On Friday 12/16, Civics and Law & Order students were given the opportunity to witness actual court proceedings in Tower’s very own auditorium. The 37th District Court of Macomb, to the best of their ability, set up the auditorium stage to mimic an actual courtroom including a clerk, bailiff, and table for the judge. In addition, there were actual defendants The only cases being presented were misdemeanors, or smaller scale crimes, such as traffic tickets, that may result in a year or less in jail. Presiding over the court session was Judge Matthew P. Sabaugh.
All defendants had plead guilty to the charges brought against them, so their was no actual trial, but students did get the opportunity to witness them being sentenced.
“Watching the court proceedings live made it feel like I was part of it. I realized the seriousness of the situations these defendants were in and I thought to myself that I never want to experience court in my life, ” Dyar Ahmed ’20 said.
Out of the three defendants there that day, one was given the chance to share his story with students. He was in court on drug charges and explained how he had struggled his whole life with drugs and how his birth parents were addicts as well. He wanted students to know how at 15 years old he was willing to do anything to feed his addiction.
“I was always trying to find and use drugs. Think, do you want to be in this position? I cannot do anything about my past, but I can do something to help my future,” the defendant explained to the crowd and for some students, his words hit hard.
His message resonated with students. “The man who spoke showed us the true face of drug use. It wasn’t just a preached message like ‘Don’t do drugs’ it was what happens to your life and how it is completely changed by those destructive decisions,” Blake Bowes ’20 said.
After the defendant was given his sentence, Judge Sabaugh asked Donna Cilluffo, Macomb’s Treatment Court Case Manager, to talk about her work within the 37th District Court system. She explained how among kids today, many are starting to use drugs earlier and earlier, some starting at just 12 years and how the most prevalent drug of choice is becoming heroin. She explained how the defendant who was sentenced was going to required to random screenings for drugs and alcohol, he was going to have to attend a minimum of three Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and required to find a job while on parole and going through treatment.
As there were originally three defendants expected to make an appearance, only two showed. The third, by word of her lawyer, had been released on bond and suddenly disappeared. Students witnessed the judge order a bench warrant, or a written order issued by a judge authorizing the arrest of a person charged with some contempt, crime, or misdemeanor.
“I actually thought the best case was the one where the woman didn’t show up because the judge told us what would happen to her and gave us specifics about situations like that and the amount of trouble she was in,” Ginan Jarbo ’20 said.
Not only was the opportunity an educational one, students were also given great advice by people who accepted their mistakes and learned from them as well as those who deal with these problems everyday.
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