(Oklahoma City – March 5, 2008) Catoosa High School’s team earned fifth place in the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Competition. Del City’s Christian Heritage Academy won the championship and will represent Oklahoma in the national competition to be held in Wilmington, Del., in May.

The mock trial program involves students portraying attorneys and witnesses in a courtroom setting, with judges and attorneys evaluating their performance. The program, now in its 28th year, is sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.

OBA President Bill Conger of Oklahoma City said, “Catoosa was among just eight teams to make it to the semifinal round. Reaching that round is quite an achievement and reflects the hard work of the students and their coaches.  They were very close to earning the chance to compete in the finals.”

Catoosa High School’s team was coached by teacher Diann Dodd and its attorney coach Rita Lamkin. Returning for a second year on the team was Natalie Sears. New to the team were  Alana Denning, Adam Evans, Kaylin Henderson, Micah Hilley, Jasmine Kulbeth, Tyler Martin, Jade Mehlhoff, Bobby Milliser, Joseph Morgan, Ashley Ojeda, Meredith Pearson, Taylor Peterson, Mitchell Phillips, Josh Ramos, Porsha Riley and Valarie Robertson.

Out of the 51 teams that began competing in January, the top finishers are, in second place, Clinton High School; third, Ada High School; fourth, Jenks High School; sixth, Atoka High School; seventh, Holland Hall, Tulsa; and eighth, Broken Arrow High School.

Judge Edward Cunningham served as presiding judge during the contest finals. Scoring judges were Judge Daman Cantrell, Judge Kenneth Dickerson, Judge David B. Lewis, Judge Millie Otey and Judge Dana L. Rasure.

More than 400 judges and attorneys volunteered their time to work with mock trial teams as coaches and to conduct the competitions. Rachel McCombs of Oklahoma City served as chairperson of the Young Lawyers Division Mock Trial Committee. 

The 15,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma’s legal community.  The Oklahoma Bar Foundation awards annual grants that advance the science of jurisprudence and promote the administration of justice throughout the state. Its mission is "Advancing education, citizenship and justice for all."