Exeter student nabs top honor at state Mock Trial competition

It will be a few more months before Exeter Union High School senior Gaby Rodriguez graduates. Still, she’s already received the best honor of all: statewide recognition as the best pre-trial defense attorney in Mock Trial competition.

“We joked that it was her senior gift,” said teammate Ryder Stimpel, a junior.

The entire season was a gift, a tribute to the 14-member team’s intense preparation and grueling late-night practices that began at the start of the school year. To reach that point, though, Gaby and the tight-knit group made a monumental effort to overcome many odds.

For Gaby and a few others, “this team basically came with zero experience of what mock trial asked of them,” said teacher and coach Heidi Carmen, who has steered the team for the last seven years. “The learning curve was incredibly steep.”

The key?

“There are no egos on the team. Nobody wanted to stand out, so everyone was truly enjoying coming to practice and learning from our attorney coaches,” Carmen said. “Before I knew it, we were really good.”

Coaches include Roger Wilson, a 1980 EUHS alum in private practice in Fresno, and Adam Clare, senior deputy district attorney for Tulare County.

Rodriguez, a 16-year-old who skipped two grades, realizes now she had been preparing for this moment her entire high school career. As a freshman, Wilson and Clare assigned her to the critical pre-trial attorney role. This double-scored position must be filled by someone comfortable in constitutional law and unafraid of bantering with real Superior Court judges about why the evidence should be admitted or excluded from the trial.

“Having your coaches ask you questions you don’t know the answer to and grill you on content, objections, and character knowledge is the best way to improve,” Rodriguez said during an afterschool interview. “Having them be so ardent in their questioning while they practiced with us was one of the most effective factors in our rehearsals and allowed us to improve as a team progressively.”

Carmen said Wilson and Clare are invaluable resources.

“They didn’t pull any punches,” she said. “They treated the students like adults, and there was an expectation that they would rise and be excellent. The kids honored and respected that.”

Rodriguez appreciated that intense coaching as she successfully argued pre-trial motions for both the prosecution and defense, a feat rarely tackled in mock trial competitions.

“Gaby’s job was to stand her ground and explain precedent set with previous Supreme Court cases,” Carmen explained. “That’s what made it so awe-inspiring to watch. A 16-year-old with that kind of poise facing off against a much older, more authoritative figure.”

It had been more than 30 years since an Exeter mock trial team knocked out the competition at the county level to advance to the state finals.

In February, Exeter beat rival Redwood High School in the semi-finals and then University Prep to advance to the state competition, where 32 other teams awaited. It was held March 17-19 in Los Angeles.

The Mock Trial program had a strong following in Los Angeles County, but in 1980, the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) introduced it to all California counties. It was created to help students learn the judicial system and develop deep analytical abilities and communication skills.

More than 8,000 students across the state tackle a hypothetical criminal case each year. This year, it was People v. Franks, which dealt with assault and robbery.

“I found so many practical skills inside of mock trial,” said Stimpel, who performed as a prosecuting attorney and a defense witness. “I am not necessarily interested in pursuing law, but I gained skills in public speaking, how to argue a point, understanding both sides of an argument, and speaking to people officially.”

Stimpel said he and the rest of the team admired Rodriguez for her efforts and her example.

“She would get to practice 30 minutes before the rest of us to work with our attorney coaches, and then she would stay for the entire practice,” he explained. “She did not have to do that. She was a helpful role model who never let us be rude winners or sore losers. She was considerate of the other team and always kind. She’s crazy good, and she deserves all the praise.”

At the state competition, the Exeter team “brought its A-game,” Carmen said, going up against wealthier private schools with many more resources incorporating Mock Trial as a co-curricular class. At Exeter, Mock Trial is an extracurricular activity.

“This tells a lot about the desire of students to have academic opportunities,” she said. They held their own against these schools, coming home with a 2-2 record.

It was during the awards ceremony that Rodriguez was on pins and needles for two reasons. She just found out she had been accepted at the University of California at Los Angeles, her top college choice.

“I knew there was an award for a best pre-trial attorney, but I didn’t set my expectations on that,” she said. “When they called my name, I was confused at first, but afterward, it felt like it was a wonderful way to end my mock trial season. It was the role I started with and the role I ended with."

“Parents and friends will give you compliments, but it felt really good hearing that from someone who is under no obligation to give me an award or a compliment and to be recognized at that level.”

The team and coaches are already looking ahead to next year, recruiting new members to keep the bar high.

“I feel a real sense of gratitude for the coaches and the team,” said Rodriguez, who will major in chemistry at UCLA. “Everyone has been so incredibly supportive of each other. This proves to the returning team members that they can achieve anything they want.”

Team members include Holly Decramer, Eden Diaz, Trinity Elliott, Ethan Gonzales, Wyatt Jardon, Carter Lang, Natalie Oneto, Marin Parker, Mia Regalado, Gaby Rodriguez, Alex Romero, Ryder Stimpel, Megan Thompson, and Gemma Valero.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Gaby Rodriguez named outstanding pre-trial defense attorney