Mock Trial: State v. Campbell

• 1st place: West Salem High School, Salem Keizer School District
• 2nd place: Lincoln High School, Portland Public Schools
• 3rd place: West Linn High School, West Linn Wilsonville School District
• 4th place: Wilson High School, Portland Public Schools

It began with 79 teams and ended with one. Teams around the state competed in one of nine regional competitions on Saturday, March 1. Top teams from each region, twenty of them all together, met for the state finals in Portland’s Hatfield Federal Courthouse on March 14-15.

Squaring off in the championship round was West Salem for the prosecution and Lincoln for the defense. The case was heard by a distinguished panel of judges with U.S. Federal District Court Judge Anna Brown presiding. With her on the panel were Hon. Paul DeMuniz, Chief Justice – Oregon Supreme Court; Sandra Rowe, senior editor – The Oregonian; Hon. Druro Sessa, visiting jurist from Croatia; and Richard Yugler, president – Oregon State Bar. In very close competition, the crown went to West Salem. Led by teacher-coach Drew Moneke, the fundraising for West Salem’s trip to nationals in Wilmington, Delaware, is underway.

Hats off to Lincoln High School and its group of coaches led by Rob and Mara Shlacter for its exemplary performance, professionalism, sportsmanship. Coming in third and fourth place were great efforts by West Linn High School (last year’s champion) and Wilson High School, respectively.