Murrieta Mock Trial Team Advances In Competition, Earn Awards: 2025

MURRIETA, CA — A Murrieta mock trial team is among the eight teams still standing in the 43rd annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition. Still, more students were honored and awarded at the Mock Trial Competition Awards Ceremony on Saturday.

Murrieta Valley High School was slated to take part in the round of eight battle to compete against Great Oak High School toward the semifinal round of the contest, held at Riverside Hall of Justice on Thursday, February 13. The 2025 champion will be named after the final round on Tuesday, February 18, also at the Riverside County historic courthouse.

During Tuesday's quarterfinal event, mock trial teams were matched against each other: Murrieta Valley High School vs. Great Oak High School, Temecula Valley High School vs. Martin Luther King High School, Polytechnic High School vs. Santiago High School and Valley View High School vs. Notre Dame High School.

The winning teams will move on to the semifinal round on Thursday at the Riverside courthouse. The final round is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 18, also in Riverside.

The meets generally are not open to the public, except by special permission of the Superior Court or Office of Education.

Over a dozen students were honored Saturday for their top performances with blue ribbons and prestigious internships in local legal organizations.

2025 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition BLUE RIBBON AWARD RECIPIENTS

Outstanding Courtroom Artist

1st Place – Gold Medal: Joni Huang, Murrieta Valley High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Mika Walters, Chaparral High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Gabriella Jablonski, Notre Dame High School

Outstanding Courtroom Journalist
1st Place – Gold Medal: Dylan Artiaga, Chaparral High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Norah Rose Sachs, John W. North High School

Outstanding Bailiff
1st Place – Gold Medal: Sarai Gonzalez, San Jacinto High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Jonathan Medrano, Notre Dame High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Diego Coronado, Centennial High School

Outstanding Clerk
1st Place – Gold Medal: Quinten Crane, Chaparral High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Katherine Marker, Paloma Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Josiah de Jesus, John W. North High School

Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney
1st Place – Gold Medal: Renee Dunn, Santiago High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Isadora Alfonso Humeres, Temecula Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Grace Mankin, Notre Dame High School

Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney
1st Place – Gold Medal: Adrian Reyes, Notre Dame High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Jayden Najera, Vista Del Lago High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Claire Todd, Murrieta Valley High School

Outstanding Prosecution Witnesses
Witness: Deputy Riley Kim
1st Place – Gold Medal: Christopher Persechini, Chaparral High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Dahlia Perez, Paloma Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Corrie Ulovec, Murrieta Valley High School

Witness: Taylor Alexander
1st Place – Gold Medal: Caitlyn Cohen, John W. North High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Claire Hillebrand, Paloma Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Valentina Johnson, Chaparral High School

Witness: Dr. Rae Forrest
1st Place – Gold Medal: Angel Navarette, La Quinta High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Bethel Able, Chaparral High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Nabil Yacoub, Centennial High School

Witness: Ali Sandoval
1st Place – Gold Medal: Penelope Ibarra, Chaparral High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Oscar Reyes, Paloma Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Greyson Stoyanowski, Santiago High School

Outstanding Defense Witnesses
Defendant: Logan Gold
1st Place – Gold Medal: Madison Mendoza, Notre Dame High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Alejandra Montemayor, Paloma Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Andrew Garcia, Vista Del Lago High School

Witness: Harper Dorais
1st Place – Gold Medal: Coral Thorton, Vista del Lago High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Grace Ortiz, Temecula Valley High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Xavier Felix, Notre Dame High School

Witness: Dr. Kody Palmer
1st Place – Gold Medal: Minh Lai, Notre Dame High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Alia Duckworth, Martin Luther King High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Avarie LaMothe, Heritage High School

Witness: C.J. Costly
1st Place – Gold Medal: Evie Ruvalcaba, Martin Luther King High School
2nd Place – Silver Medal: Nicole Munoz, San Jacinto High School
3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Batool Asari, John W. North High School

Outstanding Prosecution Attorneys
Rahm Braslaw**, John W. North High School
Kayla Hancock, San Jacinto High School
Melissa Chai, Chaparral High School
** Winner of summer internship in District Attorney’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

Outstanding Defense Attorneys
Kayla Copeland***, Santa Rosa Academy
Emily Weldon, Chaparral High School
Julie Morton, Temecula Valley High School
*** Winner of summer internship with the Public Defender’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship

The contest, which regularly draws about 400 students for the initial rounds, returned to in-person activities instead of virtual ones in 2023 after the public school system rescinded COVID-driven restrictions on gatherings that were in place during the 2021 and 2022 events. The 2020 competition was held prior to the school closures.

The Office of Education, in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Riverside County Bar Association and the Superior Court, sponsor the competitions annually. The county began holding student-level mock trials in 1983. More than 14,000 youths have participated since then, organizers said.

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez congratulated the "Elite Eight" quarter finalists.

"Congratulations to the top eight teams advancing to the remaining rounds of competition in our county courtrooms."

This year's contest has challenged participants to successfully argue the fictitious case of People v. Gold, involving an alleged kidnapping amid a heated local political race in the make-believe community of Emerald Bend, California.

In the trial, the defendant, Logan Gold, is accused of abducting his wife's rival candidate in a city council election to prevent the victim from appearing for a scheduled debate. Students have been tasked with analyzing forensic evidence, admissibility of statements, possible due process infringements and other matters during the trials.

Teams consisting of eight to 25 students play the parts of deputy district attorneys, defense attorneys, bailiffs, witnesses, clerks and investigators. Contestants are given an allotted time, generally four to six minutes, at each stage of a proceeding, including opening and closing statements and cross-examinations. Practicing attorneys and judges assess students' performance, awarding points in accordance with criteria established for the contest.

"Mock trial has a rich history in Riverside County with ... current legal professionals, who credit their experience in mock trial with instilling a passion for the law at an early age," Gomez said.

Students from public and private high schools may take part.

The 2025 championship team will represent the county in the California Mock Trial Competition, tentatively scheduled for March 14-16 in Los Angeles.

Poly High won the county's 2024 contest -- the 20th championship title for the school.