Pinal County hosts its Sixth Annual Mock Trial Competition

The Department of Pinal County Juvenile Court Services and its Community Advisory Board will be co-sponsoring the Pinal County Sixth Annual Mock Trial Competition.

Nearly 150 middle school and high school students will compete during the day long competition at Pinal County Superior Court in Florence on Friday.

Students will have the opportunity to compete for best witness, opening statement, closing statements, cross examination, direction examination, and witness as they showcase their prosecution and defense skills.

While no Maricopa schools are represented in the event, the organization hosting it does benefit local youth.

Those competing in the middle school division are Casa Grande Junior High school, Cactus Middle School, Eloy Junior High School, J.O. Combs Middle School, Mountain Vista School, Thunder Mountain Middle School and Villago Middle School.

High school division includes Coolidge High School, Globe High School, and Apache Junction High School. Centennial High School in Peoria will also be joining the competition this year.

A distinguished group of Pinal County Superior Court Judges will be on hand to oversee the competition: Judge Kevin White, Judge Boyd Johnson, Judge William O’Neil, Judge Brenda Oldham, Judge Teresa Ratliff, Judge Carter Olson, Judge Rudy Georgini, Judge Stephen McCarville, and Judge Gilberto Figueroa.

The Community Advisory Board s a diverse group of citizens who work with Juvenile Court Services to evaluate and enhance services to young people in Pinal County. Their common interest is to ensure that Juvenile Court practices continue to reflect the best interest of youth, families, victims, and the community.

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