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California High School’s mock trial team is celebrating a nearly decade-long winning streak at the county level as it prepares for the state finals this weekend, having beat out 19 other schools throughout Contra Costa at last month’s countywide competition.
The latest win and advancement to the finals marks the ninth consecutive victory for the Cal High team as it “continued its Mock Trial legacy,” according to an announcement from the Contra Costa County Office of Education.
“This year, milestones were reached in many ways – whether a team won its first trial, a witness delivered an unforgettable performance, or a student overcame stage fright,” CCCOE Superintendent Lynn Mackey said in an announcement from the agency last month.
“Every victory looks different, but each one matters,” she continued. “These experiences help shape our youth for the future, and they would not be possible without the continued support of the Superior Court, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, and the many judges, coaches, and legal professionals who volunteer their time to the Mock Trial program.”
More than 150 community members consisting of judges, attorneys, and other volunteers participated in the 48 trials held at the A.F. Bray Courthouse in Martinez for a total of 20 teams from across the county, including the Athenian School, San Ramon Valley High School and Monte Vista School in Danville, and Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon.
Of the four other San Ramon Valley teams, Monte Vista was the only one to make it to the quarter finals at the county level on Feb. 10. They were beat out by Cal High, which went on to score victories against Antioch’s Deer Valley High School in the semifinals, then Orinda’s Miramonte High School in the finals.
In addition to the team win, Cal High student Keerthi Eraniyan took home the county’s first-place prize for court journalism.
Eraniyan and the Cal High team are now preparing to represent Contra Costa at the state level competition from Friday (March 20) through Sunday (March 22) at Marriott City Center at 1001 Broadway in Oakland – closer to home than last year’s state competition in Los Angeles.
The competition kicks off with the first round at 5 p.m. Friday, and culminates with the championship trial for the top two teams at 9 a.m. Sunday. More information is available at https://teachdemocracy.org/program-page/mock-trial/.
