PDHS moves to Elite 8 of Riverside County mock trials
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Desert High School is moving on to the Elite 8 of the Riverside County Mock Trial Competition.
On Saturday, PDHS was selected to go on to the Elite 8 competition. The Aztecs will face Martin Luther King High School at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Tuesday, February 10th at 6 p.m.
The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday, February 17, and the 2026 champion will be named after the final round on Thursday, February 19. The final round will take place at 6 p.m. at the Riverside Historic Courthouse (4050 Main Street, Riverside).
Round 5 Matchups (Elite Eight)
Prosecution vs. Defense
- Martin Luther King High School vs. Palm Desert High School
- Temecula Valley High School vs. Notre Dame High School
- Santiago High School vs. Riverside Poly High School
- Valley View High School vs. Ramona High School
Additionally, more than a dozen students were honored for top performances with blue ribbons and prestigious internships in local legal organizations after the fourth round of competition on Saturday, February 7.
“Student events like Mock Trial aren’t just about competing for a championship. Each student gains valuable lessons in analytical thinking, persuasive communication, teamwork, and a greater understanding of our legal system,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Congratulations to the top eight teams advancing to the final rounds and all the award-winning students.”
Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges, while being scored by practicing attorneys. The competition is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in public and private high schools in Riverside County. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and more.
2026 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition BLUE RIBBON AWARD RECIPIENTS
Outstanding Courtroom Artist
- 1st Place – Joni Huang, Murrieta Valley High School
- 2nd Place (Tie) – Jasmine Martinez, Hemet High School; Ivy Phan, Chaparral High School
- 3rd Place – Sofia John, Temecula Valley High School
Outstanding Courtroom Journalist
- 1st Place – Douglas Cube, Notre Dame High School
- 2nd Place – Melissa Chai, Chaparral High School
- 3rd Place – Faith Harper, Hemet High School
Outstanding Bailiff
- 1st Place – Sophia Downey, Temecula Valley High School
- 2nd Place – Jonathan Medrano, Notre Dame High School
- 3rd Place – Diego Coronado, Centennial High School
Outstanding Clerk
- 1st Place – Xavier Felix, Notre Dame High School
- 2nd Place – Samantha Stillman, Chaparral High School
- 3rd Place – Emily Ruvalcaba, Ramona High School
Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney
- 1st Place – Erin Grace Mankin, Notre Dame High School*
- 2nd Place – Vincent Zepeda, Patriot High School
- 3rd Place – Patrick Moon, Martin Luther King High School
*Riverside County Courts Award Bar Association Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship
Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney
- 1st Place – Adrian Reyes, Notre Dame High School*
- 2nd Place – Dana Chiek, Martin Luther King High School
- 3rd Place – Ana Gamino, Indio High School
*Riverside County Courts Award Bar Association Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship
Outstanding Prosecution Witnesses
- Witness: Detective Rio Sacks
- 1st Place – Caroline Corr, Notre Dame High School
- 2nd Place – Genesis Abrams, Great Oak High School
- 3rd Place – Journey Brutus, Chaparral High School
- Witness: Alden Mitchell
- 1st Place – Adrian Torres, Temecula Valley High School
- 2nd Place – Nathaniel Firetag, Riverside Poly High School
- 3rd Place – Clark Adkins, Indio High School
- Witness: Sam Longo
- 1st Place – Gael Campos, Notre Dame High School
- 2nd Place – Ella Fortine, Riverside Poly High School
- 3rd Place – Sydnee Hernandez, Paloma Valley High School
- Witness: Imari Rodriguez
- 1st Place – Stevie Linton, Murrieta Valley High School
- 2nd Place – Audrinna Patterson, Notre Dame High School
- 3rd Place – Giovanna Wilkinson, Martin Luther King High School
Outstanding Defense Witnesses
- Defendant: Haley Fromholz
- 1st Place – Daphne Egizi, Notre Dame High School
- 2nd Place – Augustina Alfaro, Ramona High School
- 3rd Place – Brandon Fuller, Valley View High School
- Witness: Takoda Morrison
- 1st Place – Elizabeth Kiggins, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac High School
- 2nd Place – Ally Afsar, Palm Desert High School
- 3rd Place – Jill Hacker, Ramona High School
- Witness: Dr. Ren Dunne
- 1st Place – Olivia Wade, Temecula Valley High School
- 2nd Place – Virginia Duncan, Santiago High School
- 3rd Place – Emrey Wilkinson, Palm Desert High School
- Witness: Jean Kronstadt
- 1st Place – Phillip Murguia, Vista del Lago High School
- 2nd Place – Nathaniel Firetag, Riverside Poly High School
- 3rd Place – John Morinaga, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac High School
Outstanding Prosecution Attorneys
- Jude Cramer, Notre Dame High School
- Celeste De Lucia, Canyon Springs High School
- Olivia Wade, Temecula Valley High School
** Winner of summer internship in District Attorney’s Office and Riverside County Bar Foundation’s Honorable Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship
Outstanding Defense Attorneys
- Kaiden Kamphuis, Liberty High School
- Thomas Nelson, Palm Desert High School
- Crystal Renteria, Valley View High School*
*Riverside County Courts Award Bar Association Douglas E. Weathers Scholarship
Attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across Riverside County are among the more than 14,000 students who have participated in Mock Trial now in its 44th year of competition. The month-long competition is sponsored by Riverside County Superior Courts, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Riverside County Office of Education.
The winner of the Riverside County Mock Trial will represent the region at the California Mock Trial Competition March 20-22 in Oakland. The state winner will advance to the National Mock Trial that will be held May 7-9 in Des Moines, Iowa.
This year’s fictional case, People v. Fromholz, centers on the trial of Haley Fromholz, a chef and contestant on the reality TV cooking show Recipe for Success, who is charged with murdering celebrity judge Morgan Sears using poisonous “heartstopper” mushrooms during the filming of the semi-final challenge of the show. Students on the prosecution and defense teams will debate conflicting claims of premeditation, unreasonable search and seizure, forensic evidence, and more, throughout the pre-trial hearings and trial.
In the 2025 Riverside County Mock Trial finals, Poly High School defeated Notre Dame High School in a rematch of the 2024 final. Poly emerged victorious to secure the championship for the 21st time in school history. Third place was shared by Temecula Valley High School and Murrieta Valley High School.
For sponsorship inquiries for this event or any additional Riverside County student events, please visit the 2026 Student Academic Events Sponsorship page. For additional information regarding the 2025-2026 competition, please contact Yadira Chavelas, Events Administrator, at ychavelas@rcoe.us or (951) 826-6570.
For a complete listing of the schedules and locations for all rounds of the competition, visit www.rcoe.us/student-events/mock-trial.
