Mock Trial takes first in AVUHSD Competition

By Kiara ViDemantary

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For the first time in its history, the SOAR High School Mock Trial team has won first place in the Antelope Valley Union High School District Mock Trial Competition. This comes as the culmination of a four-round tournament beginning in February of this year. The team went against 14 other schools competing as both a defense and prosecution council, trying the case of People V. Gold, a fictional case about an alleged kidnapping. SOAR was the only team to win all four of the rounds they competed in, and the final rankings were as follows: SOAR High School in first, Quartz Hill High School in second, Academy of the Canyons in third, Pete Knight High School in fourth, and Littlerock High School in fifth. 

Joseph Grandi, a senior who has served with the team for three years and was an attorney in all four rounds of competition, shares that he felt happy about the victory. “I’m glad hard work paid off, and I helped win.” Samantha Solano, a fellow member of the class of 26 and returning Mock Trial student, shares that she was relieved about the win and “very happy to see all the team together to support each other.”  Isaiah Smart, who took the role of the titular defendant, Logan Gold, said, “When we won round three, I told myself I would be happy later because the job is not finished. Now the job is finished. We did it.”

As for what the team attributes its successes to, Joseph believes that this year, “the team had better knowledge of objections and followed through with the theme. For defense, this was him [the fictional defendant Logan Gold] doing his duty to democracy, and for prosecution, he was out for political revenge.” Smart shares that the team was also helped by how much experience was shared by the attorneys, Treasure Olowosagba, Kiara ViDemantay, Joseph Grandi, and Maylin Maldonado, all of whom are returning Mock Trial students.

SOAR is rooting for next year's team, which will be trying the case of People V. Fromholz, a fictional murder trial surrounding the events of a cooking competition gone wrong. As some parting advice, Grandi advises the future team of STARs to use the law, to know the rules, and use the relevant facts, “make it make sense”.