Powerhouse Centennial High Mock Trial Team Claims Victory Once Again

High School teams from across Kern County went head-to-head in the courtroom today for the 43rd Annual Kern County Mock Trial Competition. Students have spent months preparing for this highly anticipated event, showcasing their talents in legal argumentation, public speaking, and critical thinking. In the end, the powerhouse team from Centennial High School claimed victory again, its sixth year in a row and ten out of the past eleven years. Centennial earned a spot to move on to the California tournament in March.

This year’s case, People v. Gold, revolves around the trial of Logan Gold, the assistant campaign manager and spouse of city council candidate Harper Dorais in the fictional town of Emerald Bend, California. Gold, also the town’s sole hotel owner, faces charges of kidnapping a rival candidate, Taylor Alexander.

Under the expert guidance of volunteer attorneys and teachers, students take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, victim, defendant and court officials. Since December, they’ve competed in four trial rounds, culminating in this Saturday’s event at the Kern County Superior Court.

Centennial will go on to represent Kern County at the state competition in March. Judges and attorneys dedicated more than 150 volunteer hours as presiding and scoring judges, outlining their commitment to this program and the students involved.

The Kern County Mock Trial program is made possible through support from the Harry and Ethel West Foundation and sponsorship from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, the Kern County Bar Association, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, and the Superior Courts of Kern County.

Rounding out the top 5 teams were:

Second — Ridgeview High School
Third — Stockdale High School
Fourth — Liberty High School
Fifth — Garces Memorial High School

This year’s Honor Court awards celebrated two exceptional members from each team for their outstanding contributions. From over 400 participants, the following students were recognized: