RIVERSIDE – Murrieta and Temecula high school teams have recently been pitting their wits against other Southern California schools for a chance to win a title in the Riverside County Mock Trial Tournament. The 42nd annual event began the last week of January at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, and the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Since then, the field has been narrowed to eight teams: Chaparral High School in Temecula, MLK High School in Riverside, Murrieta Valley High School, Notre Dame High School in Riverside, Palm Desert High School, Poli High School in Riverside and Santiago High School. Corona schools and Temecula Valley High School.
The “Elite Eight Round” will be held on Thursday, February 15th at 6pm at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The semifinals will feature a four-team final on February 20th, with the final round scheduled for February 23rd at the Riverside Historic Courthouse. Murrieta Valley High School won the tournament last year for the first time in school history.
According to the Education Department, nearly 400 students from 22 high schools participated in the county's mock exam this year. The contest returned to in-person rather than virtual competition in 2023 after the public school system lifted coronavirus gathering restrictions that were in place during the 2021 and 2022 events. The 2020 competition was held before schools closed.
The Education Department sponsors this contest each year in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Riverside County Bar Association, and Superior Court. The county he began holding student-level mock trials in 1983.Organizers say more than 14,000 young people have participated since then.
This year's contest requires participants to successfully argue People v. Clark, a hypothetical case involving the murder of the CEO of Medical Parts. The fictional character was found stabbed to death in a hotel room, leading to accusations that family feuds may have led to the murder and even corporate espionage. Students are tasked with analyzing forensic evidence, the legality of warrants, and other issues during trials.
Teams of eight to 25 students serve as deputy district attorneys, defense attorneys, bailiffs, witnesses, clerks, and investigators. Contestants are typically given an allotted time of four to six minutes for each stage of the proceedings, including opening and closing statements and cross-examination.
Practicing lawyers and judges will evaluate the students' performance and award points according to the criteria set for the competition. Students from public and private high schools can also participate. The 2024 champion team will represent the county at the California Mock Trial Competition, which will be held March 22-24 in Los Angeles.
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