Trinity Pacific Christian School and Oak Park High School took the top two spots in the high school division of the 2026 Ventura County Mock Trial competition, which was held over two weekends at the Ventura County Government Center’s Hall of Justice. This marks the fourth year in a row that Trinity Pacific has come first.
The Mock Trial competition is coordinated annually by the Ventura County Office of Education. The event brings courtroom drama to life as students take on the roles of participants in a criminal case, including attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs, and journalists. The students present their cases in real courtrooms before actual judges. Local attorneys volunteer to serve as scorers. This year’s fictitious case was People v. Fromholz, which is about the death of a celebrity judge on a TV cooking show.
“Mock Trial is an incredible opportunity for students to learn about our legal system, practice their public speaking skills, and hone their critical thinking,” said Dr. Cesar Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “I’m extremely proud that the Ventura County Office of Education is making it available to a growing number of students at the middle school level.”
The Ventura County Office of Education thanked Superior Court Judge Gilbert Romero and all the volunteers whose contributions make Mock Trial such an engaging and impactful educational experience.
Twenty-four high schools from throughout Ventura County participated in Mock Trial this year. The winning teams were announced at an awards ceremony at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo. Here’s how the eight highest-scoring high school teams ranked:
Trinity Pacific went on to represent Ventura County in the California Mock Trial contest in Oakland. Trinity Pacific took first place in the state competition in 2025, 2024, and 2021. Teams from Ventura County have also placed first at the state level in 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2008.
Additional information about the Ventura County Mock Trial is available at vcoe.org/mocktrial.
Middle School Division Winners
- 1st Place: Mesa Union School (Mesa Union School District)
- 2nd Place: Hillside Middle School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
Ventura County is one of the only counties in California to host a middle school division for Mock Trial. Eleven Ventura County middle schools participated in the initial rounds of competition, which were held at the Ventura County courthouse. Mesa Union School will go on to represent Ventura County in the first-ever statewide middle school Mock Trial competition, which will take place on April 18 at the UCLA School of Law.
The middle school division of the Ventura County Mock Trial is now in its fourth year.
