RIVERSIDE – Celebrity “swatting” hoaxes aimed at fraudulently claiming the need for emergency services are the basis for the fictional court trial that 24 local high school teams will adjudicate at the 37th Annual Riverside County Mock Trial starting on February 6, in Indio, Murrieta, and Riverside.
Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges, and scored by practicing attorneys. The competition is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in public and private high schools in Riverside County. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and more.
Attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across Riverside County are among the 14,000 students who have participated in Mock Trial now in its 37th year of competition. The month-long competition is sponsored by Riverside County Superior Courts, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Riverside County Office of Education.
The fictional case materials provide the facts and legal background for this year’s trial, People v. Klein. People v. Klein is the trial of Reagan Klein, a young adult resident of the fictional town of East Flamingo, California. Reagan is charged with two felony counts: making a false report of an emergency (in this case, commonly referred to as “swatting”) and making a criminal threat.
The opening rounds will take place on Wednesday, February 6, in three locations across Riverside County (first team listed is prosecution, second team is defense):
Desert – Larson Justice Center, 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio
- Coachella Valley HS vs. Indio HS
- Xavier College Preparatory vs. Palm Valley School
- Palm Desert HS vs. Ramona HS
Riverside – Robert Presley Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street, Riverside
- John W. North HS vs. Santiago HS
- Martin Luther King HS vs. Patriot HS
- Notre Dame HS vs. Arlington HS
- Poly HS vs. Valley View HS
Southwest – Southwest Justice Center, 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta
- Paloma Valley HS vs. Temecula Valley HS
- Tahquitz HS* vs. Temecula Preparatory
- Hemet HS vs. San Jacinto HS
- Chaparral HS vs. Great Oak HS
- Heritage HS vs. Murrieta Valley HS Black
*first time participant in competition
For a complete listing of the schedules and locations for all rounds of the competition, visit www.rcoe.us/student-events/mock-trial.
An awards ceremony recognizing the blue ribbon award winners and the announcement of paid internship recipients will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, 2019, at Bourns Technology Center. The semi-finals will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Riverside Historic Courthouse with the final round of competition starting at 1 p.m.
The winning team will represent the county at the California Mock Trial competition to be hosted in Sacramento on March 22-24, 2019. The National Mock Trial Competition will be held May 10-12, 2019, in Athens, Georgia.
In 2018, Riverside’s Martin Luther King High School defeated Poly High School in the finals to capture their first title since 2007 and advance to the state competition. Third place was shared by Murrieta Valley High School and Ramona High School.
Riverside County Mock Trial Historical Results:
- 2018 – Martin Luther King High School
- 2017 – Poly High School
- 2016 – Poly High School
- 2015 – Hemet High School
- 2014 – Poly High School
- 2013 – Poly High School
- 2012 – Poly High School
- 2011 – Poly High School
- 2010 – Woodcrest Christian High School
- 2009 – Poly High School
- 2008 – Temecula Valley High School
- 2007 – Martin Luther King High School
- 2006 – Woodcrest Christian High School
- 2005 – Poly High School
- 2004 – Poly High School
- 2003 – Poly High School
- 2002 – Poly High School
- 2001 – Arlington High School
- 2000 – John W. North High School
- 1999 – Woodcrest Christian High School
- 1998 – Temecula Valley High School
- 1997 – Corona High School
- 1996 – Poly High School
- 1995 – Norte Vista High School
- 1994 – Arlington High School**
- 1993 – Arlington High School
- 1992 – Poly High School
- 1991 – Poly High School
- 1990 – Poly High School
- 1989 – John W. North High School
- 1988 – Poly High School
- 1987 – Poly High School
- 1986 – John W. North High School
- 1985 – Ramona High School
- 1984 – Ramona High School
- 1983 – Perris High School
** Mock Trial National Champion