Forestbrook Middle School claimed the state championship in the Fifth State Middle School Mock Trial Team Competition held in Lexington, South Carolina this past weekend. North Myrtle Beach Middle School was a runner-up, according to a news release sent Tuesday by the Horry County School District.

The Forestbrook Middle School team consists of the following members: (8th Graders) Justin Abassi, Danielle Ives, Megan Wesel, Wade Hill, Abby Birchler, Josh Vaught, Morgan Godfrey, Kody Ruff, Mary Bordanaro, Dallas Strawn, (seventh graders), Jessica Stevens, Erin Murray, and Jessica Cox.

Three Forestbrook Middle School students won individual awards for their performance. They were: Morgan Godfrey, Most Effective Attorney, Round 2; Danielle Ives, Most Effective Attorney, Rounds 1 and 3; and Megan Wesel, Most Effective Witness, Round 3.

The Middle School Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the South Carolina Bar Law Related Education (LRE) Division and offers students a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is a team activity program that is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but can also be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. Students representing attorneys and witnesses for both sides of a fictional case role play that case being tried in court. The students are guided in their case through support of their teacher and attorney coaches. The program teaches the legal process and trial procedure.