After six hours of sustained argument, cross-examination, and judicial scrutiny, Chico High School emerged as the winner of the 2026 Butte County Mock Trial Competition, held January 30 at the North Butte County Courthouse in Chico.

Chico High School competed alongside Core Butte Charter High School and Las Plumas High School in a full-day courtroom simulation that required students to argue both the prosecution and defense sides of a complex criminal case. Over the course of the competition, students demonstrated not only their command of legal theory, but their ability to think critically, collaborate under pressure, and perform with professionalism in a real courtroom setting.

Judge Tamara L. Mosbarger presided over the competition, along with Commissioner Mark Emmons and Commissioner Leah B. Sears of the Butte County Superior Court.

Throughout the academic year, students prepared for the event by studying the 2025–2026 California Mock Trial case, People v. Fromholz, under the guidance of their teachers and volunteer attorney coaches. The fictional case centered on a first-degree murder charge against celebrity chef Haley Fromholz, accused of killing reality television judge Morgan Sears with poisonous mushrooms during a televised cooking show. Students navigated issues of premeditation, forensic evidence, and a Fourth Amendment pretrial motion involving digital privacy.

“This competition highlights not only students’ legal knowledge, but also their confidence, teamwork, and professionalism,” said Mary Ellen Garrahy, Butte County Mock Trial Coordinator and BCOE Student Events Manager. “Our Mock Trial students and coaches exemplify excellence, preparation, and respect for the justice system. Their hard work this season makes our entire county proud.”

Capturing the Courtroom Experience

For many students, the experience offered a rare opportunity to feel the weight and intensity of courtroom advocacy firsthand.

“Mock Trial has taught me how many laws and regulations there are that you have to learn to participate in a trial,” said Lauren Loomba, who served as a pretrial defense attorney for Chico High. “It was exciting to be in the courtroom and experience the competitiveness between our teams while feeling all the emotions of a real trial. Seeing all our hard work pay off was incredibly rewarding.”

As the winning team, Chico High will advance to represent Butte County at the California Mock Trial Finals in Oakland from March 20–22, 2026.

Presiding officials and attorney scorers consistently praised the students’ preparation and courtroom presence. Commissioner Emmons addressed students following the competition, noting the level of professionalism on display.

“You folks knew the facts, you knew the law, and you presented your arguments clearly and effectively,” Emmons said. “I’ve done many trials myself and presided over many more. You were as prepared as many attorneys I have seen walk into the courtroom. I was blown away.”

Community Support Makes It Possible

The competition was made possible through the support of local legal professionals and dedicated educators. Attorney scorers included Lindsey Bittner and Alexis Noel, Butte County Deputy District Attorneys; Ben Williams of the Law Office of Benjamin A. Williams; Tamara Trulin and Jonathan Marrs, Butte County Research Attorneys; Jameson Sheehan, Butte County Family Law Facilitator; and Zachary Manner.

Teacher coaches who guided the teams throughout the season included David Loudermilk and Bret Lawson of Las Plumas, Casey Van Attenhoven of Chico, and Christine Henderson of Core Butte. Students also received mentorship from volunteer attorney coaches Adam Sorrells, Julie McComb, Nicole Diamond, Kathy Richards, and Brenden Blake.

Honors and Awards

Several students earned recognition for outstanding individual performance during the competition. Mock Trial MVP honors went to Gwendolyn Vickery of Las Plumas; Dona Duff and Cassidy McCraith of Chico; and Moriah Henderson and Luke McComb of Core Butte.

High-scoring attorney awards went to Annalisa Pedrinazzi and Lauren Loomba of Chico; Moriah Henderson and Lowell Werblow III of Core Butte; and Gwen Vickery of Las Plumas. Highest-scoring witness honors went to Cassidy McCraith and Richard Martinez-Rivera of Chico; Mason Ames and Devon Stewart of Core Butte; and Bianca McIntosh and Julian Ortiz of Las Plumas.

For more information about Mock Trial, contact BCOE Student Events Manager Mary Ellen Garrahy at mgarrahy@bcoe.org.