RIVERSIDE – After six rounds of competition, student legal teams from Poly High School and Notre Dame High School have advanced to the final round of the 43rd Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition to be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Riverside Historic Courthouse (4050 Main Street, Riverside).
In the semifinal rounds held on Thursday, February 13, Poly defeated Temecula Valley High School and Notre Dame defeated Murrieta Valley High School. In the final round, Poly will fill the role of the prosecution while Notre Dame will represent the defense.
“Students from both schools have proven their legal expertise and would serve as great representatives for Riverside County at the state competition next month,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez.
The winner of the Riverside County Mock Trial will represent the region at the California Mock Trial Competition March 14-16 in Los Angeles. The state winner will advance to the National Mock Trial that will be held May 7-10 in Phoenix, Arizona.
In the 2024 Riverside County Mock Trial finals, Poly High School defeated Notre Dame High School to secure the championship for the twentieth time in school history. Third place was shared by Martin Luther King High School and Chaparral High School.
Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges, while being scored by practicing attorneys. The competition is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in public and private high schools in Riverside County. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and more.
Attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across Riverside County are among the more than 14,000 students who have participated in Mock Trial now in its 43rd year of competition. The month-long competition is sponsored by Riverside County Superior Courts, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Riverside County Office of Education.
This year’s fictional case materials provide the facts and legal background for this year's trial, People v. Gold. Taylor Alexander accused Logan Gold, husband to the woman competing against Alexander, of kidnapping her. The case centers around using evidence related to ligature marks, a positive drug test, motive, matching tire marks, and incriminating statements from Gold to build a case. However, the defense argues that the prosecutors cannot use Gold’s involuntary statements because they could be considered self-incriminating—a violation of Gold’s Fifth Amendment.
For a complete listing of the schedules and locations for all rounds of the competition, visit the Riverside County Mock Trial web page.
