Palo Alto Team Wins Mock Trial Event

SAN JOSE, CA – A team from Palo Alto High School is headed to the state mock trial championship, after winning the 2008 Santa Clara County Mock Trial competition.

Palo Alto defeated a team from Prospect High in the Campbell Union High School District in the finals Thursday, Feb. 28 at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. A Palo Alto team also won the event last year.

Representatives from 24 public and private high schools in Santa Clara County participated in Mock Trial, which is a collaboration between the SCCOE and the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Each team participated in at least four rounds.

In Mock Trial, a criminal court case is put together that would be of interest to high school students. The case requires interpretation of facts and relevant case law, the ability to understand difficult reading passages, and a little acting ability. Students get the opportunity to act as lawyers, witnesses, bailiff, or time-keepers for the event.

This year's case, People v. Palmer, was about the murder of a Hollywood producer and director of a fictional show, "Cardiac Arrest." Mock Trial is created by the Constitutional Rights Foundation in Los Angeles, which writes the case.

Judges and attorneys volunteer their time. The presiding judge for this year’s final competition was Justice Nathan Mihara.   Scoring attorneys for the final round were Dolores Carr, Santa Clara District Attorney; Mike Groves, San Jose City Attorney’s Office; David Epps, Santa Clara County Alternative Public Defender; Mary Greenwood, Santa Clara County Public Defender;   Pat Kelly, Legal Aid Society; and Ann Ravel, Santa Clara County Counsel.

The state competition will be held at the Riverside Court on March 28-30, 2008.

Date last updated: March 3, 2008