"The Mock Trial teams had an amazing season,” Liberty Mock Trial head coach Katie Padrick said. “The skills that they have gained as individuals and as a team are admirable. I am honored to have been one of their coaches this season."
The head coach of the Patriots Mock Trial Team is science teacher Alexandria Crisler. When asked about the season, she stated, “The Patriots team showed valuable dedication and effort especially being brand-new to the mock trial experience.”
High school teams compete in a series of mock trial rounds where students have the opportunity to participate as prosecution attorneys, defense attorneys, defendants and witnesses in a simulated case developed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Students acquire skills in public speaking, critical analysis and deduction. Students also partner with coaches in the legal profession. Liberty High School’s Attorney Coach is local attorney Kate Lee with the Kern County Public Defender's Office.
Liberty fielded two teams called “Liberty” and “Patriots” with a total of 37 students for the competition.
Students on the “Liberty” team were junior Braden Mendiburu, attorney; sophomore Elias Zambrano, witness; junior Emma Wong, witness; freshman Ethan Wong, witness; junior Jaden Lee, bailiff; junior Janet Luo, courtroom artist; junior Jared Gabion, witness; junior Jasmine Barakut, witness; junior Jordyn West-Martin, attorney; senior Julia Powers, witness; junior Kaajal Patel, attorney; sophomore Keen Nguyen, attorney; junior Madyson Hampton, witness; freshman Maren Seals, witness/clerk; senior Maria Robison, attorney; freshman Noah Berjis, attorney; freshman Rebekah Jackson, witness; junior Remy Comstock, pretrial attorney; and sophomore Robert Clegg, pretrial attorney.
The “Patriots” team members were sophomore Abby Reza, witness; sophomore Areanna Mitchell, witness; sophomore Amelia Corrigan, witness; freshman David Flores, clerk; senior Elise Enoch, courtroom artist; freshman Ella Rebiejo, attorney; sophomore Ethan Bajwa, attorney; sophomore Evelyn Orozco-Alvarez, attorney; freshman Jacob Francisco, witness; freshman Kaylyn Mosquera, attorney; sophomore LeoNah Denweed, witness; sophomore Milaana McClanahan, witness; sophomore Riley Douglas, witness; freshman Rocco Boren, pretrial attorney; freshman Sabeer Pannu, bailiff; sophomore Samreen Sandhu, pretrial attorney; freshman Venice Pineda, attorney; and freshman Vinicius Araujo, witness.
The Kern County Mock Trial Program is funded with a grant from the Harry and Ethel West Foundation and sponsored by The Kern County Superintendent of the Schools, The Kern County Bar Association (KCBA), Kern County Sheriff’s Department, and Superior Courts of Kern County.
See Keen's winning article HERE.