For Immediate Release
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CONTACT: Dee
Runaas
Law-Related Education Coordinator
(608) 250-6191 |
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Rhinelander wins mock trial tournament
Mar. 13, 2000 - Rhinelander High School has won the
State Bar's Mock Trial Tournament, beating students from Superior in a
trial judged by six Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices. This is
Rhinelander's ninth state title since 1983, when the State Bar began
sponsoring the tournament. The students will travel to South Carolina in
May to compete in the national mock trial tournament. Rhinelander is the
only Wisconsin team to have ever placed first in the nationals.
Other teams
Overall, 170 teams participated in the mock trial tournament. In
February, 16 teams advanced from regional competitions to the state
tournament. The following teams finished behind Rhinelander and
Superior:
3rd - Marquette University
4th - Sheboygan South
5th - Sturgeon Bay
6th - Boscobel
7th - Madison West
8th - Marshfield
9th - Xavier
10th - Regis
11th - Beaver Dam
12th - Prairie School
13th - Mukwonago
14th - Ashwaubenon
15th - Oregon
16th - Lincoln
Journalism component grows in popularity
Thirty-five students also competed in the journalism component of the
mock trial tournament, which involved writing hard news and opinion
articles after observing a trial. Jonas Lader, of Hartford High School,
won the hard news category, with Rachel Feist, of Barneveld, coming in
second. Christopher Shackett, of Barneveld, won the opinion category,
with Greg Phillips, of Cedarburg, coming in second.
Judges of the journalism contest included lawyers who were formerly
journalists, journalists from the newspaper and radio markets, and
several mass communication university professors.
The Case
The fictional case in this year's tournament, In the Matter of
Shelby Withers v. Clearwater School District, dealt with what, if
anything, should be done with a student whose disability may have
manifested itself in the form of behavior that is arguably dangerous to
others. Amendments to the Individuals with Disability Education Act,
which establish procedures for schools to follow, were relevant to the
case.
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