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Show Future MJH Lawyers Clinch Mock Trial SALT LAKE CITY -- Millcreek Jr. High of Bountiful has succeeded in doing something that no otherjunior high or middle school in the state has been able to do beforenamely defeat Mount Logan Middle School in the finals of the Mock Trial ; competition. A GROUP of 10 students from Millcreek did just that last week, beating the three-time defending state champion by a score of 45-41 in competition sponsored by the state Office of Education. : It marked the second time in the four-year history of competition on this level that Millcreek has been selected for the finals, called : the exhibition round, but the first time they've won. The team were all members of an Honors History class taught by Amy Wilkinson. They were "coached" by Millcreek PTA President LuRae Barlow, and advised by Salt Lake City attorney Brent Wilcox. THE COUNTY was well represented in the finals, as Woods Cross High finished runner-up to Hillcrest High in the high school level competition. Playoff rounds began in mid-April. During that time, Millcreek actually split their two competitions, winning one and losing one. But the combined point totals of both hearings, based on a possible possi-ble score of 55 per round, saw Millcreek emerge with 91 points to 92 for Mount Logan. That put Millcreek into the finals. THE MILLCREEK championship team consisted of Ryan Wilcox, Wil-cox, Jeff Place, Matt Reed and Lori Duerden, whom acted as lawyers, and witnesses Staci Colton, Stacey Bigelow, Liz Gardner, Gard-ner, Kathy Reimann, Jennifer Landward and Amy Peterson, who also acted as baliff. Following a three-hour mock trial presented to a practicing judge and two lawyers, the panel deliberated for 55 minutes before returning with its decision. "IT WAS very nerve-racking, waiting all that time," Mrs. Barlow said. "Then they announced that the case itself had been won by Mount Logan. But we later learned this is standard procedure, with the team winning the championship usually losing los-ing the decision." Mrs. Barlow said the dignity with which the mock trial was held continued even as the winners were announced. "No one yelled or jumped up and down but you could see the excitement in the faces of the students." Students from all four schools which participated in the finals were honored at a luncheon on May 1 , which is Law Day nationally. nation-ally. They were hosted at the Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City. All three judges in the competition praised the participants, going so far as to say they were "unbelievably impressed with the caliber of the students" in the contest. Although only one student interviewed expressed a definite "law career" direction, most of the others felt the experience was a valuable one, and would like to continue the study of principles of law in their schooling in the future. THE WINNING team was also honored at a celebration sponsored spon-sored by the PTA at Millcreek Junior High, th |
