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/constitution-month-2024 Constitution Month 2024Karen.Datangel Tue, 10/08/2024 - 14:35 Feature September marked the third consecutive year the Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative (POD) made Constitution Day a month-long celebration in the state of California. Initially launched to keep courts connected remotely with schools during the pandemic, the tradition remains to inspire a range of activities. This September, courts received 367 requests for the school year from K-12 educators in 24 counties. This number far exceeds the number of requests for the 2023-2024 school year. "Chief Justice Guerrero asked the Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative to introduce outreach to courts in smaller counties, or with no prior connection to local schools," commented Associate Justice Judith McConnell who leads the POD initiative. "I'm thrilled to see courts come forward and committing to visits to schools because they recognize how important it is. And the judges and students alike are rewarded." Monterey County had its first-ever Judges in the Classroom visit, joining San Benito, Glenn, Humboldt, and Lake Counties as the newest counties to join the Judges in the Classroom program. This year's Constitution Month celebration also included visits to two 2024 Civic Learning Award recipient schools, with one Award of Excellence school receiving a visit from Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero.  On September 6, Judge Julia Alloggiamento, the Vice Lead of the Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative, was awarded the California Judges' Association Judicial Outreach Award for her dedication to bridging the gap between the judiciary and community. The award is presented to an outstanding judicial officer only every three years. Here is a look at some other outreach engagements that took place throughout the state: Santa Clara County The Santa Clara Superior Court had the highest number of Judges in the Classroom visits during Constitution Month with more than 60 visits to fifth grade classrooms, engaging 3,286 students across the county. September 17 marks Constitution Day, celebrating the signing of the document that forms the foundation of our democracy. This month members of the Court will visit 60 5th-grade classrooms, engaging 3,286 students in interactive lessons on the U.S. Constitution! pic.twitter.com/VpuPTZPKAO — Santa Clara County Superior Court (@SCSCourt) September 17, 2024 On September 24, the court presented the Civic Learning Award of Distinction to Ida Jew Academy and Valle Vista Elementary (IJAVVE). The award ceremony kicked off with Judge Evette Pennypacker delivering a lesson to fifth graders on the Constitution and the government. The lesson was followed by remarks from school principal Dr. Anthony Alvarado on the importance of civic education, remarks by faculty member Ms. Friend on school culture, and remarks by the student body president and vice president. The event also featured a presentation of IJAVVE’s student leadership initiatives, including their Weekly Morning Announcements, Buddy Classes, Lower-Grade Games, and the Ruby Bridges Day event. Orange County Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez accompanied Chief Justice Guerrero and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond to present the  2024 Civic Learning Award of Excellence school visits to John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma. The event highlighted Kennedy High’s efforts to prepare students for active citizenship through voter registration drives, mock trials, soapbox speeches and debates, as well as Anaheim Union school district's role in promoting the State Seal of Civic Engagement. Watch a video from the visit to Kennedy High: Mendocino County After visiting the Mendocino County Courthouse in Ukiah, Chief Justice Guerrero and State Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) met with 15 fifth grade students in Ukiah schools to talk about the U.S. Constitution and how the three branches of government interact. “Since September is Constitution Month in California, this forum provided a perfect opportunity for the Chief Justice and Senator to answer students’ questions and hear about what they are learning," said Kim Turner, Court Executive Officer for the Mendocino Superior Court, to The Ukiah Daily Journal. El Dorado County The Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District held a special oral argument session at Union Mine High School on September 24. More than 200 students from four high schools in the county attended. Attendees heard two cases and had the opportunity to ask the justices questions at the end of the session. Justices also spoke with students about their career paths. Since 2000, the Third Appellate District has held oral argument sessions in 30 high schools and two law schools in 20 counties of its district. Monterey County From September 16-26, judges, commissioners, and temporary judges from the county visited with fifth grade students in nine local elementary schools. The judicial officers provided constitutional law presentations followed by dialogues to highlight the important rights and obligations of all American citizens. San Benito County San Benito County Presiding Judge Omar Rodriguez delivered lessons in a few local elementary school classrooms. Presiding Judge Rodriguez shared more about his positive experience volunteering with Judges in the Classroom: One parent recently told me that my story of growing up in this small town and becoming a judge here has made her kids look at their community differently and believe that they too can find opportunities here.  Learn more about Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative (POD). https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/court-outreach-programs-make-comeback Court Outreach Programs Make a Comeback Soltysik, Penne Tue, 09/19/2023 - 17:15 Feature Many judges feel a sense of duty to serve their community. In California, when a judge is sworn in, they are reminded of Standard 10.5 of the Standards of Judicial Administration: “Judicial participation in community outreach activities should be considered an official judicial function to promote public understanding of and confidence in the administration of justice.” That standard was adopted in 1999. Since then, courts at all levels have developed or expanded educational programs aimed to spark student interest in civic learning, and understanding of government. From mock trials to courthouse tours, these outreach programs not only connect the court with their community, but they also provide support for teachers who are eager to integrate civics lessons into their classrooms. Organizing the judicial branch around Standard 10.5 came with the launch of the Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative (POD), founded in 2013 by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye. Since then, the judicial branch has evaluated obstacles to accessing civics education, resulting in the evolution and fine-tuning of court-based programs bringing civics to every California K-12 student. In 2023, the Power of Democracy initiative was adopted by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, who was confirmed in January. Since serving as a judge of the San Diego County Superior Court, Chief Justice Guerrero has been a proponent of outreach. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero visits students in Los Angeles remotely as an appellate court justice. “We must provide young people opportunities to learn about the democratic process, be an active participant in their communities, and share their voices based on their unique experiences,” said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. With the launch of Judges in the Classroom program just before the pandemic, judges had access to grab and go lessons in multiple languages. After March 2020, teachers showed up in large numbers looking for support for their remote classrooms, finding ways to bring a judge to their history, social studies, and even their language studies classrooms. “The pandemic moved the courts online, so our outreach programs followed,” said Justice Judith McConnell, chair of the Power of Democracy’s advisory body. “Schools pivoted to remote learning, and the number of requests received from teachers was almost overwhelming. But it affirmed that we were on the right path in developing this program."  For the first two years of the pandemic, judges visited more than 250 to classrooms remotely. For the 2023-2024 school year, in counties with Community Outreach offices like Santa Clara and San Diego Counties, teachers are lining up for the opportunity to host a judge in their K-12 classrooms. Those counties collectively received more than 140 requests from teachers seeking in-person Judges in the Classroom visits just for September, a month dedicated to celebrating Constitution Month. In Orange County, students in 12 classrooms scheduled to receive visits from judges during Constitution Month will be learning about the three branches of government for the first time. Orange County Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez recently formalized the court’s commitment to outreach by establishing the Orange County Superior Court’s Community Engagement Committee, a body she will lead with Assistant Presiding Judge Cheri Pham. “As a result of the incredible collaboration and partnership with our legal community, our judges act as leaders in the community and provide invaluable service to the citizens and residents of the county,” she wrote in Orange County Lawyer. In the coming year, partners leading the Power of Democracy initiative will look for ways to connect with hard to reach learners, especially those in ESL classrooms and in remote communities. The Power of Democracy aims to help every court and every school find connections for the youth in their communities. To learn more, visit powerofdemocracy.org