The Mock Trial Prosecution team has been preparing for several weeks for their upcoming court case this Monday. “Prosecution is up on Monday and I expect nothing less than a victory,” said team member Aleksandr Savchenkov.

On Nov. 3, the Clark Magnet High School Mock Trial teams joined about 2000 students from Los Angeles County at the Constitutional Rights Foundation annual Mock Trial competition at the Los Angeles County Courthouse. This year the club was split into two teams featuring a Team A and a Team B. On Monday, the defense division of Team A and Team B competed, with Team A scoring a near-perfect score of 168/180 while Team B had a score of 108/180. Most Valuable Participants of the the respective teams were named, with attorneys Alec Kellzi and Henry Gurgenyan winning the award.

About 40 students began preparing for this competition in the first week of school. “It’s been a long process, but I know it has been well worth it,” said senior Joshua Valerio. “Being my first year on the team, I didn’t know what to expect, but the friendships and experiences I have gained over these past eight weeks just show how amazing Mock Trial is.”

Although the competition is scored on student performances, there would be no Mock Trial team without advisors Melissa O’Gara and Stephanie Sajjadieh as well as the several attorneys and judges who dedicated many hours to coach the team. Attorney coaches include Judge Michael O’Gara, alumnus Brandon Johnson, and Charles Nettles, who has no ties or affiliations to Clark Magnet whatsoever, yet donates his time and money to help the team.

The Clark Magnet team has never advanced past the first round of the CRF tournament, but with high scores from both teams this year, the team looks to advance to the next round.