Dos Pueblos Mock Trial Takes Second Place in Championships

In an all-California final, La Reina High School from Thousand Oaks defended it’s 2011 title with 4-3 victory over the Dos Pueblos team. La Reina is the two-time defending California State Champion who narrowly defeated the Chargers in last year’s state final.

With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the city, Monday’s final was moved from the Brooklyn Courthouse to the ballroom of the Brooklyn Marriott.

It was Dos Pueblos who had stormed into the tournament by defeating their bracket’s #1 seed — Henry Grady High School from Atlanta — in the second round and winning every single ballot on their way to the final. The Chargers advanced to the final as the only undefeated team in the tournament before coming up short against La Reina.

Teams were divided into two brackets and competed in four rounds Saturday and Sunday, with the top team in each bracket progressing to the championship.

The fictional case tried during each round, with students playing attorneys and witnesses for the plaintiff and defense, was about a 2-year-old boy who dies after swallowing toy beads covered in a chemical that converts to GHB, also known as the “date rape drug.”

During the championship round, Dos Pueblos took the role of the plaintiff and La Reina played the role of the defense. A New York judge heard the case, and attorneys served as scorers.

With the Hurricane set to make landfall this afternoon, the two teams from California, along with the other 34 teams will be camped out in the hotel until later this week when area airports are re-opened. Because of the their extended stay, the two California teams are hoping to work together to raise funds to pay the extra thousands of dollars they will need to stay until they can fly home.

The members of the Dos Pueblos Mock Trial team:

Alison Mally (C), Hannah Cruz (C), Nimisha Shinday (C), Madeline Matthys, Madeline Centrella, Delia Bullok, Camille Wyss, Sophia Zheng, Ami Thakrar, Bela Lafferty, Sean Strong.

Coaches: Bill Woodard, Maureen Grattan, Joel Block, Scott Campbell