FOR:ILLINOIS STATE BAR ASSOCIATION
CONTACT:Chris Ruys (312) 337-7746
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2004
SPRINGFIELD - Timothy Christian High School, in Elmhurst, placed first in the annual Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) High School Mock Trial Invitational held at the University of Illinois at Springfield on Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6. Teams from 52 Illinois high schools traveled to Springfield to participate in the program.
Placing second and third, respectively, in the program were:
Timothy Christian High School will represent the state of Illinois at the National High School Mock Trial Championship which will be held during Mother's Day weekend in Orlando, Fla.
Eight teams were named the top-scoring teams in this year's event. Other teams among the "top eight" were Hinsdale Central High School, in Hinsdale; Maine South High School, in Park Ridge; Mundelein High School, in Mundelein; and Noble Street Charter High School, in Chicago.
During the program, students also completed the 2004 Illinois Law Test. Boylan Catholic High School, in Rockford, achieved the award for the highest team average. Boylan student James Woywod and St. Charles student Jim Houswerth received an award for each scoring 47 of 48 on the law exam.
"The mock trial program is a rare opportunity for Illinois high school students to participate in a high-level academic endeavor," says Lynda S. Marquardt, of Naperville, Chair of the ISBA's Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public, which conducts the program.
Each 10-member team tries both sides - prosecution and defense - of a case developed by the Law-Related Education Committee. This year's case, People of the State of Illinois v. Kinsley Craghead, is a fictional criminal case very loosely based on an actual on-line stalking case in Lake County, Ill. Jamie is the alleged victim. Jamie and Casey, the roommate, allege that Jamie is the victim of cyber stalking by Kinsley Craghead, another student on campus. They feel that Kinsley is responsible because of an altercation in the student union after which the various chat room postings began to appear, which seemed to be directed toward Jamie.
The high school mock trials have been conducted each year since 1982 by the ISBA to provide Illinois high school students an interesting and challenging way to improve basic skills such as speaking, writing, listening, analyzing, and working as a team, as well as learning about good citizenship and the American justice system.
The 30,000 member ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois member attorneys, and education to the public.