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The Contra Costa County Office of Education is looking for Bay Area legal professionals interested in giving back to the future of their field by volunteering as part of the county’s 36th annual high school mock trial program, which begins next month.
Nearly 120 practicing and retired attorney, sworn judges and third-year law students in the Bay Area took part as volunteers in last year’s mock trial program, an educational competition that aims to expose local high schoolers to the ins and outs of litigating a criminal case.
“I encourage all my fellow law professionals to join us in serving as mock trial judges and attorney scorers,” said Contra Costa County Presiding Judge Jill Fannin, who has volunteered with the program for more than 15 years.
“I’m continually impressed with the dedication demonstrated by all the teams that participate in this challenging academic event,” Fannin added. “Every volunteer will tell you that the professionalism and skill these high school students demonstrate in our courtrooms during mock trial, rival those they witnessed earlier in the day with the professionals.”
Coordinated by the county’s education office, the mock trial program allows teams of high school students to work with teachers and volunteer coaches to prepare for litigating a criminal case, from prosecution and defense perspectives.
Students take on the roles of trial attorneys, pretrial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, bailiffs, artists and court journalists. Mock trial judges and attorneys score their performance and provide immediate feedback, according to county officials.
Local high schools participating this year include Danville’s Monte Vista High and San Ramon’s California High.
“The hands-on educational program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society,” county officials said.
This year competition will center on the People v. Awbrey, a case about human trafficking and false imprisonment with pretrial issues involving the Fourth and Fifth amendments, specifically constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure and against self-incrimination, county officials said.
Winning teams advance through seven rounds of competition, with the preliminary rounds beginning Feb. 7 and running also on Feb. 9, 14 and 16 from 5-7:30 p.m. Quarterfinals follow on Feb. 21 and the semifinals are Feb. 23.
The two finalists will square off on Feb. 24, with the winner advancing as Contra Costa County’s representative for the state mock trial in Riverside in March, when they’ll compete for a chance to become the California finalist in the national event May 11-13 in Hartford, Conn.
The Contra Costa mock trial will be headquartered at the A.F. Bray Courthouse, 1020 Ward St., in Martinez.
In addition to Monte Vista and Cal High, teams are also participating from Acalanes (Lafayette), Alhambra (Martinez), Campolindo (Moraga), Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), Concord (Concord), De Anza High (Richmond), Deer Valley Law Academy (Antioch), El Cerrito (El Cerrito), Hercules Middle/High (Hercules), Heritage (Brentwood), Kennedy (Richmond), Las Lomas (Walnut Creek), Miramonte (Orinda), Pinole Valley (Pinole), Richmond (Richmond) and St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo).
For more information on becoming a volunteer, call the county office’s communications specialist, Jonathan Lance, at 942-3429 or visit the county mock trial webpage.
Judge Jill Fannin is one of the most despicable judges in the state of California. Who let her rule the roost at Contra Costa County is anyone’s guess. I don’t want my child learning corruption from a crooked and backwoods would be legal schmuck. I hope silly Jill is removed from the program. If people knew how she misbehaves in the courtroom and conducts backroom deals in the county, they’d rethink her participation.
Judge Jill Fannin is everything that’s wrong with this state and it’s judiciary.