NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
December 6, 2006

Contact Doris Huffman
Executive Director
402/475-1042
doris@nebarfnd.org

SKUTT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CAPTURES STATE MOCK TRIAL TITLE

Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha has won the 2006 Nebraska High School State Mock Trial Championship Competition.

The Skutt team defeated a team from Ainsworth High School in the final round on December 6 to win the mock trial competition held at the Lancaster County Courthouse in Lincoln. The Honorable Lyle E. Strom, U.S. District Court Senior Judge, presided at the final round of the championship trials.

Members of the winning Skutt team are Rachel Kroon, Matt Kroon, Dan Jensen, Erin Borchers, Joe Tucker, Peter Wostenberg, Matt Meyer and Kyle Tucker. The team’s teacher coach is Mary Meyer. Patrick Borchers, Dean of Creighton University’s School of Law, and Judy Borchers are attorney coaches for the team.

In mock trial competition, students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictitious case. By participating in the mock trial process, students have the opportunity to improve their speaking, writing, reading and analytical skills while learning about the judicial system.

This year’s mock trial case, State of Nebraska vs. Willie Flounder, is a criminal matter. Flounder is charged with attempted murder after shooting and seriously wounding another high school student who had repeatedly intimidated and bullied the defendant. Flounder claims he was legally insane at the time of the shooting. This original case was written by a volunteer committee of Nebraska lawyers specifically for the Nebraska State High School Mock Trial Project.

Members of the second place team from Ainsworth High School are Samantha Johnson, Chris Bartak, Lane Carr, Kyle Klammer, Karl Bayer, Michael Sholes, Jerika Peterson and Jami Schaefer. Linda Alberts and Mary Rau are the team’s teacher coaches and David Streich is the team’s attorney coach.

Taking third place in the championship competition was Raymond Central High School. Ogallala High School was the fourth place winner. Other schools winning their regional competition and competing in the state championship received honorable mention. They are Chadron, Dundy County, Kearney, Wayne, Scotus Central Catholic, Platteview, Humbolt-Table Rock-Steinauer and Westside.

The winning Skutt team will represent Nebraska in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Dallas, Texas, in May, 2007.

The Nebraska State High School Mock Trial Project is sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation and its State Center for Law-Related Education. Statewide, the project involves the participation of over 1,200 students and the volunteer efforts of more than 400 attorneys and judges who serve as attorney-coaches, presiding judges and performance judges.

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