After placing second in the Contra Costa County mock trial competition for the past two years, Cal High’s team won its second championship in four years and advanced to the California State Finals last month.

Cal went 2-2 and finished 13th out of 34 schools at the State Final March 21-23 in San Jose.  Junior Neel Baronia was one of eight witnesses in the entire state to win an individual award for his performance.

“It’s the first time in my three years of mock trial that we won county,” said junior Smita Balaji, one of the team’s witnesses. “It’s really satisfying and I’m so proud of our whole team, because all our work paid off.”

This year’s win at county marked a memorable victory against Miramonte, which beat Cal in the finals the past two years and has been the county’s representative at State for 10 of the past 12 years.

“We let them know that we were number one and that feeling was great,” said sophomore Dhuvi Karthikeyan, the team’s clerk.

Last year Cal lost by only three points at county finals.

“While getting into county finals isn’t difficult, winning county is definitely a challenge,” said senior prosecution attorney Shriram Apte.  “We (had) to beat 17 other teams, and there is no room for mistakes.”

Cal has won county four times in the past, including 2011 when the team went on to place sixth in the state.  Cal won its other county titles in 1991, 1993 and 1996.

In addition to the team qualifying for state, senior Maddy Pisio placed second in the county’s courtroom artist competition and was invited to the State Finals.  There also is an individual competition at state for courtroom journalists.

For the senior members of the team, this season was the culmination of four years of hard work.

“I’m grateful to have an amazing team that helped me reach my four year goal of returning to state,” said senior co-captain Marnie Lowe, one of three members who attended the State Finals as a freshman.

It was also the last year they’d have the chance to go to state.

“Winning county this year felt like redemption for our loss last year,” said Apte. “Since this is my last year of mock trial, I’m happy we finally went to state.”

Mock trial is a first semester, A period class taught by English teacher and Californian newspaper adviser Brian Barr.  This class is available for all students, who gain an understanding of the law by working with practicing attorneys.

Each year, high school teams statewide are provided with the same criminal case, and they spend the majority of the first semester preparing for their county competitions in February. County champions advance to the State Finals.  All state champions move on to nationals, where teams are given a new case and a little more than a month to prepare.

Menlo Park from San Mateo County beat three-time defending state champion La Reina from Ventura and now goes to Madison, Wisc., In May.

The defendant of this year’s mock case was charged with second-degree murder by “implied malice” as well as intent to sell prescription ADHD medication. Implied malice means the defendant didn’t try to murder the victim but knew the drugs she was selling could kill him, which is harder to prove than last year’s hit-and-run case.

County trials are held twice a week during the evenings in February, while state trials took place within a weekend, with one trial Friday evening and three on Saturday, making the whole competition more difficult. The competing schools performed at a higher level than those at county, and the judges were more familiar with the case.

“State is definitely a whole new experience,” said sophomore Stephanie Yip, the defense’s pre-trial attorney. “After Saturday I was ready to collapse on the courtroom floor.”

While the team did not expect to win state because of the high level of competition, members were excited to be able to participate in state.

“Everyone did an amazing job,” said senior co-captain Ravid Reif, who also competed at state as a freshman.  “We performed in four trials over two days and we represented our county well.  I just wanted everyone to have fun and do their best. I could not be prouder.”

Since the beginning of the year, mock trial has been preparing for their competitions through the class itself.  During the first semester, students learn the basics of courtroom procedures and etiquette, as well as how to be witnesses and question them, how to write and deliver closing and pre-trial arguments, and how and why objections are made.

The team itself is comprised of prosecution and defense sides, both of which include three trial attorneys, one pre-trial attorney and four witnesses.  The prosecution team also includes a clerk, which keeps track of the proceeding’s strict time limits, and the defense team has a bailiff, who swears in witnesses and keeps order in the court.

“I’ve always been interested in the law and I want to be a lawyer, so the class is really perfect for me,” said junior Shalaka Phadnis, the prosecution’s pre-trial attorney.

Added Reif, “The hardest part of mock trial is probably objections for attorneys and cross examinations for witnesses. These are times where we can’t be completely prepared.”

((The class allows students to improve their abilities to speak, reason, and argue.

“No matter what career field you’re in if you’re able to articulate your ideas well it’s an advantage, and mock trial teaches this,” said Apte.

Others join mock trial because they hear it’s a good way to learn how to be part of a team.

“Originally I had taken mock trial as a filler class after passing the health challenge in eighth grade,” said Karthikeyan. “I continued to take it because the experience of being on the team and learning about our judicial system was incomparable.))

Members of Mock Trial see the program as more than a class or club where they learn about the law.

“Overall, I think it’s helped me grow in so many ways as an individual, and has given me some of the best experiences with some of the best people I’ve ever met,” said Lowe.

It’s a place where they make lasting relationships and learn how to improve themselves.

“Mock trial is the best class at Cal High,” Reif said.  “In addition to the invaluable lessons you learn, you also meet the greatest people who become your family.  It was the greatest experience of high school for me.”