Baker High School mock trial team qualifies for state event for second straight year
Published 4:39 pm Saturday, February 22, 2025
- Baker's mock trial team won the regional competition Feb. 22, 2025, and will compete in the state event in March.
Baker High School’s mock trial team has qualified for the state event for the second year in a row.
The team, coached by BHS teacher Kris Pepera, assisted by Greg Baxter, Baker County district attorney, competed in a regional event against La Grande and Pendleton on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Baker County Courthouse in Baker City.
Baker will now compete in the state event March 15-16 in Portland.
Team members are: Linkin Barret, Harris Gaslin, Kara Regan, Ian Brougham, Taylor Lee, Daniel Brown, Ellie Murphy, Kaydence Thomas, Anna Johnson, Zayne Hills, Dixon Dommeyer, Ruby Warner, Elissa Nilsen, Brooklyn Baxter, Jose Armenta, Avery Collier.
Collier won the MVP as both defense witness and plaintiff lawyer. Gaslin was named MVP as defense attorney, and Regan was MVP as plaintiff witness.
The other teams choose the awards, Pepera said.
He said Baxter, as an assistant coach, “is amazing with the kids and offer real life application to the legal case we are working on. More importantly, he helps instill confidence in public speaking for the team.”
Pepera said all three teams received positive reviews from the judges who scored the competition. Judge Matt Shirtcliff of Baker County Circuit Court was a judge, and community members who volunteered to judge are Sam Fritz, Frances Chaney, Neil Chaney and Robbie Langrell.
“The event can’t happen without volunteers,” Pepera said.
He said local attorney Will Thompson also helped give advice to the team.
“The courthouse was packed with family and friends,” he said. “We had to get extra chairs and the jury box was filled with audience members. A group of high school students came to support the team, along with family. My favorite part is friends and family seeing the students perform.”
Pepera said the team members have been practicing since November on the competition case, which is based on a real legal case involving a family-owned carnival that went out of bues and sued a social media influencer for defamation, claiming a post, generated by AI, caused the business to lose money.
