Southwest RivCo Students Set to Test Skills in Mock Trials

More than 550 students from 27 area high schools will take on the roles of prosecutors and defense attorneys Wednesday night as the 32nd annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition gets underway at courthouses in Indio, Murrieta and Riverside.

A total of five rounds, plus the semifinal and final rounds, are planned this month and the first weekend in March, according to the county Office of Education, which is sponsoring the contest along with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Riverside County Bar Association and the Superior Court.

The county began holding student-level mock trials in 1983. More than 12,000 youths have participated since then, according to organizers.

This year’s contest will challenge participants to successfully argue for or against the conviction of a graduate student charged with theft by larceny for the fictional act of stealing a high-end painting.

Student teams consisting of eight to 25 youths will play the parts of deputy district attorneys, defense attorneys, bailiffs, witnesses, clerks and investigators.

Here in Southwest Riverside County, the following schools are set to compete at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta:

• Prosecution: Paloma Valley HS vs. Defense: Temecula Valley HS
• Prosecution: Hemet HS vs. Defense: Murrieta Valley HS
• Prosecution: Great Oak HS vs. Defense: Chaparral HS

Contestants are given an allotted time, generally four to six minutes, at each stage of a proceeding, including opening and closing statements and cross-examinations.

Practicing attorneys and judges will assess students’ performance and award points in accordance with criteria established for the competition.

Students from public and private high schools are permitted to take part. Last year’s winning team was from Riverside Poly High School, which has claimed four consecutive top team titles, according to the Office of Education.

After the final round on March 7 at the Riverside Historic Courthouse, the highest-scoring team will go on to represent the county at the State Mock Trial Competition, slated for March 20 in Riverside.

—  City News Service contributed to this report.

(Image via Shutterstock)