Jonesboro High School Wins National Mock Trial Competition

Jonesboro High School Mock Trial Team 2007 National Champions.
Team pictured (left to right, front): Jurod James, Braedon Orr, Lindsay Hargis, Jayda Hazell, Sandra Hagans; (middle) Kayla Delgado, Britt Walden, Lindley Curtis, Laura Parkhouse, Joe Strickland; and (back) Kyle Skinner, Brian Cunningham and Matt Mitchell.

Jonesboro High School earned Georgia's third national mock trial title when it defeated Kalamazoo Central High School of Michigan in the final round of the National High School Mock Trial Championship, which was held May 10-12, in Dallas, Texas.

Forty well-trained and highly skilled mock trial teams, from the United States and one team from South Korea, competed in this year's event. Jonesboro High School defeated teams from Hawaii, Illinois, Idaho and Colorado on their way to the final round May 12 against Michigan.

Members of the Jonesboro team who competed in the national competition are: Brian Cunningham, Lindley Curtis, Kayla Delgado, Matthew Mitchell, Braeden Orr, Laura Parkhouse, Kyle Skinner, Britt Walden and their timekeeper, Jayda Hazell. The additional students who were a part of the state championship team cheered them on in Dallas: Joe Strickland, Lindsay Hargis, Jurod James, Sandra Hagans and Tabias Kelly.

Jonesboro High School's mock trial teacher coaches are Anna Cox and Andrew Cox. Their attorney coaches are the Hon. John Carbo, the Hon. Deborah Benefield and Tasha Mosley. In addition, they have a student coach from Mercer Law School, Katie Powers.

In addition to winning the National Championship, team member Brian Cunningham won an Outstanding Witness recognition during the tournament. This is Jonesboro High School's fifth state title (more than any other team in the program) and their first national championship. They were one of the founding teams in the State Bar's High School Mock Trial Program. Last year, they placed fifth in the national competition in Oklahoma City.

The objective of the mock trial program is to further students' understanding of court procedure and the legal system; to improve proficiency in basic skills such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning; to promote better communication and cooperation between the educational and legal community; to provide a competitive event in an academic atmosphere; and to promote cooperation among young people of various abilities and interests.

The Georgia Mock Trial Competition has gained a national reputation for excellence due to the outstanding performance of its teams at the National High School Mock Trial Championship. Georgia's previous national titles were won in 1995 and 1999.