- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Middletown High School wins annual Lake County Mock Trial Competition
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Middletown High School clinched top honors on Wednesday during the eighth annual Lake County Mock Trial Competition.
Middletown edged Upper Lake in the event, held at the Lake County Superior Court.
Middletown High now advances to the state finals in Los Angeles March 20 to 22.
During the Mock Trial, the teams take turns prosecuting and defending a fictional court case.
The Constitutional Rights Foundation, the organization that founded the Mock Trial, reported that this year’s case, “People v. Matsumoto,” concerns the trial of Bailey Matsumoto, the founder of a technology start-up that develops autonomous, or self-driving, trucks.
The fictional court case trial brief explains: “Bailey is charged with the murder of Bailey’s spouse, Taylor Matsumoto. The prosecution alleges that after Taylor’s son Michael died in a tragic accident using one of Bailey’s malfunctioning autonomous scooters, Taylor founded an organization called Parents Against Autonomous Driving (PAAD). Taylor’s involvement in PAAD began to financially impact Bailey’s autonomous truck company. The prosecution further argues that Bailey’s and Taylor’s relationship rapidly deteriorated. Just days before Taylor was set to testify in Washington, D.C., in support of a bill titled National Moratorium on Autonomous Technologies, Taylor was found dead, face down in Taylor’s bathtub. The prosecution claims that Bailey murdered Taylor with premeditation in order to prevent Taylor from testifying and to stop PAAD from succeeding.”
While the prosecution claimed that Bailey provided an already inebriated Taylor with alcohol, then hit Taylor on the head with a golf club – later found in Bailey’s car – causing Taylor to fall into the bathtub and drown, the defense argued that Taylor’s death was not a murder but was instead an unfortunate accident.
In the lead up to Wednesday’s county competition, both teams took part in a Mock Trial Scrimmage in mid-January against Mendocino County teams, according to Beth Hampson of the Lake County Office of Education.
On Wednesday, 35 students from Middletown and Upper Lake high schools participated.
Along the way, teachers and coaches have helped them prepare arguments and evidence, and practice their presentations for the county competition through Mock Trial classes at their schools, Hampson said.
For Middletown, teacher coach Lee Hoage and attorney coaches Jon Hopkins and Janina Hoskins have guided students, with teacher coaches Alex Stabiner and Anna Sabalone, and attorney coach Judy Conard helping the Upper Lake team.
Hampson said this year’s competition was made possible with the support of volunteer Judge J. David Markham, who heard the arguments, and volunteer attorney scorers Daniel Flesch, Megan Lankford and Kaly Rule.
Individual recognition was given to the following students for outstanding performances in the Mock Trial. They include:
– Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney: Alana Sanchez, Upper Lake High School.
– Outstanding Defense Attorney: Erica Kinsel, Middletown High School.
– Outstanding Prosecution Attorney: Henry Fenk, Middletown High School.
– Outstanding Defense Witness: Jasmine Haro, Upper Lake High School.
– Outstanding Prosecution Witness: Richard Guaydacan, Upper Lake High School.
– Outstanding Clerk/Bailiff: Richard Perez, Upper Lake High School.
The Lake County Bar Association and Lake County Friends of Mendocino College are supporting Middletown High’s trip to Los Angeles for the state event.
Lake County’s Mock Trial competition is run in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Superior Court of California, Lake County, and Lake County Office of Education.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.