https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-high-school-students-compete-become-2025-state-mock-trial-championship-team California High School Students Compete to Become 2025 State Mock Trial Championship TeamKaren.Datangel Tue, 03/11/2025 - 16:51 Feature Update (Mar. 17, 2025): Trinity Pacific Christian School in Ventura County will once again represent the state of California as the winner of the statewide finals and will advance to the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Phoenix, Arizona from May 7-10. See results here. Thousands of students all over the state have donned their best suits and public speaking skills as they acted out various roles in the courtroom. Now it’s time to see who takes top honors.  After weeks of competition, students from 32 California counties gear up for this year's finals of the California Mock Trial Competition, which takes place in Los Angeles from March 14-16.  Participants will argue the fictitious kidnapping case People v. Gold. The defendant Logan Gold has been charged with the kidnapping of Taylor Alexander, who is a rival candidate to Gold’s spouse Harper Dorais in a city council race in the rural mountain town of Emerald Bend, California. Gold is the assistant campaign manager to their spouse and is also the sole hotel owner in town. The prosecution argues that Gold had political and financial motives for abducting Alexander. The defense argues that Gold was without a cell phone and GPS tracking the day Alexander was abducted, which was the day of the city council candidate debate. The pretrial issue centers on a defense motion to exclude a potentially incriminating statement made by Gold while in police custody.  Teach Democracy (formerly known as the Constitutional Rights Foundation) created the California Mock Trial Program in 1980. The statewide program stemmed from a successful model in Los Angeles County and helps students acquire a working knowledge of the judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.  In addition to the mock trials themselves, counties award individual honors to students in courtroom artist and journalist contests.  Check out some highlights from different county competitions in our interactive map below (If you are unable to view the map below, click here). If you wish for your county to be included, contact courtnews@jud.ca.gov with information, photos, and links. California high schools have placed in first or second place four times in the National Mock Trial Competition since 1984. Year School County Place 1989 John Marshall High School Los Angeles 2nd 1994 Arlington High School Riverside 1st 2005 Tamalpais High School Marin 1st 2013 La Reina High School Ventura 2nd https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-chief-justice-helps-dedicate-new-imperial-county-courthouse-el-centro California Chief Justice Helps Dedicate New Imperial County Courthouse in El CentroCorren, Blaine Mon, 12/18/2023 - 15:42 News Release El Centro, Calif.—California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero joined judges, staff, and members of the Imperial County community on Monday to officially commemorate the completion of the new El Centro Courthouse. The courthouse dedication, the first during Chief Justice Guerrero's tenure, held even more significance for the Chief Justice, who was born and raised in the area. "I was shaped by and benefited from all my experiences here and will always be grateful for my teachers, my family, and my lifelong friends who are still part of this wonderful community," Chief Justice Guerrero said. "And so I am humbled and honored to return as California’s Chief Justice, to serve the people of California and to help usher in this new courthouse—a new symbol of justice for the residents of Imperial County." The ceremony also included remarks by the Judicial Council's incoming Administrative Director Shelley Curran, and Imperial County Presiding Judge William D. Quan and Assistant Presiding Judge Marco D. Núñez.  Since the state judicial branch took over responsibility for courthouses in 2002, the judicial branch construction program has completed 34 new courthouse projects and another 19 projects are underway and in various stages. The New El Centro Courthouse will officially open to the public on Jan. 2, 2024. The facility consolidates court services from two other facilities, bringing greater access and efficiency for court users in the area. The new courthouse also provides modern spaces for jury assembly and deliberation, in-custody holding, attorney interview/witness waiting rooms, and a children's waiting room. For more information, visit the California court’s website at www.courts.ca.gov/facilities-imperial.htm. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/document/fact-sheet-new-imperial-county-courthouse-el-centro Fact Sheet - New Imperial County Courthouse, El CentroBalassone, Merrill Mon, 12/11/2023 - 15:41 Emergency Order Tags Imperial