After a closely contested final round, Dos Pueblos High School emerged victorious in the 42nd annual Santa Barbara County Mock Trial competition on March 1, defeating San Marcos High School.

Dos Pueblos High’s B team came in third, and fourth place went to Santa Barbara High School.

With this win, Dos Pueblos will represent Santa Barbara County at the Mock Trial State Finals in Los Angeles, March 14-16.

“The entire DP community is bursting with pride. This win is a testament to the incredible dedication of our students and coaches,” said Dos Pueblos High Principal Bill Woodard, a former Mock Trial coach.

“And hats off to San Marcos; our rivalry is the fiercest and most inspiring in Santa Barbara County,” he said. “The mutual respect and relentless pursuit of excellence between our programs should make us all proud/.

The Mock Trial program in the county is managed and orchestrated by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO), led by county Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido, and Associate Superintendent Ellen Barger.

SBCEO co-sponsors the two-weekend event with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court and assistance from Teach Democracy.

During the Mock Trial competition, students hone analytical and communication skills as they portray the principal characters of a courtroom trial, including the defendant, legal counsel, witnesses, court clerks and bailiffs.

This year, eight Santa Barbara County high schools participated: Carpinteria, Bishop Diego, Dos Pueblos, Laguna Blanca, Lompoc and Cabrillo high schools, San Marcos, and Santa Barbara.

Dozens of local attorneys, including representatives from the District Attorney and Public Defender offices, volunteered to serve as scorers of student prosecution and defense teams in the fictional kidnapping case of People v. Gold.

Earlier in the school year, students and their coaches received the rules and details of the fictional case, including witness statements, evidence, applicable case law, and a summary of allowable objections.

Teams then spent months developing their arguments, refining their strategies, and practicing courtroom procedures to prepare for the competition. 

“A well-earned congratulations to Dos Pueblos for this excellent achievement,” said Salcido. “These students demonstrated agility, precision and grit in an intense courtroom environment.

“We are so proud of all the participating students for their hard work and dedication and wish Dos Pueblos success in the state competition.”

“To see all four finalist teams in our county-wide mock trial competition hail from Santa Barbara Unified is a testament to our excellent students, the expertise and dedication of their teacher coaches, and the unwavering support of our community,” said Hilda Maldonado, Santa Barbara Unified School District superintendent.”

The winning team, Dos Pueblos High’s Team A, includes students Luna Avolio, Jake Betancourt, Stanley Chen, Alexis Demboski, Ethan Gardiner, Mika Glasgow, Leon Guo, Maksim Ivanov, Amirsam Jabbari, Sofia Elena Lara, Ariel Li, Kaitlyn Marden, Mitchell Maskrey, Sophia Merritt, Riley Minne, William Parisse, Milena Rodriguez, Amel Sakr, Sienna Valentine, and Jonathan Yang.

The team is supported by attorney/coaches Lisa Rothstein, Christine Voss, and Lina Somait, and teachers Hannah Krieshok and Rollie Woodward. 

For a full list of all participating teams and other details, review a digital copy of this year’s program HERE.

Judge Brian Hill, who presided over one of the final rounds and announced the winners, acknowledged the tremendous amount of time, dedication, and energy to hold such a competition. 

“The Education Office has worked closely with the courts, schools, teachers, and the local bar to create a mock trial culture that is uniquely committed to creating a fantastic learning experience,” Hill said.

“After each round, I am always struck by how many of the participating students have career ambitions and interests unrelated to the law — they are simply students whose appetite to learn and expand their horizons has been instilled in them by parents and teachers,” he said.