Moving an actual DUI sentencing away from a county courthouse to a local high school is a two-prong approach of educating teenagers about the legal consequences of drinking and driving as well as the role and decisions of judicial branch of the government. Students have an opportunity to directly witness the defendant’s arrest, detention, and the imposed fines and penalties. Following the sentencing the judge will make a brief presentation and co-facilitate and interactive portion of the assembly. The intent is to allow for significant dialogue among the students, defendant, judge, attorneys, law enforcement officers, teachers, and special guests. The 90-minute presentation concludes with a dynamic testimony from a victim of a DUI crash and/or a Drug Recognition Expert.

The goal of the program is to lower the number of teen Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenses in California by effecting change in the attitudes and behavior of youth, for whom traffic collisions are the leading cause of death. This is accomplished by educating teens and parents on the dangers of drinking and DUI through live DUI court trials and sentencing programs conducted in schools.