| (May 18, 2007 - Dallas, Texas) After four intense and challenging rounds of competition, Jonesboro High School from Jonesboro, Georgia met Kalamazoo Central High School from Kalamazoo, Michigan in the Championship Round of the 24th Annual National High School Mock Trial Championship. Both teams were undefeated going into the final round. The setting was the Hatton W. Sumners Ceremonial Courtroom in the newly restored historic Old Red Courthouse in downtown Dallas. Observers noted that the ambiance of the courtroom, fashioned after an 1890's courtroom, was something like that from To Kill a Mockingbird. The courtroom had an aura of tradition and certainly of drama. At stake was a National Championship title. The jury, composed of jurists from New Mexico as well as Texas, voted in a 6-3 decision in favor of Georgia, thus crowning Jonesboro High School as the 2007 Championship team, making this win Georgia's third National title.
Photos at right are a glimpse of the tournament weekend in downtown Dallas. The team from South Korea stopped long enough to strike a pose. The mounted Sheriff's Posse served as an honor guard for the event. Close to 1100 participants and observers attended the 2007 National tournament. Jonesboro and Kalamazoo Central were two of 40 teams that competed for the National title. Teams from 38 states plus the Northern Mariana Islands and South Korea participated. Hundreds of judges, attorneys, non-attorneys, and local students volunteered throughout the weekend to make the national event a reality. Each one played a vital role in overseeing every detail of the event, making the tournament a huge success.
In addition to the rounds of competition at the courthouse, the students and their guests experienced the flavor of Texas in various social events while they were in Big D. On Thursday night, more than 750 attended the Mexican Fiesta for the opening ceremonies and traditional pin-exchange. While meeting each other and exchanging pins, the group was entertained by a lively and authentic Mariachi band. Excitement for the weekend grew from that event to the Barbecue and Rodeo on Friday night. Close to 800 attended. One team reported that no one in their group had ever been to a rodeo before and they were on the edge of their seats during the entire evening. The bull-riding was the most thrilling, they said.
The tournament weekend came to a close after the Awards Banquet and Rock-n-Roll Dance, with entertainment provided by the Dallas-based, all-lawyer and wildly popular band, the Catdaddies.
The major sponsors of this year's championship tournament were the Dallas Bar Foundation, the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, Inc., and the Dallas Bar Association. Many others contributed significantly to provide this unique and prestigious opportunity to students from around the United States and internationally, as well.
The complete list of the championship results can be found on this website under Championship Results as well as www.nationalmocktrial.org. Photos of the tournament weekend, taken by everyone's favorite, Big Lou, may be found at www.biglouphotos.com. Click on "Photos," and find 2007 National Mock Trial listed on Photos page. Contact Big Lou for copies of photos taken during the events of the weekend.
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