Murrieta Valley High School Wins 41st Annual Mock Trial Competition

MURRIETA, CA — Murrieta Valley High School bested Martin Luther King High School to win the 41st Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition on Thursday after seven rounds of competition, the Riverside County Office of Education announced.

Approximately 19 students from Murrieta Valley were on hand to compete and ultimately claim the prized, according to Principal Ryan Tukua. "We've had a lot of luck getting to the semifinals, but this is the first year to claim the championship, Tukua told Patch. "The mock trial coach, Mr. Todd Thornburg, students motivated to win the championship." Ryan Tukua, Principal

Thornburg, an Advanced English and IB Theory of Knowledge teacher at Murrieta Valley High School, also coaches the speech and debate and mock trial team, according to Tukua. They practiced all year to get ready for the six-week event.

After the final round of the mock trial competition— held at Riverside’s Historic Courthouse— Martin Luther King High School played the role of the prosecution and Murrieta Valley High School filled the role of the defense.

As in previous rounds, the defense won the day for the selected case, "People vs. Franks."

Murrieta Valley High School and Hemet High School progressed farther than any other Southwest Riverside County area high school, advancing to the final four. Their mock trial teams joined teams from Riverside to battle wits and legal stratagems, reaching the final round in the Riverside County Mock Trial Competition. The "Elite Eight" round saw Great Oak High School serve as the prosecution against Martin Luther King High School's defense team; Poly High School prosecuted over Notre Dame High School's defense; Ramona High School served as prosecution over Hemet High School; and Santiago High School students were the prosecution over Murrieta Valley High School.

Murrieta Valley High School will now move on to represent all of Riverside County at the California Mock Trial competition in Los Angeles on March 17-19. If they succeed there, they will head to the National Mock Trial Competition that is planned for May 18-20 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Martin Luther King High School defeated defending Riverside County Mock Trial Champion Notre Dame High School in the semifinal round Tuesday. Murrieta Valley High School won over Hemet High School that same day to earn their spot to compete in the championship round.

"Todd Thornburg is an excellent leader who has high academic expectations for his students and provides an opportunity for students to follow their passion," Tukua said. "He's a great supporter of his students."

About the case...

This year’s case, People vs. Franks, revolved around the trial of Jordan Franks, a young actor who finished a run of performances of the Shakespeare adaptation "Macbeth at Sea" on the cruise ship Heart of the Ocean.

Franks was charged with robbery and battery of Franks’ fellow actor, Billie Scher.

Since early January, nearly 400 students from over 20 high schools prosecuted and defended that alleged crime during fictional court cases across Riverside County at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta and the Riverside Hall of Justice.

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Murrieta Valley, Hemet High School Mock Trial Teams Head To Final Four