The verdict is in. After three days of competition against some of the top programs in the country, Dos Pueblos High School’s Mock Trial team was declared champion of the Empire Philadelphia Constitutional Classic championship.

The Dos Pueblos High Mock Trial Team members pose for a photo with their trophy. (Courtesy phto)
The recent win marks the Chargers’ third Empire Philadelphia Constitutional Classic title. (Courtesy photo)

In the recent championship round, the Dos Pueblos prosecution team defeated fellow California public school Lynbrook from San Jose to earn the title.

This is the first time the Empire Organization has held the tournament in Philadelphia. The three-day tournament brought together 36 of the top mock trial programs in the U.S. and included teams from Canada and South Korea.

U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit Judge L. Felipe Restrepo presided over the championship round at the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse.

The Chargers were victorious in the hard-fought final round, winning four of seven ballots and tying one.

This is the Chargers’ third Empire title, after winning the Empire World Championship in 2015, and the Empire Spring League Championship in 2023.

The Chargers have also won 11 of the last 14 Santa Barbara County championships and have finished in the top 10 at the last three state championships.

“It was a close round, but the faith we’ve developed in each other the past few months made the difference,” said team captain Jonathan Yang. “I’m incredibly proud to have captained and won a world championship with some of my best friends.

“Huge shoutout to everyone who supported, funded, and believed in us. It wouldn’t have been possible without y’all.”

After receiving the case packet in June, the Chargers and their coaches worked all summer to develop their case theory, prepare and refine their arguments, and hone their witnesses in the fictitious case of the State of Empirion v. Michelin Klein. 

“We coaches are incredibly proud of this group, who dedicated much of their summer to this effort,” said attorney coach Lisa Rothstein.

“The win was especially exciting because DP Mock Trial graduated six accomplished mock trialers in June, so this is very much a new team,” Rothstein said. “We are excited to dig into the regular season case.”

“DP mock is delighted with our result at the Empire competition,” said Sofia Elena Lara, captain. “We’d like to thank our coaches, parents and chaperones who made this adventure possible. Mr. Woodard, you owe us a courtroom now.”

The varsity mock trial team is made up of team captains Lara, William Parisse and Jonathan Yang, along with team members Alexis Demboski, Amirsam Jabbari, Ariel Li, David Beck, Ethan Gardiner, Luna Avolio, Milena Rodriguez, Mitchell Maskrey, Riley Minne, and Sophia Merritt.

“I am so proud of the DP Mock Trial Team. Every year, they find new ways to excel and dream bigger. I look forward to seeing how they use the life-long skills gained in this program both in the classroom and after graduation,” said Hilda Maldonado, schools superintendent.

The team is coached by teacher advisor Hannah Krieshok and attorney coaches Christine Voss, Lisa Rothstein, and Lina Somait.

DP Mock Trial alums Cindy Diaz, Maxfield Steele, Edo Barel, and Jacob Molina also pitched in to help coach.