Fillmore High School Mock Trial Team took the County teams by surprise. The new team consists of one senior, five juniors, seven sophomores and five freshmen. At the awards ceremony, junior Melissa Nunes won First Place for Witness Toni De Luca, senior Maggie Carrillo won Second Place as Court Clerk, and freshman Nico Bartels won the team’s Most Valuable Player award. Vickie Brown, the Ventura County Office of Education County Mock Trial coordinator, ended the ceremony with a special recognition of the team, which has not competed since 2007, with a hearty “Welcome Back, Fillmore!”

The competition was trial by fire for the rookie Fillmore team. Three of the four teams Fillmore competed against went on to the finals: #2 finishers Trinity Pacific (Delta), #3 Newbury Park (Gold), and #7 Agoura. Fillmore held its own and improved its scores significantly from the beginning of the competition to the end, at which point the team’s scores matched those of other veteran teams.

The Mock Trial program, sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, is designed to introduce students to our legal system. Students prepare both the prosecution and defense sides of a fictional case. This year’s case, People v. Vega, involves felony hit-and-run. From research to role-playing, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent legal and factual issues.

The students portrayed each principal of the cast in a courtroom, including attorneys, witnesses, defendant, court clerk and bailiff. The trial is played out in real courtrooms at the Ventura Superior Court before actual judges and is scored by actual attorneys.

Two students began by arguing a pre-trial motion. This year’s pre-trial motion issue focused on the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, which states that “no persons shall be compelled to be a witness against themselves,” and the Miranda decision holding that before police may question a person in custody, they must inform the person of his/her rights. Established in 1966 in the landmark case Miranda v. Arizona, mock attorneys argued key United States Supreme Court decisions, a Federal Ninth Circuit decision, a California Supreme Court case, and appellate court cases. The issue of the pre-trial motion was whether the circumstances surrounding the defendant’s interaction with a police officer would invoke the protection of the Fifth Amendment and thus require the officer to read the defendant Miranda warnings: “You have the right to remain silent.”

On the first night of competition, Fillmore was matched against #2 seeded Trinity Pacific (Delta). Drawing such a strong team for the first round, Fillmore’s novice defense team—including the pre-trial motion attorney, sophomore Viridiana Quintana, and defense attorneys sophomore Mario Gaspar, freshman Jackie Tovar and closer attorney Hai Tran—with their exuberance and tenacity gave the powerhouse Trinity Pacific a run for their money. Quick on her feet, Jackie Tovar impressed the scoring attorneys with three perfect “5” scores with her tenacious cross examination skills. Sophomore Maria Ibarra’s portrayal of Dallas Decamp earned her a perfect “5” score and defendant Justin Beach and bailiff Jessie Ponce took three perfect “5” scores each. In their first round of the first night, Fillmore scored an astounding ten perfect “5” scores from attorney scorers.

Round number two against Thousand Oaks High School proved that Fillmore was up to the task. This round was Fillmore’s closest round of the competition, with Thousand Oaks overtaking Fillmore by a mere 7 points.

On the second night of competition, Fillmore was paired with #5 seeded Agoura Hills. The pre-trial motion attorney, freshman Nico Bartels, along with prosecuting attorneys junior Jovanny Bravo, freshman Catherine Alonso, junior Citlali Erazo led their team.

In the pre-trial motion, the prosecution successfully argued to the court that even though the defendant was in the back of a locked police car, the defendant had not been considered a suspect, and that the defendant had entered the police car voluntarily to get warm and the safe harbor of the police car was allowing the police to do their duty “to protect and serve.” When the defendant made a confession in the car and later argued that he had not been given his Miranda rights, the prosecution argued that the confession made by the defendant was not “custodial interrogation,” which required the famed warnings. Superior Court Judge Honorable Matthew Guasco agreed with the Fillmore prosecution that the interrogation was “not custodial enough” and granted the prosecution’s pre-trial motion allowing the mock attorneys to use a confession made to police officer played by freshman Matthew Hammond to be entered into evidence.

Against Agoura Hills, witness junior Melissa Nunez garnered a perfect score for her skills as a witness fending off hostile questions from opposing counsel. Joining her with perfect scores from scoring attorneys were Citlali Erazo, Maria Ibarra, Maggie Carillo, and Catherine Alonso. Austin Manzano and Wesley Brecheen anchored the team with strong and solid witness performances.

The last round against Newbury Park (Gold) garnered an impressive eleven perfect “5” scores for the excellent opening statements by Mario Gaspar and cross examination by freshman attorney Jackie Tovar. Defense witness Justin Beach scored two perfect scores for his tenacity and voracity of his innocence, astutely and humorously responding to hammering questions. Misael Ponce, a crucial defense witness, scored high marks for his unflappable demeanor. Bailiff Jessie Ponce wowed the scoring attorneys with his management of a disruptive courtroom and was awarded three perfect scores. Superior Court Judge Dino Innumerable praised the team’s performance and enthusiasm and encouraged the team to trust their instincts and not be intimidated by team tactics.

The students gave up many hours to research and prepare for the competition, including lunch time, after school, Saturdays and winter break.

The team owes much of its success to the support of teachers, attorneys, parents, community members, and fellow students. The student support staff included Journalist Sara Beylik, Photographer Haven Hernandez, and Courtroom Artist Nicholas Johnson, who pens the cartoon “Life of Lulu” for the Fillmore Gazette.

The coaching staff consisted of Teacher Coach Jennifer Fitzpatrick, who teaches English and Speech at Fillmore High School, and Attorney Coaches Laura Bartels and Michael Ford, who both practice law in Fillmore. Consultants Bill Bartels and Anna Morielli gave invaluable advice to the students. Team parents Bob and Lisa Hammond, Laura and Bill Bartels, Jennie Erazo, and Manny Manzano provided food, transportation, and cheers. Bill Edmonds of the Fillmore Lions Club was the team’s biggest fan. Finally, generous donations were provided by Nina Hong, Ellen Bender-Krause, Peggy and Bryan Bernard, and David Bender, Jr.