Pictured are members of the Yosemite High team with administrators and and administrators with Judge LiCalsi
Yosemite High School has competed 36 times and won the county's Mock Trial 29 times including this year. Members of the team are pictured with administrators, Bernie McGoldrick and Judge LiCalsi.

Yosemite High School Wins 2020 Mock Trial

by posted in: Event, Our People

Yosemite High School won the 2020 Honorable Edward P. Moffat Madera County Mock Trial held on February 6, 11, and 13.

Yosemite High School battled Chawanakee Academy, Madera, and Madera South High Schools. The Badgers’ defense and Chawanakee Academy’s prosecution teams competed in the championship round held on Thursday, February 13. Yosemite won the competition and will attend the State Mock Trial on behalf of Madera County.

“What an exciting year of competition,” said Dr. Cecilia Massetti, Madera County Superintendent of Schools. “The competition was fierce and all students did a great job!”

Yosemite High School will represent Madera County at the state competition March 27-29, 2020 in Riverside. Team members include Tenaya Ahrens, William Bates, Justin Beaumont, Hannah Beaumont, Lauren Bernardi, Grayson Bulmer, Jack Dindia, Emma Fries, Elisa Heidebrecht, Jane Irion, Makayla Jeffris, Gabrielle Miller, Gannaen Skeahan, Jocelyn Stansberry, Jaiden Stansberry, Stevie Trujillo, Madison Washburn. The team was coached by Matt Skeahan and local attorneys Nanette Beaumont and Bernie McGoldrick.

Madera County will also be sending a Courtroom Journalist to the state competition. Kaelo Mohulatsi from Yosemite High School won the Courtroom Journalist competition. She reported on one of the trials
from Tuesday, February 6.

“We are proud to have a student journalist represent Madera County at the state competition,” said Massetti. “We wish all of the students the best of luck during the next round of competition.”

During the fictional case People vs. Matsumoto, Bailey Matsumoto was tried for the murder of Bailey’s spouse. Mock Trial students also discussed the Fourth Amendment during the pretrial argument.

The Mock Trial is a simulation of a criminal court case in which the students act as attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and clerks. Attorneys from throughout the valley scored the students’ performance.

Yosemite High School has competed for all 36 years of competition in Madera and have won 29 times.

This was Chawanakee Academy’s first year competing in more than five years.

Members of the Chawanakee team with their coach.
The Chawanakee Academy team was competing on the school’s behalf for the first time in five years.Each team was coached by attorneys as well as teachers in preparation for the trial. The Chawanakee team was coached by Talitha Musacchio; the Madera team was coached by Michael Horder; Madera South was coached by Amanda Elliot-Ester and attorney Noah Marshall.

 

Judge Ernest LiCalsi, Judge Michael Jurkovich, and District Attorney Sally Moreno presided over the trials. The Mock Trial was held on three separate days and teams participated in four rounds of competition.

The Mock Trial and other student academic events are supported by Madera County Superintendent of Schools and Madera County Schools Foundation through community and business donations and volunteers. Madera County Superior Court co-sponsored the Mock Trial. California Rights Foundation provided the trial cases.