Mock trial teams from Kerrville Tivy High School and Regents School of Austin took home the championship titles for their respective regions during the Texas High School Mock Trial Competition hosted at the St. Mary’s University School of Law on Saturday.

The competition gives high school students an inside look at the judicial system by preparing and trying cases against other schools.

The program, created by the Dallas Bar Association in 1979, engages thousands of students each year. This year’s case problem was a criminal prosecution in which the defendant was accused of killing his business partner to gain control of a business venture.

Students served as both advocates and witnesses. As part of the trial presentation, students gave opening statements, conducted direct and cross examination of witnesses and made closing arguments. School of Law faculty and students and local attorneys served as presiding and scoring judges to determine which teams put on the best trials.

Kerrville Tivy High School won the Region 20 competition. Holden West was voted the Region 20 Outstanding Advocate and Monty McKeon was voted Outstanding Witness. Both students are from Kerrville Tivy High School.

Regents School of Austin won the Region 13 competition. The Region 13 Outstanding Advocate was Rachel Pritchett. The Outstanding Witness was Emily Reader from Regents School of Austin.

Both teams will advance to the state championships in Dallas starting March 5.

Two St. Mary’s mock trial teams competed in the Texas Young Lawyers Association 2015 National Trial Regional Competition in New Orleans from Jan. 22 to 24. The team of third-year law student Jessica Pritchett and second-year law student Thomas Pare finished as finalists after losing to a team from Baylor, which will now advance to the National Finals. The teams were coached by Adjunct Professor Nicole Thornbro.

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