HAMPDEN – High school students from Hampden Academy and Lewiston High School will compete against each other in the finals of the State Mock Trial Championship on Thursday, Dec. 14.

Each school won its semifinal competitions, with Hampden Academy defeating Catherine McAuley High School on Nov. 29, and Lewiston edging out Cape Elizabeth on Dec. 4 to qualify for the championship title.

Several dozen volunteer lawyers and judges participate in the Mock Trial Competition, which is sponsored by the Maine State Bar Association with support from the Maine Bar Foundation.

M. Calien Lewis, executive director of the Maine Bar Foundation, said, “We feel strongly about supporting this competition each year. Trying a case in a real court in front of a real judge is a unique and valuable experience for these students. In some cases we have even seen this opportunity influence future career decisions.”

The mock trial competition consists of two trials – one team acts as the prosecution and the other as defense in the first trial, then they switch sides for the second trial. Team members fill the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys and witnesses. The trials are unscripted.

Coordinator Julie Finn, a Maine attorney, said, “The teams did extremely well with a difficult case this year. There were many challenging legal issues as well as many red herrings. The witness statements contained valuable evidence as well as ammunition for impeachment on cross-examination – that’s what makes it fun. Each school has tackled the case in a slightly different way, focusing on various key points of evidence. I am looking forward to an exciting final.”

Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court will preside over the state championship trial between Hampden Academy and Lewiston High School.

The Hampden Academy team is led by Kathryn King and coached by attorneys William Devoe and James McCarthy.

Lewiston’s team worked with high school teacher Joan Macri and attorney coach Jodi Nofsinger, along with attorney Robert Hoy and Superior Court Justice Ellen Gorman.

Hampden Academy, the defending champion from 2004 and 2005, represented Maine in the national finals in Oklahoma City, Okla. This year, the state champion will be eligible to participate in the national finals in Dallas in May.

The Mock Trial Competition educates students about the legal system, the judicial process, attorneys’ roles and the rules of evidence. It teaches effective communication, critical thinking, principles of advocacy and teamwork.

The public is invited to attend the mock trials at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland. Seating is limited.

Hampden Academy Mock Trial Team members are: Ryan Asalone, Jarrod Bouchard, Jacob Cravens, Logan Deane, Katie Foster, Jessi Hackett, Jason Hamilton, Sophie Kelmenson, Kristina King, Rachel Lawler, Tao Mason, Rylee Rawcliffe, Savannah Sargent, Jack Swalec, Lauren Swalec, Emily Tarbell-Reynolds, Jenn Wilson and Sam Wood.

Lewiston High School Mock Trial Team members are Athena Andoniades, Ernest Brown, Michael Butler, Husayn Carnegie, Ann Danforth, Stephanye Doucette, Tobias Farnsworth, Cassandra Jensen, Luke Jensen, Tanya Lama, Ashley McWhorter, Ashley Morgan, Calder Phillips-Grafflin, Matthew Shaw and Danielle Taylor.