By Nick Sestanovich
Solano Superior Court Judge Robert Bowers will be presiding over a DUI trial today with plaintiffs and defendants presenting their cases. The catch? It will all take place in Benicia High School’s Performing Arts Building auditorium.
This morning, approximately 400 students will witness an actual criminal trial, not a mock presentation. The judge, attorneys, witnesses, law enforcement officers and suspect are all real. The goal, according to Solano’s Superior Court, is to give students a firsthand look at how such trials are conducted. Such lessons include the legal repercussions of drinking and driving, the defendant’s arrest, the arraignment process, imposed fines and penalties if the suspect is convicted and the overall role of the judicial branch of government.
According to a news release by the Superior Court, one goal of the trial is to create a novel way to reduce alcohol-related issues and enable students to make more informed choices regarding the pressure to drink.