(Annapolis, MD— April 11, 2005)  More than 100 juniors and seniors from Anne Arundel County Schools will take a front-row seat to see the state’s justice system in action in Anne Arundel District Court in Annapolis on Wednesday, April 13. As participants in the Maryland Judiciary’s eighth “Schools in the Courts” program, the students will watch actual defendants on trial before District Court Judge Vincent A. Mulieri during the three-hour program.

More than 100 students from Broadneck and South River high schools will listen as formerly convicted drunk drivers share sobering stories about the choices they made. “Schools in the Courts,” which Judge Mulieri created in spring of 2001, educates students about the real consequences of making the wrong choices – namely drinking and driving, use of drugs, and other crimes.
“As these young people start driving and take on other new responsibilities, we want to encourage them to make the right decisions. We don’t want to see them return to this courtroom as defendants,” Judge Mulieri said. “‘Schools in the Courts’ helps students understand the real consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol.”

After watching live, unscripted criminal cases, the students will hear from Leslie Thomas, of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and they will have the opportunity to ask questions of District Court Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn. They will also learn about the requirements of probation and the financial burden of being convicted of drunk driving from Harold Rohrback, Jr., of the Drinking Driving Monitor Program.

The Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) Board of Education will tape the speakers during this year’s program. Beginning April 18, the program will be aired on Anne Arundel County Public Schools Television Channel 96 on both the Comcast and Millennium cable systems. Anne Arundel County residents with cable access will be able to view the program from their homes. Broadcast times will be posted on the AACPS Web site: www.aacps.org.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. and end around noon. Members of the media are encouraged to attend. Please contact the Court Information Office at 410/260-1488 if you want to attend or have questions about when and where cameras will be permitted.