For the second year in a row, coming off their constitutional championship win, Dos Pueblos’ Mock Trial Team placed third in the Teach Democracy California Mock Trial Championship on Sunday, March 23. Before advancing to the Championship, DP Mock’s Team A had won the Santa Barbara County Competition for the 5th year in a row.
From Friday through Sunday, California’s 34 winning county teams competed against each other in 4 rounds. Each round, teams were assigned to represent either the prosecution or defense, with students taking the roles of both attorneys and witnesses.
“We are a very close team, and I think that helps us excel, especially in unknown or unexpected situations,” team captain Alexis Demboski (12) said. “[It helps to] think on the spot and trust like our attorney, and have the attorney trust the witness … that we can do it and overcome it.”
The team had been preparing their case since the beginning of October, holding bi-weekly practices and frequent weekend scrimmages. Team member Leon Guo (12) described their preparation as “rigorous,” with a strong attention to every aspect of the case.
“Dos Pueblos Mock Trial has an attention to detail,” Guo said. “We scrutinize over every single little thing, and that’s what makes us so great.”
Stanley Chen (12) said this year felt extra special, as most of the team had been competing together for almost four years, with 14 of the team members being seniors. According to Chen, the team’s “tight-knit” environment contributed to their success, both in and out of the courtroom.
“All our hard work paid off,” team captain Riley Minne (12) said. “To the team, it means that we all work together to make this happen. It was a team effort that we were able to come together and place at state, which is very impressive.”
Ultimately, the team’s preparation and dynamic paid off, placing third as well as earning individual awards. Ethan Gardiner (11) received one of the three best defense attorney awards, while Courtroom Artist Kaitlyn Marden (12) received the honorable mention award and second place in the people’s choice award. Additionally, Courtroom journalist Mika Glasgow’s (11) article placed second in the state.
“I was very proud to watch the team and see the progress they’ve made over the past few months,” alumni coach Sofia Elena Lara said. “This is obviously a really good result in a very competitive state, and it obviously comes down to the really nitty-gritty at the end of the day.”
