Written By: Isaac Julian, Staff Editor, and Jonathan Viene, Staff Writer
DEDICATED: A season of growth and preparation led the Mock Trial team to showcase their skills at the county and state competitions.
From the first objection to the final verdict of the state competition, this season of Poly Mock Trial was one to be remembered. With fresh faces, heated rounds, and unprecedented skill, the team displayed some of the best performances Poly has seen in. Now, as the season comes to a close, let’s take a step back and look at how far our Mock Trial has come.
Judging by of the size of our team, it was immediately obvious that this year would be different from the last. With so many seniors graduating, the coaches responded by bringing in an massive two dozen new students, a far cry from one of the smallest teams in Poly history the year before. But the increase in new faces offered an opportunity rather than a challenge. The goal of this season would be to build them up using the returning members’ expertise, while maintaining speed for the upcoming county competition.
Our first major event was competing in the Cat Tournament before the team even touched the real case. This Poly-exclusive practice competition, despite its odd name, allows our team members to try out various roles and placements while also acting as a warm-up for the actual season. With a cast of quirky characters, this year’s Cat Case revolved around a murder at a music festival. As mini-coaches, each returning senior led their respective teams. By participating, they learned a lot about who might be in charge of different roles once the official case was made public.
Just days after the tournament, Teach Democracy released the California Mock Trial case to the public. Spanning over 50 pages, the case centered around a kidnapping in the small town of Emerald Bend, at the time of a high-stakes city council election. One of the candidates, Taylor Alexander—played by Simranpreet Kaur (10)—was abducted on the day of their final debate. The accused, Logan Gold—portrayed by Acacia Bernier (11)—was the spouse of Taylor’s opponent, Harper Dorais, played by Jonathan Viene (12). The case also featured a diverse cast of supporting characters, including a quirky podcaster played by Samuel Beaumon (11) and a reporter portrayed by Sydney Smith (11), among others. Over the next few months, they immersed themselves in these roles, refining every detail to make each character uniquely Poly.
Even with this roster of witnesses, they mean nothing without the vitally important trial attorneys. Their job is to handle the matters of the case, both for the government’s prosecution and Logan Gold’s defense. Joining council table this year was Aubrey Packer (12), Connor Julian (12), Beckett Sullivan (12), and Jonathan Viene (12). They’ve spend the past years learning the ins and outs of law, how to object, and how to effectively control a witness to get what you want out of them. With the most experience they’ve amassed, they look like they own the county competition. We can’t speak about attorneys without addressing the vitally important pre-trial. Isaac Julian (12) and Owen Weems (12) handle one of the highest scored sections of trial in which real world cases are used to argue whether evidence should be used at trial. Each person is a moving part in the Poly team, and when put together, you get one of the most skilled teams Mock Trial has had in years.
When it comes to competition prep, scrimmaging is where the team truly improves its skills. While scrimmages are usually associated with sports, Mock Trial relies just as much on real-time practice. After a season filled with more scrimmage rounds than ever before, Poly felt ready.
The county tournament guarantees four placement rounds, all of which Poly won. By the time playoffs began, they were the only undefeated team—and their momentum didn’t stop there. They secured a clean victory over Santiago in the quarterfinals, followed by another win against Temecula Valley in the semifinals. Then came the final round against their longtime rivals, Notre Dame. Just as they had the year before, Poly delivered a masterclass performance, securing another victory. This marked their 21st county championship, earning them a spot in the California state competition.
Going to state is a milestone that most schools only dream of reaching. Fortunately, most of our team had experience from the previous year, so they knew what to expect. With minimal changes to the material that had won them the county title, they pushed forward, focusing on full memorization and polish. State took Poly on a four-day trip to Los Angeles, where they stayed at the famous Biltmore Hotel. Aside from the infrequent leisure, the weekend was a non-stop grind. Over the course of the competition, they faced four exhausting 2.5-hour rounds—three of which took place on the same day, making for 12 hour shift in the courtroom. But the hard work paid off, as Poly finished the weekend with an impressive 3-1 record, with our only loss coming against Trinity, the team that would go on to win the state championship. Every member of the team delivered their strongest performance to date, and all have plenty to be proud of.
After an amazing season, six seniors are leaving the program. Each one leaves feeling incredibly thankful for the team, coaches, and the experience as a whole. Mock Trial has been a transformative journey for all of them, shaping their abilities and confidence in ways they would never have expected. As they move forward, the team is excited to welcome a new wave of competitors to carry the torch. Don’t miss next year’s Mock Trial interest meeting if you’re interested—you might just become part of the next generation of the best Mock Trial team in Riverside County!