HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 1999.12.16 - 25655MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #99305
BY: PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE-FRANK MILLARD, CHAIRMAN
IN RE: 52nd District Court--Courageous Decisions Program
November 18, 1999
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS, drunk driving is the most frequently committed crime in our nation
today, a crime which killed 536 people in Michigan last year; and
WHEREAS, as painful as that statistic is, it is even more anguishing when
we recognize that many of the deaths represented in that statistic are of young
people; and
WHEREAS, to combat these dreadful statistics, Judge Michael Martone has
created an award-winning program, known as"Courageous Decisions", which has been
presented to over 40,000 middle school, and high school students throughout the
Nation; and
WHEREAS, "Courageous Decisions" is a combination of a real courtroom
proceeding being held at the school, followed by a video presentation which
interactively demonstrates to the students the very real consequences of faulty
decision making on critical issues; and
WHEREAS, the "Courageous Decision" program has demonstrated itself to be
an outstanding preventative model for the reduction of youth/alcohol related
traffic accidents.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
does hereby appropriate $75,000 for the establishment of a pilot "Courageous
Decisions" program for Oakland County which can be utilized by all of the Judges
of Oakland County.
Chairperson, on behalf of the Public Services Committee, I move the
adoption of the foregoing resolution.
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Dingeldey voting no and Galloway absent.
COURAGEOUS DECISIONS
A National Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program
JUDGE MICHAEL A. MARTONE
520 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, Michigan 48084
(248) 526-0200; Facsimile (248) 526-6702
Web site: www.CourageousDecisi (ins org
E-mail: martonem@co.oaklarami.us
Program Overview
The Courageous Decisions Program is an award winning alcohol and drug intervention
program that was started in 1993 by Judge Michael A. Martone of the 52nd District Court in Troy,
Michigan. The program consists of two separate and distinct presentations: Courageous Decisions
Court (CD Court) presentation and Courageous Decisions Video (CD Video) presentation. The
two presentations are frequently held back to back. However, standing alone, the CD Video
presentation has been presented around the nation to middle school, high school and college
students.
During the CD Court presentation, Judge Martone actually conducts a session of his court
at a local middle or high school. Real cases, real defendants and real sentences.
The second presentation, the CD Video, consists of Judge Martone engaging the students in
an interactive dialogue during a video presentation. Judge Martone, using a multi media format,
shows the students a series of poignant video vignettes and still photos illustrating the catastrophic
results of flawed critical thinking. This presentation, coupled with Judge Martone's insightful
discussion, leaves a lasting impression.
Combining both programs, the CD Court and CD Video will result in the greatest impact
on middle and early high school students. For maximum impact on high school juniors and seniors
or college students, experience indicates that the presentation of CD Video alone is preferred. This
format allows more time for discussion and dialogue between the students and Judge Martone.
Either program typically takes between 50 to 60 minutes to complete.
As of July 1, 1999, over 42,000 students have participated in the program in nine states. On
April 20, 1999, in what is believed to have been the first of it's kind program, Judge Martone
presented the CD Video portion of the program via satellite to thousand of schools across North
America. It has been proven to be one of the most successful programs of its type in the country.
It is so successful that it has been profiled on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America,
MSNBC's Today's People, and NPR's Todd Mundt Show. Judge Martone has been featured in news
reports and in dozens of newspapers from all over America and in Fast Company magazine. To view
Fast Company's December, 1998 issue go to www.fastcompany.com/on1ine/20/b1ackrobe.html on
the World Wide Web.
History of the Program
The first presentation of this high impact, low cost program by Judge Martone was in Troy,
Michigan in 1993. The initial version of the program, then titled Court in the Schools, consisted
of the CD Court presentation only. Judge Martone actually relocated his court to a local high
school auditorium and ran a typical district court docket consisting of drunk driving cases,
possession of controlled substance cases, shoplifting cases or any type of crime that students might
be tempted to commit. Students witnessed a real judge, with real defendants entering real pleas and
having real sentences imposed ranging from probation to jail.
In 1995, the program was expanded to the middle school level as well. The impact on these
younger students was tremendous and continued to remain high with the high school students as
well. In an effort to increase the impact and at the same time limit the repetitiveness and
predictability of a court docket, the program was modified in 1996 to limit the number of defendants
appearing before the students to two or three per hour session. This change in the program format
facilitated the use of the high impact video presentation. After several very successful programs, the
CD Video presentation became a permanent part of the presentation.
Necessity for the Program
Judge Martone, a former vehicle homicide prosecutor, recognized the need for judicial
intervention early in his career. Historically and by design, the judiciary is a reactive institution
that waits for a violator to break the law. When someone does, alcohol or drugs are frequently
involved. At sentencing judges are eager to help the offender into rehabilitation. Unfortunately,
by that time alcohol or drug dependancy trigger levels have long been crossed and society is
confronted not only with dealing with the offender, but also with the problem of stopping someone
out of control.
Many of the young people appearing before Judge Martone, especially on alcohol related
matters, normally do not engage in other types of irresponsible behavior. Frequently they are good
kids from good families. Yet, because of pressure from their friends, these good kids are making
foolish mistakes and begin to drink or drink and drive. Most, if not all, of these young violators do
not have sufficient experience to handle the situation. They think they are invincible and that
whatever happens, it won't happen to them. They do not realize that when they get behind the
wheel of a car after drinking, they are operating a 4,000 pound rocket fueled by inexperience and
alcohol.
Furthermore, on what is becoming an all too frequent basis, a young life will be lost through
alcohol poisoning as a result of binge drinking. The latest example is the tragic November 6, 1998,
death of a Michigan State University junior who celebrated his 21st birthday with his buddies by
drinking 24 shots and dying as a result of a .44 blood alcohol level.
The Courageous Decisions Program corrects this make-believe world and gives these young
people a dose of reality. In a non-threatening manner, the program demonstrates the painful
consequences of real life problems. It is a powerful program with a maximum impact that any
district or municipal judge can initiate in his or her jurisdiction.
Program Format
A typical Courageous Decisions combined program of CD Court and CD Video
presentations will take approximately 50 minutes to complete. During the first part, the CD Court
portion, the court is physically relocated from the courthouse to a middle or high school auditorium.
The stage is set according to statutory requirements and all Court Rules apply.
When the students are assembled, an opening statement is made indicating what is about to
transpire, the proper decorum required and what to expect if it is not maintained. This immediately
gets the students' attention. The court officer then calls the Court to order and two or three pending
non-violent misdemeanor cases are called. These cases are typically a first offense drunk driving case,
a second offense drunk driving case in which the defendant will be going to jail directly from the
school, a possession of controlled substance case, a shoplifting case or any other type of case with
which the young students can identify. Pleas are taken and sentences are handed out ranging from
probation to jail. This portion of the program lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Each defendant has his or her own attorney and has agreed in advance to come to the school.
They have been pre-screened to avoid any security problems and at least two to three police officers
are on the premises during the program in order to receive the defendants sentenced to jail. When
the last case of the session is concluded and the defendant has been taken into custody, the court is
called to recess and the second phase of the program, the CD Video portion begins.
The format for the Courageous Decisions Video presentation is the same whether or not
it is presented with the CD Court portion.
During the CD Video portion, the robe comes off, shirt sleeves are rolled up and the kids
are 'coached' through the game of life. The students are given examples of situations in which they
will be required to make a critical decision that may affect them or others for the rest of their lives.
They learn that success in life is dependent on knowing the rules, doing a proper risk analysis, being
mindful of the consequences and making the right choices.
The 'coaching' techniques that are used include showing the students a series of seven or eight
video vignettes that poignantly demonstrate the consequences of a poor choice after a flawed risk
analysis of a given situation. The videos consist of local and national news stories, for example; three
teenagers that lost their lives by speeding on a rain slicked highway; a quadruple death case where
a young mother and her three daughters were killed as a result of a drunk driver; two separate
multiple death cases involving a total of 10 under age drinkers, leaving seven dead and three
catastrophically injured. Discussions are carried on between each of these relatively short video
clips. Topic segments are added or deleted to fit the program to the students needs.
The final video, courtesy of FACE, is a re-enactment of an alcohol poisoning case. These
children, trying so hard to grow up and be accepted, often times have no conception that drinking
can lead to death. The students are relieved when they are told that, unlike all the other clips, this
one is not a real news report, but was made by actors. The video shows a father putting his
intoxicated daughter to bed to sleep it off. Tragically, in the morning the child is dead. Relief that
this 49 second clip was not real fades quickly as the students are told the complete story of a young
Michigan girl's untimely death on her 16th birthday from alcohol poisoning.
The videos, together with the discussions, open young eyes for the first time. The students
consider their own mortality for the first time. The discussions lead to many related topics such as
GHB and `roofies', the date rape drugs, and teenage pregnancy among other things. The kids are
given straight, honest answers to questions they are afraid to ask parents or teachers. When the
students leave the assembly, a mere one hour after it begins, they have grown in years. They admit
that their views on drinking, choosing their friends and their future in general must be evaluated
from a position of reality as compared to illusion. Without ever telling the students what to do or
not do, the message is received and stored in their memories.
The key to the success of the program, unlike most other programs, is that the students are
not instructed, cajoled or otherwise told to do or not to do a thing. They don't want anyone telling
them what to do. However, by using their medium; television, and giving them the opportunity
to view themselves as possible victims, or perhaps as a defendant, results in a lasting impression.
The impact on the students is lasting. One example was a young woman who participated
in the program a year prior to meeting Judge Martone in a restaurant. She commented on the video
clip of a 17 year old girl who was driving with an intoxicated driver that struck a tree at 65 MPH.
The crash killed four and left one in a wheelchair for life, unable to walk or talk. In discussing this
video with Judge Martone, the young woman began to cry and had to excuse herself. She returned
after regaining composure and stated: "Judge, nothing in my life has every impacted me like that
video clip. I will never get into a car after drinking or with someone who has. I do not want to end
up like that girl."
Program Presentations and Recognition
It is because of this type of success that Judge Martone's program is being adopted by judges
in Michigan and other states around the country. It was selected to be part of SADD's initiative
'2000 by 2000' and presented at the MADD Youth Summit in Washington D.C. in 1997. Judge
Martone will once again present the program at the MADD Youth Summit 2000 and at the 1999
Regional Alcohol Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
Judge Martone has presented the program at the 1997 Wisconsin Governor's Conference on
Highway Safety, the 1997 Illinois Bi-Regional Impaired Driving Conference, and the 1998 Michigan
Traffic Safety Conference. Judge Martone, as a visiting faculty member, teaches the program to
judges at the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada, at Reno. The program was
presented at three state-wide seminars in the spring of 1999 through the Michigan Judicial Institute.
Judge Martone and the University of Michigan Medical Center, Trauma Burn Center
Prevention & Outreach Department have joined together to establish a joint program that will
continue to spread the message of awareness to America's youth. Judge Martone joins Paul Tehari,
M.D., Pamela Pucci, R.N. BSN, and their team, for monthly programs that are held at the
University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Courageous Decisions Program was selected as one of the nation's best judicial outreach
programs by the American Bar Association's Judicial Division, published by West Publishing,
March, 1999. On three occasions, Judge Martone has been recognized for his efforts on behalf of
America's youth in the Congressional Record by Senator Spencer Abraham, Congressman Joe
Knollenberg and Congressman Sander Levin. Judge Martone has received numerous awards
including the 1997 State of Michigan Traffic Safety Award and the 1999 Foundation for the
Improvement offustice Award. On November 4, 1999, at Washington DC's National Press Club, the
National Crime Prevention Council will present Judge Martone with the 1999 Ameritech Award for
Excellence in Crime Prevention and on December 13, 1999, National Commission Against Drunk
Driving will present Judge Martone with the 1999 NCADD Adjudication Award.
Assistance to other Judges
In an effort to assist other judges in presenting this high-impact, low-cost program, Judge
Martone has prepared a 'How To' manual that sets forth the steps that need to be taken in order to
present a successful Courageous Decisions Court & Video Program. The 30 page manual is made
available along with a 'How To' video. Following the step-by-step directions, any judge can start
the complete two-part program in as little as three months. Judge Martone will provide whatever
assistance a local judge needs to set up and present this powerful program.
Judge Martone, at the invitation of other judges, school administrators and concerned parent
groups, has presented the Courageous Decisions Video program to groups as small as 25 or as large
as 1,500 students. CD Video presentation can be scheduled in a much shorter time frame and
frequently the requesting school will invite their local judge to witness the presentation and its high
impact on the students. Judge Martone will provide whatever assistance a local judge may need to
set up and present the CD Court portion of the program and, if necessary, he will visit the local
program site to present the CD portion of the program.
For more information, any interested judge, educator, school group or concerned citizen can
contact Judge Martone directly by phone at (248) 526-6700, by fax at (248) 526-6702, by E-mail at
blackrobe@nextinline.com or by snail mail at the addresses above.
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Resolution #99305 November 18, 1999
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Finance Committee. There
were no objections.
FISCAL NOTE (M.R. #99305) December 16, 1999
BY: FINANCE COMMITTEE, SUE ANN DOUGLAS, CHAIRPERSON
IN RE: 52nd DISTRICT COURT—COURAGEOUS DECISIONS PROGRAM
TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to Rule XII-C of this Board, the Finance Committee has reviewed
the above referenced resolution and finds:
1. Courageous Decisions is a program developed to diminish alcohol
related traffic accidents by youth.
2. The program is a combination of a real courtroom proceeding held at
a school, followed by a video presentation which shows students the
consequences of faulty decision making.
3. The resolution requests $75,000 be appropriated, with the
appropriate agreement, to establish a pilot "Courageous Decisions"
program to be used by all Judges of Oakland County.
4. The following amendment be made transferring funds from Contingency
to 52nd District Court Administration Division:
90-290000-25000-2564 Contingency ($75,000)
32-101200-20001-3348 Professional Services 75.000
$
FirAnce Committee
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
Resolution #99305 December 16, 1999
Moved by Millard supported by Palmer the resolution be adopted.
AYES: Taub, Amos, Appel, Causey-Mitchell, Colasanti, Coleman, Dingeldey,
Douglas, Galloway, Gregory, Jensen, Law, McCulloch, McPherson, Melton, Millard,
Moffitt, Obrecht, Palmer, Patterson, Schmid, Sever, Suarez. (23)
NAYS: Garfield. (1)
A sufficient majority having voted therefor, the resolution was adopted.
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, G. William Caddell, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the
foregoing resolution is a true and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the
Oakland County Board of Commissioners on December 16, 1999 with the original
record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the
County of Oakland at Pontiac, Michigan this 1 th d of December, 1999.
G. William Caddell, County Clerk