CYC Sponsors Moot Court And Mock Trial Competition

On January 15, 2005, over 500 high school students and community leaders from Sacramento, Yolo and Placer counties gathered at the Sacramento Superior Courthouse to tackle current events and constitutional issues like free speech at the Center for Youth Citizenship's (CYC's) 26th Annual Gordon D. Schaber (GDS) High School Mock Trial and Moot Court Competition.

This year's moot court case, Hamed Mohabi v. The Board of Education of King Unified School District required students to consider the case of appellant Hamed Mohabi, an Iraqi by birth, who appeals to the United States Supreme Court, seeking to compel the authorities at King High School in his hometown to allow him to present his prepared speech to a high school assembly. Participating youth argued this appellate level case before a panel of three judges that evaluated the students on the quality and persuasiveness of their legal reasoning and presentation, as well as their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench.

First place honors in the Moot Court Event went to Christian Brothers High School and second place was awarded to Bella Vista High School of the San Juan Unified School District. Additional Moot Court finalists included Franklin High School of the Elk Grove Unified School District and Mira Loma High School of the San Juan Unified School District.

A simultaneously running Mock Trial event featured additional students in the roles of pretrial, defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, court clerks, bailiffs, and jurors in a case that dealt with vehicular manslaughter and street racing. In an opening pretrial motion, students also demonstrated legal reasoning around the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and freedom of association.

Elk Grove High School of the Elk Grove Unified School District won top honors in the Mock Trial Event. In addition, Rocklin High School and Davis High School were selected to represent Placer and Yolo County, respectively, at the State Finals. In the Courtroom Artist Competition, Francesca Ling of Oakmont High School (Placer County) and James Tetreault of Natomas High School (Sacramento County) placed at the top of their respective county's competitions and are eligible to compete at the State Finals as well.

The competition is conducted by CYC with the support and partnership of the: Sacramento County Bar Association & Law Foundation; Weintraub, Genshlea, Chediak & Sproul; Tina Thomas of Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley; and numerous area firms and legal organizations; the Sacramento Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal, the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Sacramento County Office of Education and area schools and districts.

CYC extends its appreciation to the Sacramento legal community in helping to make this year's Annual GDS Competition a successful educational event. For more information or to get involved in this and other model programs, please visit CYC on the web at www.youthcitizenship.org

May / June 2005