Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

2005 YMCA Mock Trial Competition March 18-20

(OLYMPIA, WA) -- Hundreds of Washington State high school students will engage in legal battle this weekend in Olympia as they try to prevail in a cold-case murder trial in the 2005 YMCA Mock Trial State Final Competition.

The competition will pit 20 high school teams from around the state against each other in the fictitious murder trial — “State of Washington v. Whislea Dwight” — in which a magician is put on trial for the 5-year-old unsolved murder of a street performer. The case was written by King County Superior Court Judge William Downing, who serves as the state Mock Trial Program Chair. The students engage in four rounds of competition, serving alternately as prosecution and defense in the mock trials, before the top two teams compete for the championship on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with Washington Supreme Court Justice Jim Johnson presiding.

The competition begins with Round 1 at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Thurston County Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW in Olympia. Teams will be competing in courtrooms throughout the buildings. On Saturday, competition continues with Round 2 at 9 a.m., Round 3 at 1 p.m., and Round 4 at 4 p.m.  The winning team will compete in the 2005 National Mock Trial Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina in May.

Teams that have reached the final round are from high schools in King County (Franklin, Seattle Prep, University Prep, Seattle Academy); Clark County (Fort Vancouver – two teams, Hudson’s Bay, Camas, Ridgefield); Benton/Franklin (Tri Cities Prep, Richland, Southridge); Kitsap (Central Kitsap); Spokane (University, River Academy); Pierce (Meadowdale, Henry Foss); Whatcom (Sehome, Meridian); and Clallam/Jefferson (Port Townsend). Judges from across the state are volunteering time to preside over the trials.

The YMCA Mock Trial competition is part of the YMCA’s Youth & Government program, which for 50 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.

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