Metrolina Regional Claims First Iredell Mock Trial Title

Article Date: Friday, December 03, 2010

The team from Metrolina Regional Scholars' Academy claimed the mock trial title.

The first Justice Iredell Middle School Mock Trial State Tournament took place on Friday, Dec. 3, in Durham and Greensboro. The program was presented by the Law-Related Education Advisory Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association Foundation through funding provided by the NCBA Foundation Endowment.

 

Six teams from five schools competed at the two locations and scores were tallied to decide on the state champion, which was Metrolina Regional Scholars’ Academy of Charlotte.

 

Each student received an achievement certificate and medallion while each teacher received a school participation plaque.  Individual certificates were distributed to students who were most effective witness and attorney in the trials. The winning team will be awarded the state champion plaque on Friday, Dec. 17 at their school by NCBA member David Melin of Charlotte.

 

The eastern regional was held at the Durham County Courthouse with teams from Githens Middle School in Durham and Shepard Middle School in Durham competing.

 

The western regional was held at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro. Teams from Otis L. Hairston Middle School of Greensboro, Metrolina Regional Scholars’ Academy of Charlotte and two teams from Millennium Charter in Mount Airy competed.

 

The Justice Iredell Middle School Mock Trial Tournament is co-chaired by Lucy Austin and Karissa Davan and initiated by Judge Robert Jones Jr., a committee member who serves as magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of N.C.

 

The event is named in honor of Justice James Iredell of Edenton, one of the original justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and the father of N.C. Gov. James Iredell Jr.

 

The tournament is for North Carolina middle school students and supported by their teachers who are using mock trials in their classrooms to help increase their students’ skills with critical thinking, problem-solving, language arts, public speaking and more.

 

The competing students tried a fictional case, State of North Carolina v. Kinsley Williams, involving the transmission of a threat via cyberstalking.

LRE wishes to acknowledge all the teams that competed in Durham and Greensboro for their outstanding achievements and extend a very special thanks to the volunteer attorneys who offered their time and commitment to help coach and judge.

Volunteer Attorneys:
Ryan Blackledge, N.C. General Assembly, Raleigh
Denise Boster-Owen, Solo Practitioner, Cary
Karissa Davan, N.C. Industrial Commission, Cary
Yolanda Harrison, N.C. Central University School of Law, Durham
Keith Howard, Legal Aid of N.C. - Child Services, Durham
Charles Reece, N.C. Department of Justice, Durham
Mark Trustin, Solo Practitioner, Durham
Lucy Austin, Solo Practitioner, Apex
Jennifer Fountain, Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan & Fountain LLP, Greensboro
Melanie Hamilton, Ott Cone & Redpath PA, Greensboro
Alexis Holt, Charlotte School of Law, Charlotte
Tessa Leftwich, Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan & Fountain LLP, Greensboro
David Melin, Rayburn Cooper & Durham PA, Charlotte
Charlisa Powell, Solo Practitioner, Winston Salem
Desmond Sheridan, Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan & Fountain LLP, Greensboro