(posted on November 23, 2009)
Forestbrook Middle School claimed the state championship in the Fifth State Middle School Mock Trial Team Competition held in Lexington, South Carolina this past weekend.
Forty-three middle school mock trial teams from across the state started practicing last August, all hoping to make it to the top. After regional competitions, twelve were selected to continue on to the state competition. North Myrtle Beach Middle School was one of the 12 competing teams and came in first runner-up for the fourth consecutive year in a row.
Winning individual awards from Forestbrook Middle were Danielle Ives who was recognized for Most Effective Attorney in two rounds, and Morgan Godfrey who was recognized for Most Effective Attorney in one round. Megan Wesel was recognized as Most Effective Witness.
The Forestbrook Middle School team consists of the following members: (8th graders) Justin Abassi, Danielle Ives, Megan Wesel, Wade Hill, Abby Birchler, Josh Vaught, Morgan Godfrey, Kody Ruff, Mary Bordanaro, Dallas Strawn; (7th graders) Jessica Stevens, Erin Murray, and Jessica Cox, Woody Ford, Kathryn Whilden; (6th graders) Christy Leigh Salanari, Victoria Todd, Jesse Crippen; (Teacher Coaches) Stephanie Necessary, Tess Vega, and Joe Boswell.
The Middle School Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the South Carolina Bar Law Related Education (LRE) Division and offers students a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is a team activity program that is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but can also incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. Students representing attorneys and witnesses for both sides of a fictional case role play that case being tried in court. The students are guided in their case through support of their teacher and attorney coaches. The program teaches the legal process and trial procedure.
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