MADERA
— When the 2004-05 Mock Trial Competition of the Madera County Office
of Education takes place on Saturday, Dec. 4, the team from Yosemite
High School will be competing against the team from Madera High
School.
The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Madera County
Government Center.
The Mock Trial competition is a simulation of an actual criminal
court case, in which the students are the trial participants. Each
school provides a prosecution team and a defense team. A round consists
of one school’s defense team going up against the other school’s
prosecution team.
This year’s case, provided by the Constitutional Rights Foundation,
is a vehicular manslaughter and illegal contest of speed trial.
It will feature a pre-trial argument on the First Amendment of the
Constitution.
The Mock Trial program is designed to help students comprehend the
working of legal institutions.
Each team is coached on courtroom procedures and trial preparations
by a volunteer attorney. Students participate as attorneys, witnesses
or court clerks before Madera County judges and attorneys.
The Yosemite High School coach is James Lee. Members of the team
are: Brittany Bergan, Caitlin Blum, Christine Casner, Natasha Corless,
Jessica Fischer, Landon Grossi, Amit Gurnani, Jason Koczanowicz,
Kristin Lukan, Cody Madsen, Gabriella Ribley Phipps, Tara Rowlodge,
Rajesh Skinivasan, Veronica Stewart, Paige Turpen, Jessica Tyson,
Alexandra Watt and Valerie Woolard.
The team is coached by Dale Blea, David Smothers and James Watkins,
attorneys.
Noemi Lepe-Vera is the Madera High School coach. Team members are:
Veronica Aguirre, Alma Castellanos, Josh Cota, Evelyn Gutierrez,
Jose Hernandez, Yvette Menchaca, Rebecca Moy, Christopher Ochoa,
Erika Patino, Maria Ramirez, Ana Rodriguez, Sonia Santos and Roger
Torres. Their team is coached by the attorneys, Robert Williams
and Lazaro Salazar.
This year the volunteer judge is the Honorable Edward P. Moffat
from the Madera Superior Court. Judges and attorneys scoring the
teams’ performances are: Ray Dunne, Robert Hirth, Bruce Francis
Kennedy, Bryan G. Martin, Bernard McGoldrick, Steven R. Mortimer,
Glen T. Neal, the Honorable Charles Wieland from Madera Superior
Court and Eric Wyatt.
The team winning the Madera County competition will be invited to
compete in the state finals in Riverside County on Mar. 18-20, 2005.
The competition is coordinated by the Madera County Office of Education.
Information: Tracey McCully or Jennifer Pascale, (559) 673-6051,
extension 273.
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