Congratulations to George Washington High School for winning the
state title at the 2008 Colorado Bar Association (CBA)
High School Mock Trial Tournament.

The tournament, held at the Larimer County Justice Center on March 14 and 15, 2008, featured high school students litigating a cold criminal case involving a brutal robbery at the Fort Collins Farmers Market, during which a promising young street performer was killed. The competition was tough this year, as twenty-two teams from across Colorado vied for the state title and the opportunity to compete at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Wilmington, Delaware this May.

George Washington (GW) High School students competed against students from Wm. Jackson Palmer High School in an intense championship round, which was presided over by Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex J. Martinez. Scoring the championship round were Hon. Christine A. Carney, Eighth Judicial County Court; Renee Doak of the Larimer County District Attorney’s office; Teresa Ablao, Senior Assistant City Attorney; Hon. Dave Cain, CBA Mock Trial Committee Co-Chair; Aldin Hill, CBA Litigation Section Executive Council; Hon. Peter J. Stapp, Magistrate, Seventeenth Judicial District (J.D.); and Roger Clark, CBA Past President.

This is the first time a Denver Public School has won the final championship round. As a result of their victory, GW students will compete for the national title against forty-four teams from across the United States and U.S. Territories.

The GW team is known for its diversity. It includes students who are immigrants or children of immigrants and for whom English is a second language. After the Regional Competition, GW students could be heard reporting the news to their parents via cell phones—speaking in Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, and English. The students also come from a variety of economic and religious backgrounds.

Teacher-coach Barbara Gale-Martinez started the GW Mock Trial Program in 2004–05. She established a law class for the 2008–09 school year. Although all attorney-coaches spend a great deal of time with the kids, Gale-Martinez dedicates more time than most. For example, she meets with the team on weekdays, helps with assignments the attorney-coaches provide, and transports and feeds team members. According to the team’s attorney-coach Dennis Kaw, "The team’s success is due mostly to Barbara’s dedication. She truly loves these kids and her donation of time and money shows it."

The CBA continued its tradition of awarding a CBA Mock Trial Team Professionalism Award, as well as Outstanding Attorney and Witness Awards. These awards recognize accomplishments of teams and individuals. The Team Professionalism Award went to Boulder High School. Several students were recognized by scoring panelists for their outstanding performances as attorneys and witnesses. These outstanding attorneys and witnesses were presented certificates in front of their peers, teachers, coaches, and parents.

This year was the twenty-third anniversary of the CBA High School Mock Trial Program. The CBA hosted 102 teams that participated in eight regional tournaments across Colorado in the following regions: Adams/Broomfield; Arapahoe County; Boulder County; Denver; First J.D.; Northern Colorado; Southern Colorado; and Western Slope.

As they prepared for their regional tournaments, more than 1,200 students learned about the litigation process and gained critical thinking, advocacy, strategic planning, and speaking skills. The following pages include additional information about regional tournament team participation.

The CBA High School Mock Trial Program would not exist without the support of CBA volunteers. The CBA and the Public Legal Education Committee and its Mock Trial Subcommittee sincerely thank all of the attorneys and teachers who served as coaches. These dedicated volunteers committed hundreds of hours toward preparing students for the regional and state tournaments.

The CBA also thanks the local bar associations and their attorney members who coordinated regional tournaments, as well as the hundreds of attorneys, judges and magistrates, and community volunteers who supported the regional and state tournaments as presiding judges and scoring panelists. Without the commitment of all of these people, the tournaments would not be possible. A heartfelt thank you also goes to the dedicated students, parents, and teachers who helped promote and support this program.

To find out how to become involved in future high school mock trial programs as a judge, an attorney-coach, or a tournament volunteer, please contact Carolyn P. Gravit at the CBA at (303) 824-5323, (800) 332-6736, or cgravit@cobar.org.

Congratulations to all High School Mock Trial teams
that participated in the 2008 CBA State Mock Trial Tournament!

( ) denotes number of teams; teams listed in alphabetical order;
* indicates team participating for the first time

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 Adams/Broomfield Regional Tournament

Bennett High School (1); Broomfield High School (3); Holy Family High School (2); Northglenn High School (1)

Advancing to State
Broomfield High School, Holy Family High School

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 Arapahoe County Regional Tournament

Aurora Central High School (4); Cherry Creek High School (2); Gateway High School (Aurora) (1); Kent Denver (2); Rangeview High (Aurora) (1)*; Regis Jesuit High School (3); Rock Canyon High School (3); St. Mary’s Academy (2); William Smith High (Aurora) (1)*

Advancing to State
Cherry Creek High School A, Regis Jesuit High School A & B,
Rock Canyon High School A

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 Boulder Regional Tournament

Boulder High School (1); Fairview High School (1); Justice High School (1); Monarch High School (1); Niwot High School (2); Peak to Peak Charter (1)

Advancing to State
Boulder High School, Peak to Peak Charter

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 Denver Regional Tournament

Bollman Tech Ed Center (1)*; Denver North High School (1)*; Denver School of Science & Technology (2); George Washington High School (2); Kennedy High School (1); La Academia (1)

Advancing to State
George Washington High School A & B

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 First J.D. Regional Tournament

Arvada West High School (1); Bear Creek High School (1); Chatfield High School (1); Clear Creek High School (2); Conifer High School (1); Dakota Ridge High School (1); Evergreen High School (2); Lakewood High School (2); Lookout Academy (1); Ralston Valley High School (1)

Advancing to State
Bear Creek High School, Clear Creek High School A,
Evergreen High School A

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 Northern Colorado Regional Tournament

Fleming High (1)*; Fort Collins High School (1); Poudre High School (1)*; Ridgeview Classical School (2); Rocky Mountain High School (1)

Advancing to State
Ridgeview Classical School A & B

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 Southern Colorado Regional Tournament

Air Academy High School (1); Cheyenne Mountain High School (2); Coronado High School (2); Doherty High School (2); East High School (Pueblo) (1); Falcon High School (2); Pueblo County High School (1); Pueblo South High School (1); Pueblo Technical Academy (1)*; Pueblo West High School (1)*; Sand Creek High School (3); Sierra High School (1); Thunder Ridge High (1)*; Wm. Jackson Palmer High School (3)

Advancing to State
Air Academy High School, Cheyenne Mountain High School,
Doherty High School A, Falcon High School A,
Wm. Jackson Palmer High School A

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 Western Slope Regional Tournament

Cornerstone Christian School (1); Durango High School (2); Fruita Monument High School (1)*; Glenwood Springs High School (3); Grand Junction High School (1); R-5 High School (1)*

Advancing to State
Glenwood Springs High School A & B

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Attention CBA Members: Is there a school in your community that is not on the list? Consider starting a mock trial team in that school and serving as the team’s attorney-coach. For more information, please contact Carolyn P. Gravit at (303) 824-5323.

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Teams That Advanced to State

1st J.D.

Bear Creek High School	Clear Creek High School A

Evergreen High School A

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Adams/Broomfield

Broomfield High School	Holy Family High School

Glenwood Springs High School A	Glenwood Springs High School B

 2008 State Tournament

Chad Hemmat presides over a trial.	The Ridgeview High School teams during a break.

Carolyn P. Gravit (right), State Coordinator, presents  Brenton Weyi of GW High School with a Best Attorney  Award certificate.	2008 Best Attorneys and Witnesses.

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Thanks to everyone who supported the
2008 Colorado High School Mock Trial Tournament!

The following bar associations and their representatives sponsored
and coordinated regional tournaments:

Adams/Broomfield Counties
Michael Goodbee

Arapahoe County
Angel McCall, Michael Price

Boulder County
Christine Hylbert

Denver
Carolyn P. Gravit, Meghan Seck

First J.D.
Tom Walsh, Hon. K.J. Moore

Northern Colorado
Stacy Aurzada

Southern Colorado
Jack Donley, Jason Downie, Patricia Kelly

Western Slope
John Siddeek

Thanks to the following individuals and organizations for hosting the
2008 Colorado High School Mock Trial Tournament
at the Larimer County Justice Center:

Larimer County Chief Judge James Hiatt, Larimer County Bar Association,
Larimer Bar Association President-Elect Ian McCargar, and District Administrator
for the Eighth J.D. Scott Courtney.

The CBA also thanks:

• CBA Litigation Section, for its $10,000 sponsorship of the Mock Trial Program
  
• Colorado Bar Foundation, for its $6,500 grant to support regional tournaments and travel of the Colorado Mock Trial State Championship team trip to the National Championship
  
• CBA Public Legal Education Committee and its Mock Trial Subcommittee, for their efforts in planning the 2008 Colorado High School Mock Trial Tournament, including the following individuals: Hon. Julie E. Anderson, Co-Chair; Hon. David P. Cain, Co-Chair; John Bolmer; Nancy Fisher; Robert O. Kristufek; Mary Roudebush; Hon. Peter Stapp; Elsa Martinez Tenreiro; Laura Tighe;Teri Vasquez; and Cyril Vidergar

Volunteers

Theresa Albano Cary Alburn Damian Arguello Sydney Beal Shelly Berg Steve Bernard Jolene Blair Joseph Bodine Michael Born Todd Bovo David Bower Jane Bradley Kristin Browning Gary Burke Linda Cain John Castellano Ashley Chase Carey Christie Heather Clark James Colgan Tom Condas Erin Connor William Cooney C. Scott Crabtree Nicole Daniels Jeffrey Dean Wick Downing Kimberley Duncan Jenna Ellis Nancy Fisher John Frey Bill Fritsche

Leena Gagnon Jim Gantenbein Moses Garcia Michelle Gersic Carla Giger Gail Goodman L’Joy Griebenow Jamie Grim Judy Sayre Grim Andrea Hall Lisa Hamilton-Fieldman George Hass Craig Hess Bradley Hill Jennifer Hill Matt Holmes Bill Imig Deborah Johansen Drake Johnson Geri Joneson John Jostad Sheryl Kamicar Michael Kaplan Jacqueline Karol Broadhurst Angelina Kastro Dan Kaup Mike Keating Michael Krueger Matthew Laird Kathryn Laughlin Jay Ledbetter Richard LiPuma

Amy Liston Faye Lockner Allison Lococo Randall Lococo David Lonowski Kathryn Lonowski Sarah Lonowski Erika Maas Porya Mansorian Maria Massaro Stan Matsunaka Laurie Mazurkiewicz Ian McCargar Cathleen McEwen Rachel Michael Mike Mikulecky David Mitchell Marsha Mussehl Matt O’Brien Tracy Oldemeyer Carolyn Pannell Dianne Peterson Jill Phipps David Piper Jeffrey Pond Patricia Post Natalie Quick Robert Rand LeeAnn Reigrut Kathie Riley Christopher Rossi Jeanette Saville

Peter Schoon Laura Schuck Robert Schur Allen Schwartz Gertrude Score William Searfoorce Lisa Secor Shannon Sharrock Bruce Shibles Russell Sinnett Anne Sipes Graham Smith Kristine Smith Peter Stapp Bill Starks Kimberly Stecklein C. Edward Stirman Doug Stratton Betty Strobel Susan Trigg Diane Vaksdal Smith Amber Vanden Hout Damien Veatch Cyril R. Vidergar Miriam Villegas-Negron Cathy Vlasak Dave Williams Zachary Wilson Don Wiseman Robert Wolf Matthew Zeite