LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local educators and members of the legal community are partnering to bring a new educational experience to the community's young people.
The Mock Trial Program is set to make its debut in the 2012-13 school year.
The program, which began in Southern California, gives young people the chance to study court cases and argue them before real judges in real courtrooms as part of mock bench trials competitions.
The Lake County Superior Court and Lake County Office of Education partnered late last year to bring the program to Lake County.
Close to 20 people – including Superior Court Judge Andrew Blum, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook and Upper Lake High School Superintendent Patrick Iaccino – met in the Lake County Superior Court Department 2 courtroom on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the next steps necessary to make the competition a reality.
Holbrook said presentations have been made at local high schools, four of which expressed their interest in forming teams for the competition.
He said the plan is to be ready at the start of the coming school year.
Court staffer Suzanne Blavet said a number of local attorneys – Stephen and Angela Carter, Anna Gregorian and Bill Conwell, David Markham, Jon Hopkins and Jacqueline Snyder – already are committed to working with teams forming at the various schools.
Still other local attorneys may be joining as well, Blavet said.
Stephanie Wayment of the Lake County Office of Education said every county that has a mock trial competition has the opportunity to send one team to the state competition, which this coming year will be held in Anaheim.
Holbrook said Lake County's Mock Trial Program will have its actual kick off at the end of September or start of October.
Community members interested in participating at various levels should contact the Lake County Office of Education, 707-262-4100.
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