SANTA ANA : Mock Trial Victors Head to State Finals

The questions were probing, the judge was stern, and the mood in the courtroom was solemn, even though some of the “lawyers” were not of legal age.

The scene was the 15th annual mock trial competition sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County. Teams from Fountain Valley and Loara high schools faced off in the finals, winners from a field of 48 participating schools.

The cases were hypothetical, but the issues were real. In People vs. Caufield, an alleged carjacking, the students debated the issue of the state’s “three-strikes” law. The ballot initiative, passed in 1994, requires that those convicted of three serious felonies be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

At issue in People vs. Caufield was whether a juvenile conviction can count as a strike. Students from Fountain Valley, representing the prosecution, argued that the juvenile conviction--for attempting to steal a goat as part of a high school prank--should count against the defendant.

“It’ll teach you to try a high school prank,” mock trial coordinator Erin Stone admonished. “You could go to jail for life.”

The defense team, composed of students from Loara High in Anaheim, argued that juvenile cases should not count because they may not be put before juries.

U.S. District Judge Gary L. Taylor, who presided over the case, let the juvenile conviction stand, though the defendant--in this case, a woman--eventually was acquitted in the carjacking case.

“I think a lot of the schools use girls for that reason,” Stone said. “You can’t picture them committing the crime.”

But in a twist, Taylor and six other local judges and commissioners on a panel decided that Fountain Valley High had been the most innovative team, including an attempt to identify the accused through her voice.

As the winner, Fountain Valley will compete in the state finals in Sacramento in March. The winner there will qualify for the national championships in Pittsburgh in May.

Stone said she could not reveal the actual vote that put Fountain Valley over the top because it might inflame passions.

“You have to be very careful,” Stone said. “The students get very competitive.”