The eight high school teams that will advance to the semifinals of the Ventura County Mock Trial were announced today by the Ventura County Office of Education. The semifinalists received the eight highest scores of the 33 teams participating in this year’s Mock Trial. Listed in order of their scores, the final eight teams are:
1. Santa Susana
2. Newbury Park - Gold
3. Westlake
4. La Reina
5. Grace Brethren
6. Trinity Pacific - Kappa
7. Trinity Pacific - Omega
8. Agoura
The public is invited to watch the semifinals tonight, February 25, at 5:30 pm at the Hall of Justice at 800 South Victoria Ave. in Ventura. The final four teams will face off Thursday evening at 5:30 pm at the Hall of Justice. The winning team will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, March 2 at 6:00 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center at 800 Hobson Way. All events are open to the public.
About Ventura County Mock Trial
Ventura County Mock Trial gives local students a firsthand look at the criminal justice system by having them portray the principals in a cast of courtroom characters. The roles played by the students include attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs, court clerks and sketch artists. Student teams study the hypothetical case, conduct legal research, receive guidance from volunteer attorneys in courtroom procedure and trial preparation, and present their case before volunteer judges. Close to 500 Ventura County students in grades nine through 12 participate. More than 150 local attorneys volunteer their time to score the competition. The winning Ventura County team will advance to the state mock trial to compete against their peers from across California.
The Ventura County Office of Education and the Ventura County Superior Court host the event with support from the Constitutional Rights Foundation.
Additional information about Ventura County Mock Trial is available at: http://www.vcoe.org/Default.aspx?tabid=685
About the Ventura County Office of Education
The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org
