Team will represent state at 2007 National Mock Trial Competition

NASHVILLE, March 27, 2007 — St. Mary’s Episcopal School of Memphis won the state mock trial competition on Saturday prevailing over Family Christian Academy — a team of home-school students from Chattanooga -- in the 27th annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition. The St. Mary’s team will represent Tennessee at the National Mock Trial Competition in Dallas May 10-12.

In other competition news, St. Mary’s student Jenny Guyton was chosen as the team’s most valuable player. Individual awards also were given as follows:

• Best Prosecution Advocate — Lee Davies of Battle Ground Academy, Franklin
• Best Prosecution Witness  — Fred Brown of Battle Ground Academy, Franklin
• Best Defense Advocate — Amy Allen of Jefferson County High School, Dandridge
• Best Defense Witness — David Hill of Family Christian Academy, Chattanooga

Fifteen high school teams from across Tennessee put their legal skills to the test this past weekend during the Tennessee Bar Association's annual State High School Mock Trial Competition in Nashville. About 200 students, teachers and coaches and 200 volunteers — mostly judges, lawyers and law students — volunteered their time and expertise. Sitting judges in the state presided over four preliminary rounds on Friday and Saturday, while Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade presided over the championship match Saturday evening.

To reach the state competition, teams had to win district competitions by playing the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictitious case developed by the Tennessee Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. This year, teams presented the case of State of Tennessee v. Casey Nefflen, a criminal suit in which a former assistant district attorney was charged with murdering a defense lawyer who prevailed against him at trial.

Members of the St. Mary's Episcopal High School mock trial team celebrate their victory with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade (back row, left) Saturday in Nashville. The team will represent Tennessee at the National Mock Trial Competition in May. Click on the image to download a high resolution version.

Complete standings

1. St. Mary's Episcopal School, Memphis
2. Family Christian Academy, Chattanooga
3. Harpeth Hall, Nashville
4. Bearden High School, Knoxville
5. Westminster Academy, Memphis
6. McCallie School, Chattanooga
7. South Greene High School, Greeneville
8. Tennessee High School, Bristol
9. Jefferson County High School, Dandridge
10. Battle Ground Academy, Franklin
11. Tullahoma High School, Tullahoma
12. Springfield High School, Springfield
13. University School of Nashville
14. Dyersburg High School, Dyersburg
15. Warren County High School, McMinnville

Available photos

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	• Best Prosecution Attorney "Robert Horton Campbell Award" Lee Davies of Battle Ground Academy with TBA YLD President Lisa Richter
	• Best Defense Attorney Amy Allen of Jefferson County High School with TBA YLD President Lisa Richter
	• Best Defense Witness David Hill of Family Christian Academy
	• Best Prosecution Witness Fred Brown of Battle Ground Academy
• Individual team MVP winners available upon request to sshrader@tnbar.org