(Annapolis, MD – April 29, 2008) The Anne Arundel County District Court is bringing high school students to court on Wednesday, April 30, with the hope that they will never see them there as defendants. More than 100 students from Severn School will visit the District Court in Annapolis for Schools in the Court, a program that shows them real-life consequences of making wrong choices.

During the Schools in the Court program, students will get an up-close view of the state’s justice system in action and learn about the legal and personal costs of speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drug use, and other crimes.

The students will observe criminal cases – in many cases the defendants are not much older than the students – and will hear from victims and people who have been convicted of drinking and driving. They will learn about the legal and financial consequences of being charged with drunk driving and will meet with a representative from Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center to hear about the life-and-death consequences of wrong decisions. This session of Schools in the Court comes just before prom and end-of-school activities and parties.

(Editor’s Note: Members of the media are encouraged to attend the Schools in the Court program on Wednesday, April 30, from 9-11 a.m., in the Anne Arundel County District Court, 251 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis. Please contact the Court Information Office at (410) 260-1488 in advance if you want to attend or have questions about when and where cameras will be permitted.)

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