Baker High School’s Mock Trial Team made all the right motions and gained all the right rulings to win the regional competition and advance to the 2016 state Mock Trial Competition March 11-12 in Portland.

The BHS team competed again Vale and La Grande Feb. 27 at La Grande.

“We had a fantastic weekend,” said Stephani Rasmussen.

Rasmussen and Kris Pepera, BHS social studies teacher, have coached the Mock Trial Team for the past three years.

Rasmussen teaches career and college readiness at the Baker Web Academy and is a former BHS social studies teacher.

The two replaced former longtime coach Sharon Defrees, a BHS science teacher. Emily La Brecque, Baker County deputy district attorney, also advises the students.

“The kids performed really, really well,” Rasmussen said of Saturday’s regional win. “We are really proud of them.”

Five teams had been scheduled to compete, but two dropped out before competition day. That left the three schools to vie for the state berth.

Rasmussen said the Mock Trial case was the first to be heard at La Grande’s new Union County Courthouse.

The Baker team faced La Grande in the first round and Vale in the second round. Winners are determined by their overall scores at the end of the competition. Lawyers, judges and community members scored the event.

Students study a hypothetical case, which they then present using legal principals and following courtroom procedure and trial preparation protocol under the guidance of their coaches and advisers.

The Classroom Law Project has organized the mock trial program for the past 30 years. Here is this year’s case:

Brief Case Summary

“This is a criminal case. Star basketball player Addie Anderson was drugged the night before the big game. While unconscious, someone drew the logo of the opposing team on Addie’s face and posted a picture of it on Facebook. The pep squad president of the opposing team, Bobby Dousa, has been charged with the offenses.”

Dousa is charged with the felony crime of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance and misdemeanor crimes of fourth-degree assault and harassment.

Here are the roles portrayed by the BHS students during the competition:

Prosecution

andbull; Opening statement: Jesse Johnston

andbull; Addison Anderson, victim and basketball player at Hamilton High School: Kaiza Rea

andbull; Dakota Sherman, Burrough High School student: Kara Bennett

andbull; Leslie Chen, Rowe Police Department forensics specialist: Boston Colton

andbull; Closing statement: Casey Poe

Defense

andbull; Opening statement: Hollis Robb

andbull; Bobby Dousa, defendant and Burrough High School student: Zech Compos

andbull; Emerson Kannan, Hamilton High School student: Kailyn McQuisten

andbull; Layne Juarez, M.D., emergency room physician: Megan Burk

andbull; Closing statement: Koby Hansen

Lawyers

andbull; Direct-Addison Anderson: Hollis Robb

andbull; Cross-Addison Anderson: Koby Hansen

andbull; Direct-Bobby Dousa: Casey Poe

andbull; Cross-Bobby Dousa: Hollis Robb

andbull; Direct-Dakota Sherman: Isabella Evans

andbull;Direct-Emerson Kannan: Kaiza Rea

andbull; Cross-Dakota Sherman: Hollis Robb

andbull; Cross-Emerson Kannan: Zech Compos

andbull; Direct-Leslie Chen: Zech Compos

andbull; Direct-Layne Juarez: Boston Colton

andbull; Cross/Cross-Leslie Chen: Kaiza Rea

andbull; Cross-Layne Juarez: Koby Hansen

andbull; Baliff: Griffin Stone

andbull; Clerk: Evan Bigler

andbull; Understudy: Evan Bigler

andbull; Team manager: Kendra Smith

See more in Friday’s issue of the Baker City Herald.