(ANNAPOLIS, MD—April 15, 2004) On Wednesday, April 21, more than 100 students from North County, Meade and South River high schools will be summonsed to Anne Arundel District Court in Annapolis, where they will get a front-row seat of the justice system at work. Fortunately for the students, their seats will be in the gallery rather than at the defendant’s table.

For the third straight spring, the Maryland Judiciary will be hosting its “Schools in the Courts” program. The three-hour program educates students about the real consequences of making the wrong choices—namely drinking and driving, use of drugs and other crimes.

“Our goal is to convince these young minds to make the right decisions in life, so they don’t wind up in front of me as a defendant,” said District Court Judge Vincent A. Mulieri, who created “Schools in the Courts” in Maryland and holds two program sessions per year. “We’re hopeful that this program alerts them to the positive choices that they can make.”

The program will begin with the students observing unscripted, actual criminal cases being heard before Judge Mulieri. The students will then be briefed on the requirements of probation and the financial burden of being convicted of drunk driving from Harold Rohrback, Jr., of the Drinking Driving Monitor Program. Former convicted drunk drivers will provide sobering comments about the choices they made. The students will also have the opportunity to present questions to a distinguished panel, including Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell and District Court Chief Judge James N. Vaughan.

“What they will see here, the people they will hear from, and the consequences of their actions are all real,” said Chief Judge Bell. “We want these students to understand that the keys to their lives are in their hands—don’t throw them away in a drunk driving accident or other criminal action.”

The program will begin at 9:00 am and end around 12:00 pm. Members of the media are encouraged to attend. Please contact the Court Information Office at 410/260-1488 if you would like to attend, or for more information.

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