On January 27, 2006, over 700 high school students and community leaders from Sacramento, Yolo, and Placer counties gathered at the Sacramento County Superior Courthouse to tackle current events and constitutional issues such as eminent domain and unreasonable search and seizure at the Center for Youth Citizenship's (CYC) 27th Annual Gordon D. Schaber (GDS) High School Law Program.

This year's moot court case, House of Hope and Russell Truelove v. City of Boxford, focused on the timely issue of eminent domain. Participating youth prepared and 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.

1st place honors in the Moot Court event went to Rio Americano High School (San Juan Unified School District) and 2nd place was awarded to Jesuit High School. Additional Moot Court finalists included Bella Vista High School and Mira Loma High School, both 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 a Hollywood style murder. In an opening pre-trial motion, students also demonstrated legal reasoning around the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure.

Rio Americano High School of the San Juan Unified School District won top honors in the Mock Trial Event and represented Sacramento County at the California Mock Trial State Finals in Riverside County. 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, Chris Khosroshahi of Oakmont High School (Placer County), Siera Dunn of Natomas High School (Sacramento County), and Yang Zheng of Davis High School (Yolo County) placed at the top of their respective county's competitions. Additionally, Cassandra Ling of Oakmont High School (Placer County) and Ariana Cloutier of Natomas High School (Sacramento County) placed first in the county's Courtroom Journalist Competition.

The GDS High School Law Program is presented by CYC with the support and partnership of the:

• Sacramento County Bar Association & Law Foundation; Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley; Weintraub, Genshlea, Chediak & Sproul; and numerous area firms and legal organizations;

• Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento;

• California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District;

• U.S. District Court and U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California;

• Sacramento County Office of Education and area schools and districts; and

• Legal Professional Volunteers from throughout the Greater Sacramento Region.

CYC extends its appreciation to the Sacramento legal community in helping to make this year's Annual GDS High School Law Program a successful educational event. In its 27th year, this program and its annual culminating events have been sustained by the commitment and volunteerism of the leaders in our local legal community.

May / June 2006