Temecula High School Competes for Place in Mock Trial Finals

Teams from eight Riverside County high schools were scheduled to square off Wednesday in the fifth round of the county’s 32nd annual Mock Trial Competition, which wraps up this weekend with the standouts vying for a chance to represent the county in the California Mock Trial Competition.

The mock trials got underway Feb. 11 with more than 550 students from 27 schools taking part.

Students from the following schools tested their legal acumen and presentation skills Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice:

• Citrus High School in Riverside
• Great Oak High School, Temecula
• Hemet High School
• King High School, Riverside
• Patriot High School, Jurupa Valley
• Poly High School, Riverside
• Santiago High School, Corona
• Xavier College Preparatory School, Palm Desert

This year’s contest is challenging participants to successfully argue the fictional case of People v. Shem, involving a graduate student charged with theft by larceny for allegedly stealing a high-end painting.

Student teams consisting of eight to 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, which is sponsored by the county Office of Education, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Riverside County Bar Association and the Superior Court.

The semi-final round is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by the final round and an awards ceremony in the afternoon.

The highest-scoring team will go on to represent the county at the state contest, slated for March 20 in Riverside.

— City News Service.

(Image via Shutterstock)