Remy Comstock presented the Pretrial 4th Amendment argument and won, throwing out vital evidence for the prosecution. Lead Defense Attorneys Aiden Young, Amrit Tung, and Daniel Mercado provided the Opening Statement, Cross and Direct Examinations, and the Closing Arguments. Witnesses Maria Robison, Reese Antonioni, Madyson Hampton, and Jared Gabion took to the stand and played their parts to perfection, according to coach Katie Padrick.
“Julian Gabion was complimented by the judges for being the best bailiff they had ever seen, and Julia Powers kept the competition running smoothly as the unofficial timekeeper,” Mrs. Padrick added.
MVP for Best Attorney was awarded to Amrit Tung. One of the judges stated “Ms. Tung’s closing was my favorite performance of the competition.” Best Witness was awarded to Maria Robison for her convincing portrayal of the defendant.
On Saturday both Liberty teams competed in the prestigious Clovis North Invitational Tournament. Liberty's Prosecution competed against Exeter High School and Atascadero High School while Liberty's Defense competed against Pacific Grove High School and Clovis North High School. Nelson Diaz and Cristian Arellano argued case law in pretrial. Amrit Tung, Maria Robison, Braden Mendiburu, and Kaajal Patel were lead attorneys. Aiden Smith, Reese Antonioni, Madyson Hampton, Jared Gabion, Jenna Gonzales, Jasmine Barakat, Julia Powers, and Emma Wong competed as witnesses for the Defense and Prosecution. Julian Gabion competed as bailiff and Evalyn Macias as clerk. Cristian Arellano received special praise from the Presiding Judge in the Exeter round who was amazed at his confidence in arguing case law. Amrit Tung and Maria Robison were told by the Presiding Judge in the Clovis North round that they were obviously seasoned veteran attorneys and that their confidence and poise made the judge forget that they were not actual attorneys. Jasmine Barakat and Jenna Gonzales’ acting was well praised by the Presiding Judge in their round with Atascadero. Aiden Smith was praised as a very believable defendant by the Presiding Judge in the round against Pacific Grove. Assistant Coach Rachel Wilson said “I was blown away by our team, their poise, presence, and willingness to take a risk exceeded expectations.” Coach Katie Padrick stated “I am so proud of our team, they really pulled together as a team for this competition and showed what it means to be a Liberty Patriot.”