Washington Courts: Judicial News Report Detail

This weekend: 350 judges, students expected at mock trial championships

This weekend, more than 350 high school students, attorneys and judges will convene in Thurston County’s superior and district courtrooms at this year’s state finals of the YMCA Mock Trial Competition.

Each year, top high school mock trial teams are pulled from across the state to vie for the state championship. Designed as an educational tool, the event gives students the chance to argue prosecution and defense sides of a fictional, but near-real case during a two-day, five-round, competition period. The cases are argued in real courtrooms, in front of real trial judges.

Trials will be held:

• 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 28
• 12:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28
• 4-6 p.m. Saturday, March 28
• 9-11 a.m. Sunday morning, March 29 (one trial)
• 2-4 p.m. Championship Trial Sunday, March 29

High schools competing this year, include: River Ridge, Timberline, Central Kitsap, Port Townsend, Franklin, Seattle Prep, University Prep, Ridgefield, Fort Vancouver, Columbia, Eatonville, Pasco, Walla Walla, Richland, Kennewick and Lynden.

Written by Thurston County Deputy Prosecutor Jon Tunheim, this year’s case, State v. Jones, was based on a real case Tunheim co-prosecuted himself, and involves a homicide that allegedly ended a history of domestic violence between the defendant and the victim. Designed to give students a special, hands-on look at the issue of domestic violence, funds to support development of the case were supplied by the state Supreme Court’s Gender and Justice Commission.

ON-SITE CONTACTS: Sue Anderson, Robert M. Henderson, or Wendy Killian,
cellular number (360) 561-7022.