Chadron High defeated Gering yesterday to win the district Mock Trial competition and a berth at next month's state competition in Omaha. Chadron was the state champion for the 05-06 school year.
Mock Trial pits teams playing the roles of attorneys and witnesses against each other in a courtroom case drawn from a current issue. Yesterday's case was on illegally downloading and sharing copyrighted music from the internet.
Mock Trial winners are determined not by who wins the case, but by which team does the best job of presenting its side. That includes arguing the case, using witnesses, and understanding of courtroom procedures.
Local attorneys help train and drill the teams, which also have school sponsors. For Chadron High, their coaches are County Attorney Vance Haug and Public Defender Paul Wess.
