Students from 13 high schools from throughout San Joaquin County took part in the 2025 San Joaquin County Mock Trial Competition Monday.

Altogether, about 200 students took part in the varsity event, including Ripon High and Ripon Christian High.

Mock Trial, which is co-sponsored by the SJC Bar Association and the SJC Office of Education in cooperation with Teach Democracy (formerly the Constitutional Rights Foundation), consisted of teams of 18 students – nine making up the prosecution and nine for the defense – debating fictional cases before presiding superior and municipal court judges and scoring attorneys.

Stockton Early College Academy took first place in the 2025 event, edging out Tracy High while moving on to represent SJC at next month’s California Mock Trial Competition in Los Angeles.

Mountain House took third with Venture Academy Family of Schools placing fourth.

The Honorable John F. Cruikshank, Jr. Spirit Award ($500, provided by the SJC Bar Association) went to Carson Bishop (ABLE Charter) and Devika Vithalani (Mountain House). Both also received the Pacific Summer High School Institution Award, which is a two-week, all-inclusive residential pre-college institute ($3,500 value) provided by the University of the Pacific. 

Locally, RC’s Charlie Giulian ranked among the Top 12 overall attorneys. Lida Amirhamzeh and Arabella Holt, also from RC, received recognition by earning Top 12 overall witnesses.