Marin County Mock Trial Competition​ Kicks Off This Weekend

SAN RAFAEL, CA — The 2020 Marin County Mock Trial Competition kicks off this weekend at the Marin County Courthouse.

A total of 200 students from eight Marin high schools will participate in the two-day competition on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. Participating schools include Marin Academy, Marin Catholic, Redwood, San Marin, San Rafael, Sir Francis Drake, Tamalpais and Terra Linda.

The event is coordinated by the Marin County Office of Education in partnership with the Marin County Bar Association.

Each year the Constitutional Rights Foundation creates a Mock Trial case for students across the state. The case provides students an opportunity to wrestle with large societal problems within a structured forum and strives to provide a powerful and enriching educational experience.

This year's case, the People v. Matsumoto, is the trial of Bailey Matsumoto, the founder of a technology start-up that develops self-driving trucks. Bailey is charged with the murder of his spouse, Taylor Matsumoto.

Each team of students prepares both the prosecution and defense positions for the case.

Here is the competition schedule:

Jan. 25

• Round 1: 8:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Round 2: 11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Round 3: 2:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Feb. 1

• Round 4: 8:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Round 5: 11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Final Round: 3:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.