School Takes Riverside County Championship

RIVERSIDE>> The verdict is in, and Poly High School from Riverside Unified School District has been named the overall champion at the 34th Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition after defeating Great Oak High School from Temecula Valley Unified School District in the finals on Saturday, March 4 at the Riverside Historic Courthouse. In the semifinal round, Poly High School defeated King High School, and Great Oak High School defeated Murrieta Valley High School. King and Murrieta Valley finished in a tie for third place. Competing in the final matchup as the prosecution, the victory by Poly High School represents their 17th Riverside County Mock Trial championship in the 34 years the competition has been held locally. The Poly High School squad will represent Riverside County at the California State Mock Trial competition to be held March 24-26 in Riverside. Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges and scored by real 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. This year, student competitors argued the fictional case of People v. Awbrey. The trial focused on Cameron Awbrey, a restaurant owner, who was charged with human trafficking and false imprisonment of Lin Stark, an immigrant from the country of Tanterra. The Riverside County Mock Trial is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Riverside Superior Courts, in cooperation with the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Since 1983, more than 13,000 Riverside County students have participated in the mock trial.