“Objection! Your Honor, that statement is hearsay.” “Your Honor, a proper foundation has not been laid for that question.” “Based on the preponderance of the evidence, the jury should rule in favor of the defense.” These are just a few of the lines that were uttered during the middle school mock trial competition sponsored by the South Carolina Bar. The competition was held regionally across the state of South Carolina with a total of 47 schools participating. At the end of the competition, twelve teams were chosen to advance to the State championship which will be held in Columbia December 1-2. Bob Jones Middle School is one of the teams that will compete for the state title. The nine member team has been practicing since August with their teacher coach Chuck Nicholas, their student coach Madysen Hotchkin and their attorney coach Ruth Hindman DiPasquale (2000 BJA graduate).
In addition to the team advancement, students were recognized for their outstanding performances during the three trials in which they competed.
Best Lawyers – Bella Sanders, Elijah Escontrias (2 awards), Ian Hamrick
Best Witnesses – Ian Hamrick (2 awards), Elijah Escontrias, Victoria Mendoza (2 awards)
Probably the most important award the middle school team received was the Professionalism and Civility Award. This is the first year this award has been given. The BJA team was nominated by other teams at the competition. The award recognizes qualities such as professional demeanor, civility, integrity, honesty, fair play, and respect for the competition and other competitors. Congratulations to our team for this high honor.
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