SAN JOSE, CA – Students from the Fremont Union High School District and Campbell Union High School went head-to-head in the courtroom at the annual Mock Trial Tournament finals in February. The team from Lynbrook High School defeated the Prospect High School team in the Santa Clara County High School Mock Trial Tournament final round. However, Light from Prospect High School is this year’s winning courtroom artist.
A record-breaking 26 schools competed in multiple rounds at the Santa Clara County Office of Education in San Jose from January through February. The seventh and final round occurred at Santa Clara County Superior Court’s Old Courthouse in downtown San Jose. The tournament was presided over by sitting superior court judges and was scored by local attorneys.
In this year’s hypothetical case,
People v. Fromholz, chef and reality show contestant Haley Fromholz is charged with murdering celebrity judge Morgan Sears using a poisonous mushroom during filming of the semi-final of the reality show Recipe for Success.
This year’s county tournament expanded to include a junior division with teams competing from middle school grades, middle school courtroom artists, and a high school journalist.
The Crittenden Middle School team was announced the Mock Trial winner of the junior division. The junior division courtroom artist winner is Efrain from Ida Jew Academy and Valle Vista Elementary School. Efrain will advance to the state competition with the second-place winner, Henry from Crittenden Middle School. Similarly, the second-place courtroom artist in the senior division, Valerie from Cupertino High School, will also advance to the state competition. The high school journalists advancing to state finals are both from Valley Christian: first-place winner Yuna and second-place winner Ayane.
2026 Lynbrook High School Mock Trial Team
The SCCOE, in partnership with the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the Santa Clara County Superior Court, sponsors the Santa Clara County High School Mock Trial Tournament, which gives students an authentic trial experience. Each year, high school teams study a hypothetical case provided by Teach Democracy. Teams of students prepare to defend or prosecute the case and fulfill the roles of pretrial attorneys, prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses, and court staff. For more information about the Mock Trial Competition, visit
###
About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency committed to serving, inspiring, and promoting student and public school success. For more information about the Santa Clara County Office of Education, please visit www.sccoe.org and follow us @SCCOE on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
