Scholastic teams from Seneca Valley and Slippery Rock high schools are ready to square off Tuesday for the county title in the statewide mock trial competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

The winner will move on to the district competition March 3 against the winner of the Beaver area competition. The winner of that competition will move on to another regional round March 11. All competitions are at the Butler County Courthouse.

The students, who play the roles of lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants, are assisted by teacher coaches and lawyer advisers in preparing for competition.

Volunteer lawyers, employees of the Butler County court and row offices, and community leaders serve as jurors in the trials. The juries determine the winners in each trial based on the teams' abilities to prepare their cases, present arguments and follow court rules.

This year's mock trial case centers on an alleged kidnapping.

Other area schools that participated this year were Butler, Moniteau and Freeport high schools and Seneca Valley Intermediate High School.