CUMMING—Pinecrest Academy’s mock trial team won every round of its regional competition held in Cartersville on Saturday, Feb. 7. Pinecrest defeated Adairsville, Cartersville, Cass, Cherokee, Pepperell, Pope and Woodland high schools to become mock trial regional champions.

The competitions are sponsored by the Georgia Bar Association. Students are judged by approximately 24 local attorneys, sitting judges and other legal professionals. Criteria on which they are judged include their knowledge of court procedure, rules of evidence, facts of the case, the law as it pertains to the facts, and oratory performance. The Pinecrest team has been preparing for the competition two nights per week since October.

Pinecrest students earned 10 special recognition awards: Maria Andrade earned an award for best attorney; Maddie Brabrook earned two awards for best attorney; Clay Childress earned awards for best attorney and four years’ participation; Danielle Miller and Andy Rodriguez earned two awards each for best witness; and Adisson Maalouf earned special recognition and an award for four years’ participation.

Bill Donlon, J.D., is the teacher coach for the team. Dawn Childress, J.D., Charles Medlin, Esq., and Carrie Richardson, Esq., are attorney coaches.

The next level is district competition on Feb. 28.