National Mock Trial Champion Crowned

(May 15, 2006 – Oklahoma City) Valley High School from West Des Moines, Iowa, defeated Kalamazoo Central High School from Kalamazoo, Mich., in the final round of competition to claim the 2006 National High School Mock Trial Championship. The championship was held in Oklahoma City May 11-14.

The schools were two of 44 teams that competed for the national title. Teams from 39 states as well as Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and South Korea participated.

Three Oklahoma teams took part in this year’s championship – Atoka High School, the current state champion; Christian Heritage Academy of Del City and Shawnee High School.

The National High School Mock Trial Championship provides students the opportunity to model the roles of attorneys and witnesses. During mock trial rounds, the judges evaluate the students based on their familiarity of the case and the formulation of their arguments. Students earn points for each phase of the trial – opening, direct and cross examination, closing argument and how well their witnesses respond.

This year’s mock trial case took place at a rodeo in which one of the competitors was accused of second-degree murder after allegedly tampering with a fellow competitor’s reins, which ultimately caused her death after being bucked from her horse. The case is usually written to reflect a unique characteristic of the host state.

“Hundreds of attorneys and judges from across the country volunteered to staff the event and judge the mock trials,” said 2006 Host Director Renée Hildebrant of Oklahoma City. “Our many volunteers played a huge part in making the event such a tremendous success.”

In addition to their time in the courtroom, the students participated in various social events while in Oklahoma City. The students gathered for a western-themed opening reception and pin exchange on Thursday evening. The following night, they watched the Oklahoma RedHawks baseball team take on the Sacramento River Cats at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

The major sponsors of this year’s championship were the Oklahoma Bar Association, OBA Young Lawyers Division and Oklahoma Bar Foundation.

The complete list of the championship results can be found at www.nationalmocktrial.org/results2006.cfm. Photos from the event can be viewed on OKC Party Pics Web site or in the Photo Highlights.