Washington Courts: Judicial News Report Detail

High School Students to Compete in Mock Trial Championship Finals

This weekend, more than 200 students will gather at the Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia to compete in a two-day, five-trial round during the 2001 YMCA Youth and Government Mock Trial Program finals competition.

Beginning Saturday morning, March 24th, twenty high school teams will argue a fictional case State of Washington v. Tag Montague before judges and attorneys. More than thirty judges from across Washington State have volunteered for the event, with Supreme Court Justice Tom Chambers presiding over the final championship round, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The following high school teams have qualified for finals based on their placing at district competitions held statewide in March:

• Camas
• Central Kitsap
• Central Valley
• Fort Vancouver (two teams)
• Franklin (two teams)
• Henry Foss
• Lynden
• Meadowdale
• Meridian
• Port Townsend
• Richland
• Ridgefield (two teams)
• Sehome
• Tri-Cities Prep
• University Prep (two teams)
• Walla Walla

Want to know how your local team did? Let us know by calling (360) 705-5331 prior to the competition. We will phone the information to you as soon as results are in Sunday afternoon. Interviews with judges,local team members or coaches can also be arranged.

The competition is part of the YMCA's Youth and Government program. Co-sponsors include the Office of the Administrator for the Courts, the Young Lawyer Division of the Washington State Bar Association, the Superior and District & Municipal Court Judges' Associations and others.

PROGRAM CONTACTS: Judge William Downing, YMCA Mock Trial Program Chair (206) 296-9362, or Jason Leggett, YMCA Mock Trial Coordinator, (360) 534-0155.

Commissioner Michelle Ahrens, Clallam County Superior Court
Judge Lesley Allan, Chelan County Superior Court
Judge Brian Altman, Klickitat District Court East
Commissioner Brett Buckley, Thurston County District Court
Judge Steven R. Buzzard, Winlock Municipal Court
Justice Tom Chambers, Washington State Supreme Court
Judge Patricia H. Clark, King County Superior Court
Judge Lee Creighton, Olympia Municipal Court
Judge Tarrell Decker, Port Orchard Municipal Court
Judge James Docter, Bremerton Municipal Court
Judge Susan A. Dubuisson, Thurston County District Court
Judge Judith R. Eiler, Federal Way Division, KCDC
Commissioner Mark L. Gelman, Pierce County Superior Court
Judge Douglas Goelz, South District Court (Pacific)
Judge Donald D. Haley, King County Superior Court
Judge Ronald D. Heslop, Lakewood Municipal Court
Judge John Hotchkiss, Douglas County Superior Court
Judge James P. Hutton, Yakima County Superior Court
Judge Terry L. Jurado, Renton Municipal Court
Commissioner Paris K. Kallas, Court Of Appeals, Division I
Judge David Koss, Cowlitz County District Court
Judge Michael W. Leavitt, Yakima County Superior Court
Judge Peter M. Lukevich, Tukwila Municipal Court
Judge Victoria Meadows, Mason County District Court
Judge Leila Mills, Kitsap County Superior Court
Commissioner Tony Platter, Federal Way Municipal Court
Judge Edwin L. Poyfair, Clark County Superior Court
Commissioner Marilyn R. S. Sellers, King County Superior Court
Judge Catherine D. Shaffer, King County Superior Court
Judge Stephen R. Skelton, Skagit County District Court
Judge Evan E. Sperline, Grant County Superior Court
Judge Stephen M. Warning, Cowlitz County Superior Court