(November 24, 2004) -- In September, teams from 62 L.A. County high schools began a grueling, intellectually tough mock trial tournament sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Los Angeles, arguing a case in a courtroom setting before volunteer judges and attorneys. By mid-November, only four teams survived...including the one from LB's Wilson Classical High School which marched all the way to the "final four."

On November 23, Wilson High's team was edged out in a high-adrenaline semi-final round by a team from Louisville High in Woodland Hills, a girls' college-prep school affiliated with Catholic Church.

To reach the prestigious "final four," Wilson High team members practiced at least two hours (sometimes more) three to five days a week -- after school on their own time -- to polish their skills in prosecuting or defending (as assigned) the fictional case of People v. Darian Kendall. The case involved a street race in which a person was killed, raising the constitutional issue of whether the government can restrict free speech rights assembly and association for street racers who meet on a city street while displaying decals with the names of their racing clubs.

The defense argued that the ordinance should be thrown out; the prosecution said it should be upheld. Team members had to be ready to present either side of the case.

The semi-final round produced a packed courtroom for the high adrenaline crucible. Wilson was assigned the role of defense...and received a 48.86% score from judges, a close decision in a challenging case.

Wilson High's accomplishment in reaching the semi-final round was reported first in LB media by LBReport.com.