South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

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H. 4840

STATUS INFORMATION

House Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Gullick
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24119bb08.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4834

Introduced in the House on March 12, 2008
Adopted by the House on March 12, 2008

Summary: Springfield Middle School Mock Trial Team

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   3/12/2008  House   Introduced and adopted HJ-5

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/12/2008

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE SPRINGFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL TEAM, AND TO CONGRATULATE THE STUDENTS AND THE ATTORNEYS AND TEACHERS WHO COACHED THEM FOR CAPTURING THE 2007 STATE MIDDLE SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives were pleased to learn of the success of the Springfield Middle School mock trial team at the State Mock Trial Competition on December 1, 2007; and

Whereas, because a mock trial follows the procedure of the lower courts, the students who participate in them learn, among other lessons, about courtroom procedures, the people and rights involved with the legal system, and resolving conflict in a nonviolent manner; and

Whereas, in the process, students gain an understanding of the American judicial system, the mechanics of litigation, and the meaning of citizenship in a democracy; and

Whereas, by creating their own questions for witnesses, writing opening and closing statements, and even reconstructing questions when necessary, participants use such critical thinking skills as analysis and evaluation; and

Whereas, Springfield Middle School established its first mock trial team in 2007, and to the delight of their many supporters, when only fourteen out of the thirty-five teams in the State were invited to participate for the state championship, Springfield was not only among them but also won the state championship in their first year of competition; and

Whereas, Andrew Merk won the Most Effective Attorney Award for rounds one and three of the competition, and Judy Wei won the Most Effective Witness Award for the same rounds; and

Whereas, because of Springfield's performance in rounds one and three during the championship competition, they were chosen to compete against North Myrtle Beach in the championship round, and the coin toss went to Springfield as the defense team; and

Whereas, as in all mock trials, the presiding judge and scoring jury determined which side had presented a clear understanding of the trial process and case materials, and they scored Springfield Middle School as the champions; and

Whereas, in a competition which requires mental acuity and versatility, attorneys James W. Tucker, Jr., and Shannon Vandiver and the teachers who coached the students used their expertise and experience to prepare the team successfully in a variety of skills; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives pause in their deliberations to thank the South Carolina Bar's Law Related Education division for sponsoring the mock trial program in our State's schools and to express their sincere pleasure in the success of the Springfield Middle School mock trial team at the 2007 State Championship. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and commend the Springfield Middle School mock trial team, and congratulate the students and the attorneys and teachers who coached them for capturing the 2007 State Middle School Mock Trial Championship title.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Keith Griffin, Principal of Springfield Middle School, and Coach Sanders.

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