreme Court’s consideration this term of the meaning of “reasonableness” for the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable force by law enforcement. The students researched and wrote about what factors courts should consider in determining whether a police officer’s deadly force was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.
As stated by Ms. D’Agostino in her first-place essay, “[T]he use of deadly force by police officers is a necessary, though deeply consequential, aspect of law enforcement. Under the Fourth Amendment, such force is only justified if it is reasonable. Courts must carefully evaluate several factors when determining the reasonableness of deadline force: the severity and immediacy of the threat, the proportionality of the officer’s response and the reasonableness of the officer’s perception of danger. By taking these factors into account, courts can ensure that deadly force is used appropriately, balancing the safety of officers and civilians, while upholding constitutional rights. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that deadly force remains an exceptional response, reserved for situations where there is a genuine, imminent and severe threat.”
The local contests were coordinated with the national essay contest sponsored by the Federal Bar Association. More information is posted on the court’s Connections website at www.connections.tned.uscourts.gov.