Schools

Miramonte's Mock Lawyers Exhibit No Contempt of Court; Advance In Trial Competition

A legal team of Miramonte High School students are advancing in mock trial competition, squaring off in Martinez Thursday against Northgate High of Walnut Creek.

Miramonte High School's mock trial legal team will face off against budding lawyers from Northgate High School in semi-final action in Martinez Thursday. The Mats advance to the semi-finals after knocking out a hard-arguing team from Campolindo High.

Miramonte's courtroom team will assume the role of the prosecutors in a mock assault with a deadly weapon case. Other semi-final action pits Cal High from San Ramon on the prosecution side against Alhambra High from Martinez arguing for the defense.

Thursday's winners will face off Tuesday in the finals at the Contra Costa County Courthouse in Martinez.

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The county champion will advance to state competition in Riverside in late March.

The 30th annual face-off began in early February with 13 high school teams competing. Throughout the competition, students have been dealing with a hypothetical case that featured a resident accused of assault with a deadly weapon as well as violating a new anti-bullying and cyber-bullying statute.

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each contest has been tried in front of active county judges and scored by active and retired prosecutors, public defenders, attorneys and senior law students.

The schools each began with two teams, one prosecution and one defense. Those two divisions were combined into one team for the advancing schools in the later rounds.


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