Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

2008 State High School Mock Trial Champion: Seattle Prep

Seattle Prep’s Blue Team took top honors this Sunday at the 2008 Champion of the statewide YMCA Mock Trial Competition. The team is now eligible to compete for the national title in Wilmington, Delaware in May.

Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst presided over the championship trial in Olympia with two teams, each representing Seattle Prep of King County, competing for the statewide title. Seattle Prep’s White Team is eligible to compete in the American Mock Trial Invitational to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina in May.

Top ten finalists of the competition are as follows:

1st place: Seattle Prep, Blue	2nd place: Seattle Prep, White
3rd place: Meridian	4th place: The River Academy
5th place: Tri-Cities Prep	6th place: Archbishop Murphy
7th place: Lynden	8th place: University Prep
9th place: Port Townsend	10th place: Kennewick

The Best Attorney Award went to Louis Brotherton of Seattle Prep, and the Best Witness Award went to Hanna Zetting of Lynden High School.

For the Championship round, the Best Attorney Award went to Isabelle Albi, and the Best Witness Award went to Francesca Renouard both from Seattle Prep.

A total of 20 high school teams from across the state competed for the title in a three-day, four-round competition this weekend at the Thurston County Courthouse, arguing the prosecution and defense sides of a fictitious murder trial in which a woman’s mysterious death is blamed on her attorney, and questions arise as to whether authorities have a right to search garbage that has been placed on the curb for pick-up.

This is the 21^st year for the YMCA Mock Trial program, which began in 1987. Mock Trial is part of the YMCA’s Youth & Government program, which for 60 years has helped students experience democracy in action. Mock Trial allows students to participate in true-to-life courtroom drama before real judges in real courtrooms, gaining an understanding of the law and the role of the judiciary.

TVW, the statewide cable TV network that televises all oral arguments before the State Supreme Court, was present to tape the Mock Trial championship round and will televise it Tuesday, April 1, at 7 PM.  The championship can also be viewed on-demand in web video at www.tvw.org.  

PROGRAM CONTACTS: Seattle Prep Head Coach Andy McCarthy, 206-931-1058 (cell); Judge Robert Lewis, Mock Trial Program Chair at 360-397-2226; Janelle Nesbit, Executive Director, YMCA Youth and Government Program at 253-370-1757 (cell).

Wendy K. Ferrell Judicial Communications Manager 360.705.5331 e-mail Wendy.Ferrell@courts.wa.gov

Lorrie Thompson Communications Officer 360.705.5347 Lorrie.Thompson@courts.wa.gov