Students  argue before esteemed judges at 50th annual Neumiller Moot Court event

From left, Hillary Marston '20, Chase Stone '20, Associate Justice Nathan D. Mihara, Senior Judge William B. Shubb, Judge Lawrence G. Brown '89, Alison Corn '20 and Micayla Hardisty '20. Photo by Sydnee Rodriguez

The 50th annual Irving L. Neumiller Memorial Moot Court Competition took place on Friday, April 12 in the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom at King Hall.

The case weighed whether civil forfeiture, in which assets and property are seized with or without an associated criminal charge, is constitutionally permissible. Hillary Marston ’20 and Chase Stone ’20 advocated for the petitioner, and Alison Corn ’20 and Micayla Hardisty ’20 for the respondent, a municipal police department.

The students demonstrated their courtroom skills before three distinguished members of the judiciary: Senior U.S. District Court Judge William B. Shubb, California Sixth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Nathan D. Mihara, and Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lawrence Brown ’89.

Marston and Stone emerged the winners, but both sides offered persuasive arguments and were deft in their responses to questions from the bench.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shama Mesiwala ’98 helped introduce the event.