Jesse Woodson is a punk. The imaginary character was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and, in a sign of the times, cyber-bullying too. And if the case was imaginary, the passion with which it was tackled by local students from Scotts Valley was not. They won the mock trial competition for the entire county, beating out students from Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel, Watsonville, Harbor and St. Francis high schools. And with imaginary Woodson behind imaginary bars, the students can continue on to the state mock trial finals in Riverside in March, the Supreme Court of California mock trials.
Articles by Danny Wool
Kiddie Porn Sting Nets Two UCSC Students
An investigation lasting several months has led to the arrest of two UCSC students, Jonathan Tolentino, 28, and Aaron Lessner, 21, for possession of child pornography, which police say they they traded with undercover officers. The investigation into Tolentino began in June 2010, while Lessner has been under investigation since last January. Though the two men had amassed a large collection of photographs and videos, there is no indication that they knew each other.
Santa Cruz: A City on The Move
Too much has been written about childhood obesity, the Xbox culture, and how kids these days don’t get off their butts to get out and play. But that’s just showing the glass half empty, when, in fact, in Santa Cruz it is more than half full, and not with chocolate milk or sugary soft drinks either. According to Time Magazine, Santa Cruz is the fourth most active city in the nation, topped only by Medford, Ore., Santa Fe, N. Mex., and Boulder, Col. Of course, the list has some surprises. Who would have thought of Medford, and right behind us is Boise in the Couch Potato State.
More Suspects on Most Wanted List Nabbed
The County Sheriff’sDepartment has been making impressive progress with its strategy of posting its most wanted list in the media. Three more suspects were arrested this week, bringing the total number of suspects in custody up to six.
State Beach Closed Due to Rain
The stormy weather has been taking its toll on Santa Cruz County. On Thursday morning, an 80-foot Monterey pine came crashing down on two campers parked at New Brighton State Beach. Though no injuries were reported, authorities stepped in and closed the beach until further notice, saying that they were wary of the risk of more trees coming down in the storm. The water off the beach is already off-limits after the National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory.
Durbin Update
Local hero James Durbin had another shot at idolatry last night, but he did it in a subdued way, so different from his far-ranging voice and meticulously designed outfits that should leave the fashionistas agog. He made it through the most recent round of American Idol, all right, but the only reason we know that was because he had a brief cameo appearance in Room 1, along with other obvious winners (and a couple of obvious losers tossed in for pure entertainment value).
James Durbin Is Not A Momma’s Boy
Local star James Durbin took another step toward Idol status last night, and he did it in the face of stiff competition. Not only was it the much-dreaded “group night,” in which American Idol potentials have to team up in groups to perform a song, but another group chose the same song, Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” and that group had its own cheerleading squad, the team members’ mothers.
No More Help for Minor Drug Offenders
According to the State of California, no one can go to jail for possession of drugs unless they have first been given an option for treatment. The Proposition 36 drug treatment program was precisely the kind of treatment that the law intended. But that program has been whittled down considerably by extensive budget cuts. As of March 1, it will be eliminated entirely. The state simply can’t afford it.
The End of The Oyster
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.” By that, he probably meant that mankind was not intended to close itself off from the rest of the world. Today he might well have meant that humanity was not meant to go extinct, which is what is happening to the oyster.
Lockdown at Aptos High
Students at Aptos High got out of school late yesterday. They were under lockdown for about 30 minutes after a driver being chased by CHP crashed through the school’s gates and tried to flee on foot.
