West Virginia Law Adventure mock trials scheduled

CHARLESTON -- Middle schools and high schools around West Virginia this winter are performing mock trial transcripts they wrote themselves as part of the Supreme Court's West Virginia Law Adventure program.

Unlike other mock trial programs in which students perform cases using scripts or materials prepared by adults, in West Virginia Law Adventure each class was asked to write its own script based on one of three criminal case scenarios in the rules book.

Students are to mail their written transcripts to the West Virginia State Bar. The Bar's Young Lawyers Section will choose winners, and the winners will be invited to perform their mock trials at the Supreme Court. Students' trips to the Supreme Court will be paid for by a grant from the West Virginia Bar Foundation.

Before mailing in their transcripts, participating West Virginia classes must perform their trials at a courthouse in front of a judicial officer. The trips to the courthouses also are paid for with the grant from the West Virginia Bar Foundation.

Some of the participating schools have selected dates and locations they will perform their scripts. Those are listed below:

* Jan. 18: Bluefield and Princeton Middle Schools, Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Omar Aboulhosn, Mercer County Judicial Annex, Princeton.

* Jan. 20: Kasson Elementary/Middle School, Barbour County
Magistrate Kathi S. McBee, Barbour County Courthouse, Philippi.

* Jan. 20: Three classes from Jackson Middle School, Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge J.D. Beane, Wood County Judicial Annex, Parkersburg.

* Feb. 8: Horace Mann Middle School, Kanawha County. Time and
location yet to be determined.

* Feb. 18, Herbert Hoover High School, Kanawha County
Magistrate Julie M. Yeager, Kanawha County Judicial Annex, Charleston.