Much like
”
People’s Court
”
– without the post-show jabs – is the DUI trial that is planned
at Live Oak High School’s theater Tuesday morning. A real judge,
Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff, will preside over the criminal
trial for the sentencing of a 46-year-old woman who was arrested
for drunken driving at 2:55 a.m. Nov. 11 in San Jose. Her
blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08
percent.
Much like “People’s Court” – without the post-show jabs – is the DUI trial that is planned at Live Oak High School’s theater Tuesday morning. A real judge, Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff, will preside over the criminal trial for the sentencing of a 46-year-old woman who was arrested for drunken driving at 2:55 a.m. Nov. 11 in San Jose. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Putting the trial in front of 350 Live Oak seniors is done to prevent DUIs and reckless behavior as prom season and graduation waits in the wings, according to Live Oak High School.
“A select jury of senior students will decide the fate,” said Darcy Foster, the ASB director at Live Oak.
Well, almost. The fate will be done according to law, by a judge, but 12 seniors will serve on a mock jury and consult with the judge before a verdict is handed down.
“In talking with other schools that did this, it was amazingly powerful,” Foster said. Yerba Buena High School in San Jose hosted a trial for the DUI Court in Schools prevention program Friday put on by Santa Clara County. It’s designed to teach students about the consequences of drinking and driving while witnessing first-hand the judicial process.
“Morgan Hill police officers will be there who are very involved in making sure teens know about DUIs and the power of what it can you do to your life,” she said.
From 8:20 a.m. until 12:20 p.m. students will listen to court proceedings and the legal consequences of drinking and driving by hearing about the defendant’s arrest, jailing, public trial and, if convicted, sentencing the defendant will face sentencing, fines and penalties.
Immediately following the trial, Judge Toff will make a presentation and co-facilitate an interactive discussion about drinking and driving and the laws that pertain to minors.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens and alcohol is one of the primary collision factors. The DUI Court in the Schools program is one strategy that aims to reduce alcohol-related crashes which are the most deadly. In 2008, the California Office of Traffic Safety reported 118 collisions in Santa Clara County involving drivers under age 21 who had been drinking. The crashes resulted in 111 injuries and three deaths. The same year, alcohol-related crashes comprised 10.8 percent of all motor vehicle collisions in Santa Clara County but caused 38 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.
