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Yosemite High School Mock Trial team 2017 - photo courtesy of Kristi Winter

Yosemite High School Wins The Mock Trial

MADERA COUNTY — Yosemite High School won the 2017-2018 Honorable Edward P. Moffat Madera County Mock Trial held on Dec. 5, 6, and 9, beating out Liberty, Madera, and Madera South High Schools.

Yosemite High’s defense and Liberty High School’s prosecution teams competed in the championship round held on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m. Yosemite won the competition and will attend the State Mock Trial on behalf of Madera County.

“All of the teams did a great job, making for a very competitive contest,” said Dr. Cecilia Massetti, Madera County Superintendent of Schools. “Mock Trial allows students to demonstrate their learning in a powerful way.”

Yosemite High School will represent Madera County at the state competition Mar. 16-18, 2018, in Orange County.

Team members include Marianna Adelizi, William Bates, Macy Bazzar, Hope Byars, Jerome Garcellano, Natalie Guynn, Noah Jennings, Linea Leinau, Maya Magdaleno, Sophia McGoldrick, Amber Persson, Izzy Peter, Leslie Ramirez, Jasmine Tanoury, Maddie Washburn, Abigail Williams. The team is coached by Andrew Curtin and Deborah Brown. Local attorney Bernie McGoldrick also coached the team.

Leslie Ramirez, Courtroom Artist – photo courtesy of Kristi Winter

Madera County will be sending a Courtroom Artist to the state competition. Leslie Ramirez from Yosemite High School won the Courtroom Artist competition. She sketched a courtroom scene during Saturday’s trial.

“We are pleased to have a student artist represent Madera County at the state competition,” said Massetti. “We wish all of the students the best of luck during the next round of competition.”

During the fictional case People vs. Davidson, Casey Davidson was tried for murder.

Mock Trial students also discussed the Fourth Amendment during the pretrial argument.

The Mock Trial is a simulation of a criminal court case in which the students act as attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and clerks. Attorneys from throughout the valley scored the students’ performance.

Yosemite High School has competed for all 34 years of competition in Madera and have won 27 times.

Each team was coached by attorneys as well as teachers in preparation for the trial. The Liberty team was coached by teacher Phil Brundage and Bethany Samarin and attorneys Dan Martin and Rachel Cartier; the Madera team was coached by teacher Michael Horder and attorneys Sally Moreno and Tracy Wise; Madera South was coached by teacher Rodia Montgomery-Gentry and attorneys Noah Marshall and David Peterson.

Judge Dale Blea, Judge Ernest LiCalsi, Judge Michael Jurkovich, and Judge Charles Wieland presided over the trials. The Mock Trial was held on three separate days and teams participated in four rounds of competition.

The Mock Trial and other student academic events are supported by Madera County Superintendent of Schools and Madera County Schools Foundation through community and business donations and volunteers. Madera County Superior Court co-sponsored the Mock Trial.

California Rights Foundation provided the trial cases.

Yosemite Award Recipients:

Isabella Peter, Outstanding Cleark

Jasmine Tanoury, Outstanding Prosecution Attorney

Amber Persson, Outstanding Prosecution Attorney

Sophia McGoldrick, Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Attorney

Linnea Leinau, Outstanding Bailiff

Abigail Williams, Outstanding Defense Attorney

Amber Persson, Outstanding Defense Pretrial Attorney

Sophia McGoldrick, Outstanding Defense Witness

Jerome Garcellano, Honorable Mention Prosecution Attorney

Mia Adelezzi, Honorable Mention Defense Attorney

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