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UGA SWEEPS REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION; HEADS TO NATIONALS

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Monday, March 10, 1997

WRITER: Kathy R. Pharr, (706) 542-5172

CONTACT: Ralph Powell, (706) 548-1128

UGA SWEEPS REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION; HEADS TO NATIONALS

(ATHENS, Ga.) -- Two teams from the University of Georgia will advance to the national finals of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Mock Trial Competition in Denver, Colorado, March 21-23. The teams won the berth by sweeping the regional championship over the weekend in Savannah.

UGA will now compete in a national field of 24 teams, comprised of the two finalists from each of 12 regions.

"The ATLA tournament is one of the most respected and competitive mock trial tournaments in the country," said Ralph Powell, mock trial coach. "It's rare for a school to send two teams from the regional, so I think we have a particularly good shot on the national level. We know every round will be close, but our students realize that this is the time to push even harder in their preparation."

Both UGA teams were undefeated in the regional tournament. One team, consisting of second-year student Kriste Richardson and third-year student Blaine Norris, defeated teams from Brigham Young and Howard University in the preliminary rounds; John Marshall in the semifinals; and Alabama in the final. The Richardson/Norris team received every judge's vote but one in the entire tournament. Second-year student Andy Childers and first-year student Marcy Hanks served as witnesses for the team.

UGA's second team, consisting of third-year students Kevin Gonzalez, Christy Calbos, Chandler Mason, and second-year student Sean Hynes, who alternated the roles of witness and attorney depending on the side of the case drawn in each match-up, defeated teams from George Washington University, William and Mary, and John Marshall in the prelims; Howard University in the semifinals; and Alabama in the finals.

The hypothetical case dealt with a sexual harassment charge brought by a young woman who had attempted suicide and claimed a technician had raped her in the psychiatric hospital where she had been sent for treatment.

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