Santiago High School Falls In Mock Trial Competition 'Elite Eight'

CORONA, CA — Corona-based Santiago High School competed in the 41st annual mock trial competition, with many students winning awards during the proceedings. Santiago High School student Maggie Orelana won a summer internship in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship.

Santiago High School made its way to the "Elite Eight," serving as the prosecution over Murrieta Valley High School's defense team. Temecula's Great Oak High School was the prosecution against Martin Luther King High School's defense team; Poly High School acted as the prosecution over Notre Dame High School's defense; Ramona High School served as prosecution over Hemet High School.

The defense won the day, narrowing the field to four teams — Hemet High School, MLK High School in Riverside, Murrieta Valley High School and Notre Dame High School in Riverside which will compete in the semifinal round scheduled at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The event got underway during the last week of January at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta and the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The final meet will follow with two teams at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Riverside Historic Courthouse.

Mock Trial participants were honored with awards for their parts played in the fully-fledged out mock trial events, from courtroom artists and bailiffs to witnesses and attorneys. Santiago students were honored, including:

Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Lorelei Tang, Santiago High School

Outstanding Prosecution Attorneys

Maggie Orelana**, Santiago High School

** Winner of summer internship in District Attorney’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

History of the Mock Trial Competition in Riverside County:

Notre Dame High won the competition for the first time last year, topping the legacy champions, Poly High, winners of the most team titles since the competitions began locally in the early 1980s.

Nearly 400 students from around 20 high schools started out in the county's mock trials, which were in-person this year, after being virtual competitions in 2021 and 2022 to comply with school districts' COVID-based health policies, according to the county Office of Education. The 2020 competition was completed before the school closures.

The Office of Education, in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Riverside County Bar Association and the Superior Court, sponsor the competition annually. The county began holding student-level mock trials in 1983. Nearly 15,000 youths have participated since then, according to organizers.

This year's contest has challenged participants to successfully argue the fictitious case of People v. Franks, involving a cruise ship actor accused of beating and robbing a fellow performer, but with a host of evidentiary variables.

Teams consisting of eight to 25 students play the parts of deputy district attorneys, defense attorneys, bailiffs, witnesses, clerks and investigators. Contestants are given an allotted time, generally four to six minutes, at each stage of a proceeding, including opening and closing statements and cross-examinations.

Practicing attorneys and judges assess students' performance and award points in accordance with the criteria established for the competition.

Students from public and private high schools are permitted to take part.

The winner of this year's contest will represent Riverside County at the California Mock Trials in Los Angeles during the weekend of March 17 to 19.

2023 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition BLUE RIBBON AWARD RECIPIENTS

Outstanding Courtroom Artist

1st Place – Gold Medal: Edith Cervantes, Ramona High School
Honorable Mention – Rafael Guzman, Palo Verde High School
Honorable Mention – Jay Martinez, Hemet High School
Honorable Mention – Briana Velazquez, Temecula Valley High School

Outstanding Bailiff

1st Place – Gold Medal: Brooklynn Batlle, Hemet High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Aubrey Hernandez, Notre Dame High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Damien Milton, Great Oak High School

Outstanding Clerk

1st Place – Gold Medal: Javier Orozco Ceballo, Patriot High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Xavier Felix, Notre Dame High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Emily Tucker, Palm Desert High School

Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney

1st Place – Gold Medal: Kierstyn Cohen*, John W. North High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Gretchen Reyes, Notre Dame High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Jack Dickinson, Great Oak High School
* Winner of Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney

1st Place – Gold Medal: Erika Salcedo*, Murrieta Valley High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Erick Jacobsen, Temecula Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Lorelei Tang, Santiago High School
* Winner of Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

Outstanding Prosecution Witnesses

Witness: Bill Scher

1st Place – Gold Medal: Lucas Maduena, Indio High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Ethan Flores, Patriot High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Taylor Graham, La Quinta High School
Witness: Cleo Shafer

1st Place – Gold Medal: Marco Ramirez, Valley View High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Destiny Casas, Indio High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Fatima Garcia, Patriot High School
Witness: Ari Kouch

1st Place – Gold Medal: Hannah Van Patten, La Quinta High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Eva Prince, Poly High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Jonathan Pereschini, Chaparral High School
Witness: Dylan Mavis

1st Place – Gold Medal: Ashley De Gennaro, Notre Dame High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Connor Sousa, Martin Luther King High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Anna Pham, Murrieta Valley High School

Outstanding Defense Witnesses

Defendant: Jordan Franks

1st Place – Gold Medal: Marco Ramirez, Valley View High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Elizabeth Ayers, Heritage High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Ashley Reyes Balcorta, Temecula Valley High School
Witness: Jade Marquez

1st Place – Gold Medal: Mackenzie Watkins, Poly High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Katelynn Phan, Valley View High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Daniel Ortega, Great Oak High School
Witness: Karter Lucky

1st Place – Gold Medal: Gavin Stewart, Hemet High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Amy Moreno, Palo Verde High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Bree Savage, Great Oak High School
Witness: Ezra Weintraub

1st Place – Gold Medal: Rafael Guzman, Palo Verde High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Zoe Sullivan Douglass, Chaparral High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Reese Cash, Martin Luther King High School

Outstanding Prosecution Attorneys

Delaney Donahue, Martin Luther King High School
Annabelle Lindwall, Poly High School
Maggie Orelana**, Santiago High School
** Winner of summer internship in District Attorney’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

Outstanding Defense Attorneys

Ashley De Gennaro, Notre Dame High School
Kaylee Magno, Martin Luther King High School
Reyshilyn Villegas***, Valley View High School
*** Winner of summer internship with the Public Defender’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship