Gatton Academy Places 9th in State Mock Trial Tournament

Madison Central High School/Kentucky Tech in Richmond recently earned the championship title in the 2009 Kentucky High School Mock Trial Tournament. This is the second time the team has won the state championship, first winning it in 2000. The title qualifies the team to compete in the National High School Mock Trial Tournament in Atlanta from May 6-10.

Madison Central/Kentucky Tech competed with Louisville’s Eastern High School for the state title during the tournament’s championship round, which was held Sunday, March 29, in the Court of Appeals Courtroom at the Jefferson County Judicial Center in Louisville. To reach the championship round, Madison Central/Kentucky Tech and Eastern beat out 23 other high school teams and one middle school team in the mock trial tournament held Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, at the judicial center. Approximately 400 students participated or attended the tournament as team members.

Schools with teams that ranked in the top 10 in the tournament and the cities where they are located are, by ranking:

1. Madison Central High School/Kentucky Tech, Richmond
2. Eastern High School, Louisville
3. Louisville Collegiate School, Louisville
4. Highlands High School, Fort Thomas
5. DuPont Manual High School Red Team, Louisville
6. Montgomery County High School Blue Team, Mount Sterling
7. Saint Xavier High School, Louisville
8. Montgomery County High School Red Team, Mount Sterling
9. The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, Bowling Green
10. Paducah Tilghman High School Blue Team, Paducah

Other schools with teams that competed in the tournament were Assumption High School, duPont Manual High School (second team) and Mercy Academy, all located in Louisville; Madison Southern High School and Model Laboratory High School, both in Richmond; Boyd County High School in Ashland; Breckinridge County High School in Harned; George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester; Marshall County High School in Benton; McCreary Central High School in Stearns; McLean County High School in Calhoun; Monticello High School in Monticello; Newport Central Catholic High School in Newport; Paducah Tilghman High School in Paducah (second team); and Webster County High School in Dixon. A team from Foley Middle School in Berea was invited to compete to make an even number of teams for the competition. The Foley team won the state middle school mock trial championship. Middle schools are not eligible for the national competition.

“The quality of the mock trial participants seems to get better each year,” said Patrick Yewell, executive officer of the Department of Family and Juvenile Services for the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort, which administers the program. “The time and dedication these students and coaches give to this program is remarkable. I want to thank Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. and all of the justices, judges, attorneys and law students for giving their time as well. This program would not be possible without their leadership and support.”

This was the first year that all Kentucky high school mock trial teams were invited to compete in the state tournament. Previously, regional competitions determined the teams that moved on to the state competition. Regional competitions were not held this year in order to level the playing field for teams with more competitors in their region than other teams face to make it to state, to allow all teams to participate in more trials and to decrease the number of competition trips for teams, among other reasons.

This was also the first year that the state tournament was held in Louisville. The state tournament is usually conducted in Lexington, with the championship round in Frankfort.

Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson of the Supreme Court of Kentucky opened the tournament with remarks Friday in Louisville. Justice Bill Cunningham provided closing comments and presented awards on Saturday before the championship round Sunday.

In the competition, teams acted as the prosecution and defense in the trial of Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Sandy Brumfield. The case involved an allegation of drugs on school property. Each team participated in at least four rounds of competition, arguing the case with a different team in every round. Each team was assigned the role of the prosecution and the defense at least once. Team members also portrayed other individuals in the case, including the plaintiff and witnesses. Judges scored the teams in each round and the scores were totaled to determine the winner. The teams learn their scores after the last round of trials.

Judging the competition were Court of Appeals judges, circuit and district judges, attorneys and law students.

Among the judges was Court of Appeals Judge Janet L. Stumbo, who represents the 7th Appellate District, which is comprised of Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rowan and Wolfe counties.

Other judges that participated in the tournament as judges were, by county:

Anderson, Shelby and Spencer counties
Chief District Court Judge Linda S. Armstrong
District Court Judge Donna G. Dutton

Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton and Hickman counties
Chief Circuit Court Judge Timothy A. Langford

Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties
Circuit Court Judge Paul F. Isaacs
District Court Judge Vanessa M. Dickson

Boyd County
Senior Judge Marc I. Rosen

Boyle and Mercer counties
Family Court Judge Bruce Petrie

Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties
Senior Judge W. Thomas Lively

Calloway and Marshall counties
Chief Circuit Court Judge Dennis R. Foust

Carroll, Grant and Owen counties
District Court Judge Elizabeth Chandler Lester

Clark and Madison counties
District Court Judge Earl-Ray Neal

Fayette County
Family Court Judge Lucinda Masterton

Hardin County
Chief Regional Circuit Court Judge Kelly Mark Easton
Chief District Court Judge Kimberly W. Shumate

Hart and LaRue counties
Vice Chief Regional District Court Judge C. Derek Reed

Jefferson County
Court of Appeals Judge Denise G. Clayton
Circuit Court Judge Frederic J. Cowan
Circuit Court Judge Irv Maze
Senior Judge William L. Knopf

Two judges help coach mock trial teams. Circuit Court Judge William G. Clouse, who serves Clark and Madison counties, helps coach tournament winner Madison Central High School/Kentucky Tech. Chief Regional Circuit Court Judge René Williams, who serves Crittenden, Webster and Union counties, assists with coaching the Webster County High School team.

Since its inception in 1983, more than 12,000 students, 1,500 judges and 3,000 attorneys have taken part in the Kentucky Mock Trial program. It is one of the many law-related programs for youth offered through the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort.

The AOC supports the activities of nearly 4,000 court system employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks, and executes the Judicial Branch budget.