Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Sweetwater High School takes Fourth Place in San Diego County Mock Trial Competitions
SuHi’s Mock Trial team took Fourth Place in the 2025-26 San Diego County Mock Trial Competitions.
Sweetwater’s team had members from the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes. There was a role for every member of the Mock Trial Club which began practicing in late October 2025 for the four weekly competitions in January and February 2026.
Faulty Advisor Janet Amezcua met weekly with budding student attorneys and courtroom staff to learn their case and practice their roles.
Bankruptcy attorney Corina Pandeli recruited now retired teacher and former faculty advisor Robert Alcock to start the SuHi Mock Trial program in 2000. They began with only four brave souls; not enough to compete in the County competitions. The program grew with more students each year until fifteen students took the plunge in 2025.
Jerry Gonzalez, a San Diego County District Attorney, and Carlos Ruan, practicing Defense Attorney, worked with students to prepare them in their roles as attorneys and witnesses. Former attorney Anthony Mournian helped prepare the Pretrial Attorneys. Bob Alcock, though not an attorney, knew more about courtroom etiquette and procedures than the lawyers! Within weeks Jerry, Corina and Carlos molded students into near look-a-like Courtroom Advocates, Staff and Witnesses. It was a sight to behold.
SuHi’s effort this year began with a “squeaker” win in the first round. Then came the second round, and again a win. No one thought the Red Devils would keep winning, but there they were on the Winners Board for Round Three.
The team showed up on Saturday morning, February 7, for Round Four. Then, beyond belief, the Red Devils won again, taking them into the Semifinals on Saturday afternoon as Number Four of the Top Ten teams in the County!
Again they scored. Five competitions, five wins. Stunning. Because the final standings are based on cumulative points scored over the entire competition Sweetwater remained as Number Four team. Not Number One, but a stunning victory for Scrappy SuHi!
Vana Arevalo won two MVP awards for her roles as a Prosecution Attorney and as a witness. Diana Ruiz won two MVP awards for both of her Prosecution Pretrial Attorney arguments and Aeden Ang won an MVP award for his outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion to Suppress.
Go Red Devils!
Please note: Janet Amezcua, Corina Pandeli and Carlos Ruan are ALL graduates of Sweetwater and certified Red Devils! Jerry Gonzalez, though not a Red Devil, is married to the daughter of Bobby Dominguez, Class of 1960. Anthony Mournian, another Red Devil, was a classmate of Bobby Dominguez, Class of 1960. This was a team of Red Devils, through and through!
Sweetwater High School takes Fourth Place in San Diego County Mock Trial Competitions
SuHi’s Mock Trial team took Fourth Place in the 2025-26 San Diego County Mock Trial Competitions.
Sweetwater’s team had members from the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes. There was a role for every member of the Mock Trial Club which began practicing in late October 2025 for the four weekly competitions in January and February 2026.
Faulty Advisor Janet Amezcua met weekly with budding student attorneys and courtroom staff to learn their case and practice their roles.
Bankruptcy attorney Corina Pandeli recruited now retired teacher and former faculty advisor Robert Alcock to start the SuHi Mock Trial program in 2000. They began with only four brave souls; not enough to compete in the County competitions. The program grew with more students each year until fifteen students took the plunge in 2025.
Jerry Gonzalez, a San Diego County District Attorney, and Carlos Ruan, practicing Defense Attorney, worked with students to prepare them in their roles as attorneys and witnesses. Former attorney Anthony Mournian helped prepare the Pretrial Attorneys. Bob Alcock, though not an attorney, knew more about courtroom etiquette and procedures than the lawyers! Within weeks Jerry, Corina and Carlos molded students into near look-a-like Courtroom Advocates, Staff and Witnesses. It was a sight to behold.
SuHi’s effort this year began with a “squeaker” win in the first round. Then came the second round, and again a win. No one thought the Red Devils would keep winning, but there they were on the Winners Board for Round Three.
The team showed up on Saturday morning, February 7, for Round Four. Then, beyond belief, the Red Devils won again, taking them into the Semifinals on Saturday afternoon as Number Four of the Top Ten teams in the County!
Again they scored. Five competitions, five wins. Stunning. Because the final standings are based on cumulative points scored over the entire competition Sweetwater remained as Number Four team. Not Number One, but a stunning victory for Scrappy SuHi!
Vana Arevalo won two MVP awards for her roles as a Prosecution Attorney and as a witness. Diana Ruiz won two MVP awards for both of her Prosecution Pretrial Attorney arguments and Aeden Ang won an MVP award for his outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion to Suppress.
Go Red Devils!
Please note: Janet Amezcua, Corina Pandeli and Carlos Ruan are ALL graduates of Sweetwater and certified Red Devils! Jerry Gonzalez, though not a Red Devil, is married to the daughter of Bobby Dominguez, Class of 1960. Anthony Mournian, another Red Devil, was a classmate of Bobby Dominguez, Class of 1960. This was a team of Red Devils, through and through!
