The mock trial team from Timothy Christian High School, which placed first in the 24th annual ISBA invitational in March, finished third in the National High School Mock Trial Championship held May 11 to 13 in Oklahoma City.

The Elmhurst school competed with 43 other teams, with more than 1,200 students, from the United States, Korea, Guam and the Northern Marianna Islands. Teams from Iowa and Michigan placed first and second.

The national championship originated in 1984 in Des Moines, with teams from only Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Different states now host it each year.

The 2006 hypothetical involved an Oklahoma-style rodeo in which a competitor was accused of murder after allegedly tampering with the reins of another competitor. She died after being bucked from her horse.

Judges evaluated the performances of students who portrayed attorneys and witnesses. Points were earned for the trial opening statements, direct and cross examinations, closing arguments, and responses by witnesses.

For information about the 2007 Illinois High School Mock Trial Program, which is conducted by the ISBA Committee on Law Related Education for the Public, send an e-mail to dschecht@isba.org.