Gateway Mock Trial Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

In 2013, the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office, in collaboration with the San Bernardino County Probation Department and the California Superior Court, developed a mock trial program for juveniles being detained in the San Bernardino County Gateway Program. Gateway is San Bernardino County’s in custody juvenile placement. It is a 12-18 month program for San Bernardino youths who have a serious delinquency history and have exhausted other placement options. Juveniles volunteer to participate in the program and the teams are divided up depending on which phase of the Gateway program the minor is in. The teams are coached by Deputy Public Defender volunteers who go into Juvenile Hall twice a week for two hours over several months to teach their respective teams the intricacies of preparing for and conducting a live trial. After months of preparation a full trial is conducted in front of the other Gateway students which is presided over by a real Superior Court judge.