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/construction-start-new-modesto-courthouse Construction to Start on New Modesto CourthouseCorren, Blaine Thu, 10/21/2021 - 17:09 News Release MODESTO—The state judicial branch can officially move forward with construction of a new downtown Modesto courthouse that promises to improve court services for the residents of Stanislaus County. The state Department of Finance last week approved the request for the construction contract award, giving the green light to start building. The Judicial Council expects to finalize the contract next month, start construction in mid-November, and complete the building by fall 2024. "We are excited that Stanislaus County will finally have a courthouse worthy of the court's mission,” said Presiding Judge Robert Westbrook. “The new building will reflect the dignity and seriousness of our task—to administer justice for all who enter its doors.” New Courthouse Will Improve Safety, Security, Customer Service The new courthouse will centralizing operations and consolidate services now offered in seven separate court facilities located in and around the Modesto area. The new building will improve security by providing enhanced entrance screening and separate hallways for the public, staff, and in-custody defendants. The new courthouse will also enable the court to provide basic services currently not possible due to space restrictions, such as a self-help center, a children's waiting area, and rooms for family court mediation and attorney/client interviews. The new courthouse will also reduce overcrowding by enlarging public lobby and service counters, as well as jury assembly and deliberation rooms. New Courthouse Location The courthouse will encompass an entire city block bounded by G and H Streets and 9th and 10th Streets in downtown Modesto. The site also includes a portion of the block bounded by H and I Streets and 9th and 10th Streets for parking. Architectural/Engineering Firm: Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLPConstruction Management Agency: Kitchell CEMConstruction Manager at Risk: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. For more information, visit the California court’s website: www.courts.ca.gov/facilities-stanislaus.htm Statewide Courthouse Construction ProgramSince the state judicial branch took over responsibility for courthouses in 2002, the branch’s court construction program has completed 31 new courthouse projects so far and another eight projects are in various stages. More information and photos of the state judicial branch’s completed new courthouse projects: www.flickr.com/photos/californiacourts/albums/72157687310758191