The Northwest Suburban Bar Association’s 21st annual high school Mock Trial took place Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. More than 400 students from 24 area high schools participated in the tournament.

After a lively competition, St. Charles North High School emerged victorious and took first place. Timothy Christian High School in Elmhurst came in second and third place went to Glenbard East High School in Lombard.

Outstanding Attorney finished in a tie between Boylan Catholic’s Sofia St. Angel and Evanston’s Michael Colton. Outstanding Witness was Dominic Sciortino from St. Charles East High School.

Janelle Vandesampel, head coach for first-place St. Charles North, was impressed with all aspects of the tournament.

“It is clear that you (NWSBA) have a dedicated group of professionals who really work to make this event meaningful for students. It is exciting to have the opportunity to compete against such a large group of schools and to see different styles and approaches taken by other teams.”

She also is of the opinion that the caliber of teams is high.

“To win this tournament is definitely an honor. Our kids have spent many hours learning the case, picking it apart and putting it back together through many different lenses. They’re constantly trying something new to see how it works, and working to become more adaptable in the moment.

“Being recognized for their performance helps to reinforce these efforts, and definitely motivates them to want to continue their success in Champaign in March,” Vandesampel said.

All of the students that participated know how much time, effort and preparation go into a mock trial.

“We really appreciate getting a chance to compete against other schools in such a realistic and professional environment, as well as helpful feedback from the volunteers and excellent overall hospitality from the organization.

“It feels great to win a tournament with so many of the teams that we will be meeting downstate. It gives us confidence and shows us things we can improve on going forward,” said Ryan Wolak, a senior at St. Charles North.

Scott Roelfs, mock trial team coach at Timothy Christian High School, was very pleased that his school took second place this year.

“The NWSBA Mock Trial Tournament is a great experience, as usual. The kids love competing in real courtrooms in front of real judges, and getting tips from actual lawyers. It promotes respect for our legal system, and for the law itself,” Roelfs said.

The Hon. William O. Maki, presiding judge of the Third District, welcomed students, coaches, parents, judges and attorneys to the event and thanked the high schools for participating.

“Thank you to the NWSBA, and all of the volunteers for all of their hard work in making this a successful annual event. There is a lot of involvement from many people, including the students, and it is gratifying to see this event come together so well,” Maki said.

The students were judged on a point-scale of (1) noneffective to (5) outstanding on various courtroom roles, ranging from witness performance, direct exam by attorneys, to cross and re-cross exam by attorneys.

Preparations for this type of tournament begin at the start of the school year, requiring diligence and dedication on the part of the students. These students have invested hundreds of hours preparing for this courtroom drama by absorbing the details of the case, memorizing parts, getting into character and rehearsing.

This year’s fictional case was the People of the State of Illinois vs. Taylor Cartwright. The basis of this fictitious case is a Greek Society hazing at a university that resulted in the death of one of the pledges.

These teams moved on to the state tournament March 11-12 at the University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign.

The winners of the state tournament were: first place, St. Charles North High School; second place, Timothy Christian High School; and third place, Hinsdale Central High School

The Top 8 high schools are: Chicago Christian, Evanston, Glenbard East, Highland Park, Hinsdale Central, Niles West, St. Charles North, Timothy Christian.

The Donna Schechter Memorial Law Test Award went to St. Charles North High School. A new award, the Civility and Professionalism Award, was given to Homewood-Flossmoor High School.