Mock Trial Advances to State Finals for 4th Consecutive Year

 

Justin-Siena defeated teams from Napa, Vintage, New Tech (twice) on the way to a perfect season.  Sonoma County champion, Sonoma Valley, who defeated teams from Cardinal Newman and Santa Rosa high schools, will join them at the state meet.  The Sonoma schools also compete at the Napa County Courthouse.

High school mock trial is sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, based in Los Angeles. In 1980, CRF introduced the Mock Trial program, which already had a strong following in Los Angeles County, to all the counties in California. The program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.

Each participating school fields a prosecution and defense team of student-lawyers and witnesses.  During the trials, the prosecution and defense each offer four witnesses based on a fictional criminal case prepared by CRF.  This year’s case involved alleged human trafficking of an immigrant hospitality worker. The competition is scored by attorneys and judges based on individual student performances rather than on the guilty or not-guilty outcome.  Students are rewarded for originality, legal knowledge and presentation.
 

College-bound seniors Alondra Aguilar '17 (Columbia) and Neha Sidhu '17 (Stanford) lead Justin-Siena’s 19-member team. Describing her mock-trial experience, Aguilar noted, “not only did I learn about law, I became a more confident and inspired person.”

In a state-final preliminary trial to be held on Wednesday, February 22, Justin-Siena prosecution will take on Sonoma Valley defense in courtroom G of the courthouse, 111 Third Street, Napa, starting at 6 pm.  The trial is open to the public.