GEORGIA DEFEATS FLORIDA IN ANNUAL HULSEY-KIMBRELL MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Thursday, November 7, 2002WRITER: Kristine Fortunato, 706/542-5172 CONTACT: Kellie Casey, 706/542-2739, krcasey@uga.eduGEORGIA DEFEATS FLORIDA IN ANNUAL HULSEY-KIMBRELL MOOT COURT COMPETITIONATHENS, Ga. - Although it may have lost on the football field, the University of Georgia won in the courtroom, beating the University of Florida in the 22nd annual Hulsey-Kimbrell Moot Court Competition, held in Jacksonville on Friday, Nov. 1, 2002.Georgia's School of Law team argued for the fictional state of Davis in its defense of a Megan's Law (sex offender registry) statute requiring all sex offenders to register with the state for at least 12 years after release from prison. Florida's Levin College of Law team argued for the plaintiff, who sued Davis claiming the statute was unconstitutional because it was retroactively applied to him and because it did not afford him a hearing. This fictitious case was based on two cases currently be heard on appeal by the U.S. Supreme Court. The winning Georgia team was comprised of third-year students Tonya F. Stokes and R. Matthew Reeves. The team was coached by third-year student Ben E. Pope. School of Law Dean David E. Shipley said Georgia's victory is just another example of the winning tradition the moot court program has established at the law school. "Our team's hard work paid off. The students were well prepared for this moot court competition and preformed excellently before a very active bench of six experienced judges from Georgia and Florida."The University of Georgia leads the annual Hulsey-Kimbrell Moot Court Competition 16-4-2. ##