Finalists From 4 Schools Face Off in Mock Murder Trial

After months of preparation, finalists from four county high schools faced off in the 16th annual Mock Trial Competition at the Ventura County Hall of Justice on Thursday night.

Students from Oxnard, Channel Islands, Buena and La Reina high schools acted as attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and clerks as they argued a make-believe criminal case in front of real Superior Court judges.

Moments before the fictitious trial, students--dressed in freshly pressed suits--primped, practiced and anxiously awaited their courtroom competition.

“I’m nervous because these are the top four teams in the county,” said Oxnard High School’s Megan Troolines, 16, who portrayed a prosecution attorney. “This is the first time we’ve ever been in the finals.”

Lisa Porter, a government teacher and coach at Channel Islands High School, said she was excited to see two schools from the Oxnard Union School District in the finals.

“It’s a big win for Oxnard,” she said.

Last year Westlake High School took the top title in the county. And in the four preceding years, La Reina High School, an all-girls campus in Thousand Oaks, won the competition.

While the teen lawyers delivered eloquent opening and closing statements, their coaches watched intensely and jotted down notes feverishly.

In this year’s phony case, “People vs. Brunetti,” 19-year-old “Shawn Brunetti” was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Brunetti’s cousin, “Nicky Blanc,” shot and killed a high school classmate, “Jackie Potomski.” But during a crime-scene investigation, a student told police it was Brunetti who actually planned the killing.

Each school was given the same scenario in October, and students spent hundreds of hours preparing their cases and grilling their witnesses. They were coached by actual attorneys, who, some say, are more competitive about the event than the students.

After being sworn in by a pretend bailiff, Erynn Smith, a blond “Brunetti” from La Reina, tried to convince the judge of her innocence.

But an aggressive prosecuting attorney had a different agenda.

“Isn’t it true you brought a gun to school to threaten Jackie Potomski?” Buena High School student Jason Adcock asked.

“No! That’s not true,” Erynn protested.

“Oh. That’s right. You brought it to show your friends?” Jason responded sarcastically, but was cut off with an objection from the other team.

Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren, one of the chief organizers of the competition, interrupted the trial at one point to compliment the students on their hard work.

“It’s daunting to me that these young people can answer questions that are tough for lawyers to answer,” Perren said. “This is not easy stuff, and it’s rather impressive. Next witness, please.”

During the competition, two courtrooms were packed with parents, teachers and students, some doing homework during the proceedings. Glenn Wilson came to watch his daughter Katie, a Buena High student and witness for the prosecution. He said the mock trial competition gives the students a chance to practice their speaking skills.

“It’s great preparation for real-life situations, whether they want to be attorneys or not,” he said.

In fact, many of the students decide to pursue careers in the law after participating in the mock trial competition. And all learn something about the legal system.

“I can explain what ‘hearsay’ is, and it feels really cool to know that I have a knowledge of the law,” Erynn said.

Jason from Buena High took to his role as a prosecutor. “I’m 18 years old and getting to play an attorney. Most people don’t get to do that.”

A panel of working lawyers volunteered their time to judge the competition, scoring students on their persuasive speaking and technical courtroom skills. Judges determined guilt or innocence, but the verdicts did not affect the results of the competition. The results of the four trials--with each school serving once on defense, and once as the prosecution--did not come until late Thursday.

“I wish we didn’t have to even render a verdict,” Superior Court Judge Melinda A. Johnson said after declaring Channel Island’s defendant not guilty on murder and conspiracy charges. “The sense of accomplishment and ability to think on your feet is great.”

The four finalists beat teams from 12 schools during rounds over two previous nights. And the top-scoring team from Thursday’s competition will represent Ventura County at the statewide finals in Riverside on March 26-28.