For Immediate Release

(ANNAPOLIS, MD—April 2, 2002) For the third time in two years, area high school students will find themselves in Anne Arundel County District Court Judge Vincent Mulieri’s courtroom. Fortunately, the students will once again be court observers, not defendants, as part of the Maryland Judiciary’s ‘Schools in the Court’ program. 

“The ‘Schools in the Court’ program has been a very successful tool for teaching high school students about the real-life consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol,” said Judge Mulieri, who started the program last year. “As the program continues to gain momentum, we hope it will reach more and more students across the state.”

The program will be held on Wednesday, April 3 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 1, Anne Arundel County District Court. Students will watch as Judge Mulieri listens to real drunk driving cases, then passes judgment on the cases. District Court Chief Judge James Vaughan will then open up the courtroom for a question-and-answer period, followed by discussion with Judge Mulieri on more serious drunk driving cases such as automobile manslaughter. 

Harold Rohrback, of the Drunk Driving Monitor Program, will then give a presentation on probation. After a brief recess, students will participate in a roundtable forum with members from the Public Defender’s office, the State’s Attorney’s office, MADD, and the police. 

Media are encouraged to attend. For more information, please call the Court Information Office at 410/260-1488.