The Mock Trial team at Port Townsend High School competed in the Washington State Championships March 22-24. 

The team won the William Downing Values and Professionalism Award at the competition. This award is chosen by the schools in the competition, and it always indicates a high degree of integrity and positive core values on the part of the winning team.

Port Townsend students Ava Butterfield, Zoe Pruden and Britany Bivian-Santos received nominations for best overall attorneys, and Ahwrey Scarpanito for being best witness in trials, versus Kamiak, University Prep, Eastlake High School and Cascadia Tech. Other team members include Aislyn Graves and Arrow Kempthorne.

Coach awards went to Jo Mack, Zella Mack, Isabella Nunn, Peter Sanok, Sawyer Duvall and Grey Kingfisher.  

Every year the Inns of Court give one scholarship to one senior in the state of Washington. This year, Ava Butterfield was the first ever Port Townsend High School attorney to win the $2,500 scholarship.

Students compete throughout the winter and early spring in District Tournaments, with the goal of making it to the State Championship in the spring. This year was the second in-person competition since Covid, and the first ever in Tacoma at the Pierce County Superior Court.

In Mock Trial, teens across the State receive a case in October, and work as a team to become witnesses and attorneys. Students gain public speaking skills and critical thinking experience, in addition to working closely with their peers as a team. The process requires they get along with others, even in an intense competition, and expand the skills they need, beyond the trials, as they move into the world as adults.

This year's case involved two siblings, Arin and Cal Lear, who were arguing in a civil suit about the will of their deceased mother, Cordelia Lear. "Whiskers,” written by Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis, had the siblings arguing about the amount of money their mother left to her cat, Whiskers, and to the non-profit dedicated to spaying, neutering, and returning cats to neighborhoods. The legal issues they argued involved the cognitive ability to write a will, and undue influence of a person over estate decisions.

Judge William Downing started the Washington Mock Trial competition in 1989. In addition to his famous rulings as a judge in King County Superior Court, he authored more than 20 cases for students. He will be joining the team for a celebration banquet in late May.

For Port Townsend, teams were able to work with local attorneys and the Jefferson Bar Association, as well as Judge Brandon Mack and Judge Mindy Walker of the Jefferson County Superior and District Courts, respectively. The team has been generously supported by Urquia Law, the Jefferson Bar Association, Sunrise Rotary, and the Port Townsend schools.

Chris Pierson teaches English/ Language Arts, theater, and law and justice at PTHS.