Schools
SWR Team to Battle for Championship Title in Mock Trial
More than 500 students from 26 area high schools entered the mock trials, but now only four teams remain.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Teams from four high schools will square off Saturday in the semifinal and final rounds of the 35th annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition, vying for an opportunity to represent the county in the statewide contest.
More than 500 students from 26 area high schools entered the mock trials, but after five rounds held over the last four weeks, only four teams remain, seeking the championship title, according to the Office of Education.
Saturday's semifinal and final rounds will be held at the Riverside Historic Courthouse, involving students from the following schools::
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- King High school, Riverside
- Murrieta Valley High School, Murrieta
- Poly High School, Riverside
- Ramona High School, Riverside
Last year's winning team was from Poly High, whose members also came out on top in 2016.
The event is sponsored by the Office of Education, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Riverside County Bar Association and the Superior Court.
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The county began holding student-level mock trials in 1983, and more than 13,500 youths have participated since then, according to organizers. This year's contest has challenged participants to successfully argue the fictitious case of People v. Davidson, involving a man accused of killing a member of an extremist group.
Teams consisting of between eight and 25 youths play the parts of deputy district attorneys, defense attorneys, bailiffs, witnesses, clerks and investigators. 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 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.
The highest-scoring team this year will go on to represent the county at the State Mock Trial Competition, slated for March 16-18 in an Orange County venue, not yet announced.
— By City News Service / Image via Freedomz, Shutterstock.com
