After several days of intense, online courtroom competition and careful deliberations by esteemed judges, the verdicts are in for the 2021 Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Mock Trial Competition: Rio Americano High School is this year’s champion. The winning team now advances to the California Mock Trial Competition, which will be conducted online March 18–21.
Elk Grove High School placed second, followed by Vista del Lago in third, and St. Francis High School in fourth. Twelve Sacramento County high school teams competed in the 2021 competition, as well as two from Yolo County.
Dan Carroll, a volunteer coach for Elk Grove High School, was the recipient of the Outstanding Gordon D. Schaber Volunteer Award. For the past 17 years, he has volunteered as a Mock Trial coach. He provided expert legal tutoring and fixed breakfast for the team every Saturday morning. After he retired from Downey Brand law firm last year, he also coached the team during the week.
The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), which coordinates the event, announced the winners at an awards ceremony last night.
Sacramento County Mock Trial Results
Sacramento County
- 1st Place: Rio Americano High School (San Juan USD)
- 2nd Place: Elk Grove High School (Elk Grove USD)
- 3rd Place: Vista del Lago High School (Folsom Cordova USD)
- 4th Place: St. Francis High School
- 5th Place: Casa Roble High School (San Juan USD)
- 6th Place: Sacramento Country Day School
- 7th Place: Christian Brothers High School
- 8th Place: Jesuit High School
Yolo County
- 1st Place: Da Vinci Charter Academy
About Mock Trial
The Mock Trial Competition simulates a trial-level proceeding in which students portray the roles of pre-trial counsel, prosecuting and defense attorneys, witnesses, court clerks, bailiffs, and jurors before a single presiding judge and two scoring judges. Volunteers from local law firms and other legal organizations served as scoring and presiding judges for the five-day event.
- Sacramento County Mock Trial Champions—historical list of winning teams
About the State Competition
California’s Mock Trial Competition is sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF), a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to educating America’s young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society.