Temecula Valley USD Students Prove Courtroom Prowess

Temecula CA

28 February, 2022

2:22 PM

Description

RIVERSIDE, CA — After seven rounds of competition, the young legal team from Notre Dame High School was named the champions of the 2022 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition, and have advanced to represent Riverside County at the California Mock Trial Competition for the first time in school history. Several Temecula Valley Unified School District students with legal minds, however, gave the Notre Dame team stiff competition. A total of 22 teams comprised of 514 students and coaches, 111 attorneys, 34 judges, 16 liaisons, and 16 steering committee members participated and contributed in the 40th Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition this year. On Feb. 19, more than a dozen students were honored for top performances with medals, golden gavel pins, trophies, and prestigious internships in local legal organizations after the fourth round of competition. The final round featured Poly High School as the prosecution and Notre Dame High School as the defense. In the semifinal round held hours before the championship, Poly High School defeated the 2021 champions from Martin Luther King High School while Notre Dame High School reached the finals after defeating Murrieta Valley High School. Due to pandemic restrictions on crowds, all mock trial competitions for 2022 were held virtually. The 2022 California State Mock Trial Championship will also take place virtually from March 17- 20. Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges, and scored by practicing attorneys. The multi-round competition is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in public and private high schools in Riverside County. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the virtual courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and more. This year's competition featured case materials that provided the facts and legal background for the fictional trial, People v. Cobey. The focus of the trial was Jamie Cobey, a horticulturist living in the community of Burnsley, Calif., a semi-rural town in the high desert. Cobey was charged with two counts: first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. The award recipients during the 2022 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition were: Outstanding Bailiff1st Place – Gold Medal: Damien Milton, Great Oak High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Aubrey Hernandez, Notre Dame High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Yusuf Ashrif, John W. North High School Outstanding Clerk1st Place – Gold Medal: Stephanie Stahovich, Notre Dame High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Brian Martinez, Patriot High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Emily Tucker/Rend Abdulhasan, Palm Desert/Great Oak High School Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney1st Place – Gold Medal: Erika Salcedo, Murrieta Valley High School*2nd Place – Silver Medal: Xuan-Anh Biggs, Poly High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Ayanna Grunwald, Notre Dame High School* Winner of Riverside County Courts Award and Riverside County Bar Association Foundation'sHonorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney1st Place – Gold Medal: James Fagan, Poly High School*2nd Place – Silver Medal: Indiana Behr, Palm Valley High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Tara Bakhshi Dezful, Palm Desert High School* Winner of Riverside County Courts Award and Riverside County Bar Association Foundation'sHonorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship Outstanding Prosecution WitnessesWitness: Dr. Charlie Dunn1st Place – Gold Medal: Nicole Wetzel, Paloma Valley High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Victoria Castaneda, Patriot High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Tallulah Rector, Palm Desert High School Witness: Toni Garrett1st Place – Gold Medal: Isabella Torres, Patriot High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Jose Sepulveda-Vel, Indio High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Emma Mermilliod, Notre Dame High School Witness: Angel Russell1st Place – Gold Medal: Luis Suarez, Great Oak High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Savera Vakil, Paloma Valley High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Esther Chavarria, Chaparral High School Witness: Terry Edwards1st Place – Gold Medal: Margaret Roemer, Poly High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Samantha Esparza, John W. North High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Marlen Castillo Sanchez, Indio High School Outstanding Defense WitnessesDefendant: Jamie Cobey, Defendant1st Place – Gold Medal: Sydney Vinson, Chaparral High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Gabriela Cruz, John W. North High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: James Peters, Great Oak High School Witness: Francis Yazzie1st Place – Gold Medal: Jia Sergeant, John W. North High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Gracie Carlson, Santiago High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Daniel Rodriguez, Murrieta Valley High School Witness: Dr. Tyler Clay1st Place – Gold Medal: Samira Ahmed, John W. North High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Yousif Subhi, Santiago High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Keila Serrano, San Jacinto High School Witness: Dani Emling1st Place – Gold Medal: Nicholas Duran, Martin Luther King High School2nd Place – Silver Medal: Zyrin Wolfinger, Temecula Preparatory High School3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Charlotte Trudeau, Palm Desert High School Outstanding Prosecution AttorneysGold Medal: Noah Gilman-Morgan, John W. North High School**Silver Medal: Jessica Diaz, Hemet High SchoolBronze Medal: Melany Hernandez, Hemet High School** Winner of internship in the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and Riverside County Bar Association Foundation's Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship Outstanding Defense AttorneysGold Medal: Estera Boca, Poly High School***Gold Medal: Aleksandra Petrovski, Murrieta Valley High SchoolGold Medal: Roxalana Johnson, Chaparral High School*** Winner of internship with the Riverside County Public Defender's Office and Riverside CountyBar Association Foundation's Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship Riverside County Mock Trial Historical Results: 2021 – Martin Luther King High School2020 – Poly High School2019 – Poly High School2018 – Martin Luther King High School2017 – Poly High School 2016 – Poly High School2015 – Hemet High School2014 – Poly High School2013 – Poly High School2012 – Poly High School2011 – Poly High School2010 – Woodcrest Christian High School2009 – Poly High School2008 – Temecula Valley High School2007 – Martin Luther King High School2006 – Woodcrest Christian High School2005 – Poly High School2004 – Poly High School2003 – Poly High School2002 – Poly High School2001 – Arlington High School2000 – John W. North High School1999 – Woodcrest Christian High School1998 – Temecula Valley High School1997 – Corona High School1996 – Poly High School1995 – Norte Vista High School1994 – Arlington High School**1993 – Arlington High School1992 – Poly High School1991 – Poly High School1990 – Poly High School1989 – John W. North High School1988 – Poly High School1987 – Poly High School1986 – John W. North High School1985 – Ramona High School1984 – Ramona High School1983 – Perris High School** Mock Trial National Champion