Courtesy photos.
VENTURA COUNTY — Trinity Pacific Christian School is the winner of the middle school division of the 2024 Ventura County Mock Trial competition after earning the highest score in the final round this afternoon. Valley View Middle School in the Simi Valley Unified School District came in second place and Mesa Union School took third. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony this evening at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.
Ventura County Mock Trial expanded to include middle schools just last year and interest has increased dramatically, with triple the number of teams participating. This year, the middle school division included 300 students representing 14 teams from 10 schools. Ventura County is one of the only counties in California to include middle schools in its Mock Trial competition. The Ventura County middle schools that fielded teams this year are:
- Hillside Middle School (Simi Valley USD)
- Isbell Middle School (Santa Paula USD)
- Las Colinas Middle School (Pleasant Valley School District)
- Medea Creek Middle School (Oak Park USD)
- Mesa Union Middle School (Mesa Union School District)
- Monte Vista Middle School (Pleasant Valley School District)
- Rio del Sol Middle School (Rio School District)
- Sinaloa Middle School (Simi Valley USD)
- Trinity Pacific Christian School
- Valley View Middle School (Simi Valley USD)
The complete list of middle school results in all of the various judging categories is available at this link. Results for the high school division are available here. A list of past Ventura County Mock Trial winners is available here.
More about the 2024 Ventura County Mock Trial
The Mock Trial competition is coordinated annually by the Ventura County Office of Education. The event brings courtroom drama to life as students take on the roles of participants in a criminal case, including attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs, and journalists. This year’s fictitious case, People v. Clark, was about the murder of a technology company CEO. The students present their cases in real courtrooms before actual judges. Local attorneys volunteer to serve as scorers. The Ventura County Office of Education would like to thank Superior Court Judge Gilbert Romero and all of the volunteers whose contributions make Mock Trial such an engaging and impactful educational experience.
This was the first time in its over 40-year history that the high school Mock Trial competition was held on weekends instead of weekday nights. The move meant students no longer had to stay up late on school nights and made transportation easier for students and their families.
Additional information about the 2024 Ventura County Mock Trial is available at vcoe.org/mocktrial
About the Ventura County Office of Education — The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training, and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators, and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions, including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org
