On May 3rd, the COE brought the Real DUI Court in Schools Assembly to Monte Vista Christian School and Pajaro Valley High School, serving a total of 700 students. The Real DUI In Schools Assembly is an interactive student assembly that brings an actual DUI hearing/sentencing from the courthouse to the classroom. The assembly provides high school students with an opportunity to witness the consequences of a young adult’s DUI sentence hearing. Judge Denine Guy says, “Students have a peer-to-peer learning experience where a young defendant who looks and sounds just like them comes and says, this is what happened to me, this is the mistake I made, and this is what it has done to change my life.”
During the assemblies, students heard from Nicole Brown, a young woman who was paralyzed due to a DUI accident. Students also learned about the many career possibilities in the judicial system, and had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel members.
The Real DUI In Schools Assembly is a partnership with Santa Cruz Superior Courts, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Cruz Public Defender’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, and the Health Services Agency of Santa Cruz County/Friday Night Live.