Countywide : La Reina High Wins Mock Trial Contest
For the second year in a row, La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks has taken first place in the countywide mock trial competition.
The 20-member team from La Reina, a Roman Catholic girls’ school with 350 secondary students, beat out teams from three much larger public high schools: Thousand Oaks, which came in second; Simi Valley, which took third place,and Santa Paula Union, which was fourth.
Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Don Glynn, who coached the La Reina team, said the girls had practiced nearly five hours a week since October.
County Schools Supt. James F. Cowan, whose office co-sponsored the event, presented trophies to the four finalists after the competition ended Thursday night at the Hall of Justice in Ventura.
Fourteen teams entered the contest, which is aimed at showing students how the criminal justice system works and teaching them to think critically.
Eileen DeBruno, La Reina’s faculty adviser, said the team will compete in statewide competition in Sacramento in April.
Last year, La Reina finished ninth in the state.
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