PRACTICE TRIAL TEAM GEARS UP FOR MOCK TRIALL EVENT.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - Two young women - bright, ambitious and very close friends - have been facing off in the courtroom, one arguing for the prosecution, the other for the defense.

Kelly Drew, a 17-year-old senior and captain of the prosecution for La Reina High School's mock trial team, aims to convict a suspect accused of drugging his would-be fraternity brothers with rohypnol, the date-rape drug later found in his room.

The fate of the suspect depends on the performance of defense attorney Jennifer Marshall, 17, as well as other lawyers in charge of defending the young man.

But the two women only go against each other until the actual Ventura County Mock Trial competition, when they join sides to go up against the other 15 schools competing in the annual competition.

``Each side helps the other because we know that you need two really good sides to have a good trial,'' Marshall said of her peers.

The 20 students from the all-girls school in Thousand Oaks perhaps know this better than most, as their school has taken top honors at the mock trial competition seven of the last nine years.

Each school prepares both a prosecution and defense team, then the schools go up against one another trying the case from one side, then the other. No school will know its opponent until just before the trial.

All the schools will reenact the same fictitious trial at the Ventura County Hall of Justice on Tuesday and Thursday during the preliminary rounds that determine which schools go on to the county finals and eventually the state competition.

The teams are scored by professionals from the Public Defender's Office and the District Attorney's Office, as well as by local elected officials.

Don Glynn, senior deputy district attorney for Ventura County, has aided La Reina High School for 10 years, lecturing the girls on issues of evidence, pretrial motions and other trial essentials.

The points, Glynn said, are earned based on several criteria: the quality of the attorney's questions; how and when they object; how they respond to others' objections; and how well they conduct cross-examinations. Team members also portray bailiffs, clerks and witnesses.

``It's about making the character into a real person, a tangible, living person,'' said 17-year-old Mary Abler of her part as the defendant, Sam Rose.

In the case, Rose is accused of spiking two drinks after he was voted the pledge ``least likely to succeed'' in becoming a fraternity brother at an exclusive high school.

``It's fun for me when I get the witness statements and come up with a character, give it a personality,'' added prosecution witness Kara Tredway, in her second year of mock trial.

The La Reina students have a coach who specializes in drama, speech and debate to help them with delivery.

After 14 years working with La Reina teams, and the hours of weekly practice, faculty moderator Eileen De Bruno said she enjoys seeing the students progress.

``I enjoy watching them develop,'' said De Bruno, a school librarian for 25 years who also moderates La Reina's speech team.

After the preliminary rounds, which narrow the field to four schools, the final rounds will be held Monday. The top team then advances to the state finals in Sacramento, held March 31 to April 2.

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4 photos

Photo: (1 -- color) Mary Abler, left, is sworn in as a witness playing the role of defendant Sam Rose by Swayta Reddy during a mock trial practice session at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks on Thursday.

(2 -- 3 -- color) Above, Laura Bandler practices asking the witness questions during her part as a lawyer on the La Reina High School mock trial team. The team is working on the case People vs. Rose, at right, the same case other schools in the mock trial competition will reenact.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

(4) Mock trial team member Kellie Specht works on testifying during a practice session at La Reina High School.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer