After several days of fierce courtroom competition, and thoughtful deliberations by esteemed judges, the verdicts are in for the 2012 Gordon D. Schaber Mock Trial and Moot Court Program competition. In Sacramento County, Rio Americano High School (Team 1) is the winner of the Mock Trial competition and Bella Vista High School (Team 2) earned top honors in the Moot Court competition.
Elk Grove High School placed second in the Mock Trial competition and C.K. McClatchy High School was the runner-up in the Moot Court competition.
The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), which coordinates the event, announced the winners at the GDS Awards Ceremony on March 5. Rio Americano High (Team 1) will advance to the California Mock Trial competition which will be held in Sacramento, March 23-25. California does not hold a statewide Moot Court competition.
"This is an amazing law-related academic tournament that gives high school students a deeper understanding of the legal system and how our society chooses to resolve many of its disputes," said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools, as he addressed students at the awards ceremony. "Most important, this program provides students with the opportunity to sharpen invaluable life skills, such as critical thinking and effective communication."
Pamela Wu, Director of Marketing and Communications at UC Davis School of Law, served as the awards event emcee. Sacramento County Board of Education Trustees Greg Geeting and Jackie Levy were on hand to congratulate participants and hand out awards.
Teams from 19 Sacramento County high schools, as well as 4 teams from El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties, competed in the 33rd annual event. Volunteers from more than 54 local law firms and other legal organizations served as scoring and presiding judges for the five-day event.
Mock Trail Results
Sacramento County Rankings
- 1st Place: Rio Americano High School (Team 1)
- 2nd Place: Elk Grove High School
- 3rd Place: Country Day School
- 4th Place: Rio Americano High School (Team 2)
- 5th Place: St. Francis High School
- 6th Place: Natomas Pacific Pathways (Team 1)
- 7th Place: Sheldon High School (Team 1)
- 8th Place: Natomas Pacific Pathways (Team 2)
El Dorado County 1st Place: Ponderosa High School
Placer County 1st Place: Oakmont High School Moot Court
Yolo County 1st Place: River City High SchoolSchool Sportsmanship Award: Country Day School
Moot Court Results
1st Place: Bella Vista High School (Team 2)
2nd Place: C.K. McClatchy High School
3rd Place: Bella Vista High School (Team 1)
4th Place: West Campus High SchoolSchool Sportsmanship Award: C.K. McClatchy High School
The Sacramento County Office of Education would like to thank the sponsors of the 2012 GDS competition. Silver Bar Sponsor was Remy Moose Manley. Advocate Sponsors were Girard Edwards & Hance, Olson Hagel & Fishburn, Porter Scott, Segal & Kirby, and Soluri Meserve.
The Mock Trial competition simulates a trial-level proceeding in which students portray the roles of pre-trial counsel, prosecuting and defense attorneys, witnesses, court clerks, bailiffs, and jurors before a single presiding judge and two scoring judges. It includes courtroom art and courtroom journalism competitions. The county Mock Trial winner advances to a statewide competition.
The Moot Court competition is an appellate-level proceeding in which students prepare and argue a case before a panel of three judges that evaluates participants on the quality and persuasiveness of their legal reasoning and presentation, as well as their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench.
The California Mock Trial Competition is sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF), a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to educating America's young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society.