JHS Mock Trial Team Competes at State Tournament

The Jacksboro High School Mock Trial Team competed at the State Championship Tournament of the Texas High School Mock Trial Competition on March 4 – 6 in Dallas. The JHS team won its regional tournament in January, and represented Region 9 at the State Competition.

The JHS Mock Trial Team consists of attorneys Blythe Sewell, Allyson Wiley and Josh Silveus, and witnesses Lacy Vanhoose, Landon Haston, Jeffrey Poole, Lucas Kinder, McCall Maddox and Reid Spiller. The Teacher Coach for the team is Liz Spears, and the Attorney Coach for the team is David Spiller.

Jacksboro competed against schools regardless of size classifications. The competition is open to all high schools in Texas, including public, private, preparatory, magnet and charter schools. Jacksboro had rounds against St. Thomas’ Episcopal School in Houston, Edinburg North High School in Edinburg, Paris High School in Paris, and McAllen Memorial High School in McAllen.

This is the thirteenth year that the Jacksboro High School Mock Trial Team has advanced to state and represented the region, and has done so ten out of the last eleven years. “I was very pleased with how well our students competed,” said Attorney Coach David Spiller. “They worked extremely hard for months, and represented Jacksboro well. Ms. Spears did a wonderful job preparing them – as she does each year. If more people could see this competition, they would be amazed at how well our students perform, year in and year out.”

Each year, all teams competing in the mock trial program are provided the rules of evidence for trial, and are given case materials, complete with witness statements, documentary evidence, stipulated facts and the law applicable to the case. This year, the case was a civil action for contribution/indemnity based on the theory of products liability, specifically, whether or not the 2009 Hoffseal motor vehicle manufactured by Yarbro Motors had a design defect by the use of its navigational system allowing texting while driving, thus causing the death of Robin McConnagal. The claims were assigned to Orange, Inc., who settled with the estate, and who manufactures the MePhone, which is the cell phone that was used in conjunction with the Hoffseal.

The Texas High School Mock Trial Competition is a state-wide program whose goals are to further the understanding of court procedures and the legal system, to improve proficiency in basic skills such as listening and reasoning, to promote better communication between the educational and legal communities, to provide a competitive event in an academic atmosphere, and to promote cooperation among students of various abilities and interests.