Superior Court welcomes high school teams for mock trials

A recent hit-and-run case in San Diego Superior Court – People v. Vega – saw teams of attorneys and countless witnesses, but what made it unique was that the participants were high school students, with six teams from San Diego Unified high schools among the 19 participating from San Diego county.

• Team photos

The Seventh Annual San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition places high school students in a simulated courtroom setting, where they assume the roles of lawyers and witnesses in a hypothetical case. Teams from six district high schools participated in the competition. La Jolla was third, Scripps Ranch placed seventh and University City was eighth. Also participating were Crawford, Lincoln and San Diego High LEADS. The winning team will represent San Diego county in the statewide competition March 22-23.

Participating students assumed the traditional courtroom roles ranging from a lawyer to a witness as they played out a hypothetical case. This year’s trial dealt with a hit-and-run accident, giving students the opportunity to debate real matters, such as the Fifth Amendment. The competition creates a space for students to apply their critical thinking skills and practice their public speaking to clearly advocate their ideas.

"Mock trials are designed to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for the law, court procedures and the American judicial system," said Karen Dalton, Superior Court spokesperson. "The competition also offers student a real-life opportunity to challenge and improve basic life skills such as critical thinking, reading, public speaking and advocacy for ideas."

Two San Diego Unified students won awards for their participation in the trials: Luis Venegas, Crawford High, for Outstanding Witness for the Defense; and Jonathon Garcia, Lincoln High, Outstanding Witness for the Prosecution. Mentors for San Diego Unified teams included: Crawford Academy of Law, Amy Hoffman and Shereen Charlick; San Diego High LEADS, Anne Perry; Lincoln High, Sallie Blackman and Lea Fields-Bernard.

The three-day event, held Feb. 26-March 2, is organized by the San Diego County Bar Association and San Diego Superior Court, together with the Constitutional Rights Foundation and the San Diego Office of Education. For more information, go to the San Diego County Bar Association's Mock Trial web page.