Traffic Safe CotutHt^Mties Networii(7SCN)ih Santa CCara County
770 So. Bascom Avohm, San Jose, CA

9&/28

7ol>:(^OS) i9^-7S&0 ?nx;(908)999-7m

For Immediate Release;

Contact; Christina Oshinsky,(408)494-7854

Thursday, October 13‘^, 2005
TSCN Co-ChaIrs:

DUI Trial at San Jose State University Gives Students a
Sobering Look at the Consequences of Drinking and Driving

. James T. Beall. Jr. Board of Supervisors
. Martin Fenslersheib, MD, MPH
Health Officer
TSCN Project Director:

. Guadalupe S. Olivas, PhD
Director, Public Heallh Department
TSCN Program Manager:
. Richard Nichols

Public Heallh Department
Work Group Co-ChaIrs:

San Jose, CA - On Monday, October 17'*’, 2005, Superior Court Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley will hold a
DUI trial before approximately 150 college .students in the Student Union Loma Prieta Room at San Jose
State University, One Washington Square, San Jose from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This is a criminal trial of a 21 year-old San Francisco man arrested earlier this year by San Jose Police at
the corner of Santa Clara and Market Street. The defendant was allegedly drinking before his 11:30 p.m.
arrest. A lab test conducted after his arrest indicated that the defendant's blood-alcohol level was 0.197

Alcohol & Impaired Driving:
■ Jackie Masse

Mothers Against Drunk Dhving
. Sgt. Les Bishop
Calitornia Highway Patrol
Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety.’
. Gladwyn O'Souza

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
. Ellen German
Stanford Trauma Services

Red Light Running:
■ LI. Mark Venable
Palo Alio PO
. Ananlh Prasad

see Roads & Airports
Partlcipallng Agencies foartiallishhoK

Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC)
ALTBANS

American Medical Response (AMR)

Bicycle Solutions
California Highway Patrol
California State Automobile Assn.

Callrans • Region 4
City of Campbell
City ol Cupertino
City ol Gilroy
City ol Los Altos

City ol Milpiias
City ol Morgan Hill
City of Mountain View

percent - twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Following the trial, Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley will make a brief presentation and co-facilitate an
interactive discussion lesson. The intent is to allow for significant dialogue among the students, defendant,

judge, attorneys, witnesses, law enforcement officers, faculty, and special guests about the legal
consequences of drinking and driving.

“I hope that through observing a live DUI trial, students will think twice before drinking and driving. Too
many lives have been lost in crashes that could have been prevented,” added James T. Beall, Jr., Santa Clara
County Supervisor and Traffic Safe Communities Network’s Co-chair.

Conducting a DUI trial in a university setting is an innovative strategy to help reduce community alcohol
problems, including motor vehicle crashes. Students will witness the legal consequences of drinking and
driving, and learn about the defendant's arrest, jailing, public trial and, if convicted, the imposed fines and
penalties. They will also have an opportunity to learn more about the judicial branch of government.
Judges struggle in their courtrooms daily with the individual and community problems created by DUI
offenders. Many judges are looking for innovative ways to help reduce alcohol-related problems. This
prevention program is designed to help students learn more about the choices they have for resisting alcohol
industry, media, peer, and social pressures to drink.

Drinking and driving continues to be the leading cause of collisions resulting in injury or death. Statistics

show that 3 out of 5 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash at some point in

their lives. According to the California Highway patrol, from 2001 to 2003, 101 people were killed in

City of Palo Alto

alcohol-related crashes in Santa Clara County, which accounted for over 32% of the traffic fatalities that

City of San Jose

occurred during the three-year period. In 2003, there were almost 8,046 injury collisions. Of those, 9% had

City of Santa Clara

alcohol involved.

City of Sunnyvale
Drinker Drivers Program Assn,
Friday Night Live
Los Gatos/Monie Sereno PD

MAOD Bay Area Chapter
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
NCADD in Silicon Valley
Palo Alto Area American Red Cross
Sale Kids Coalition

Developed by the Traffic Safe Communities Network in Santa Clara County, the program is a cooperative
effort involving the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Superior Court, Office of the District
Attorney, Office of the Public Defender, California Highway Patrol and San Jose State University. Santa
Clara was the first county in California to offer this kind of program. Other California counties are
implementing similar programs. This program is funded by the Office of Traffic Safety through a grant from
the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

San Jose Medical Center Trauma Services

see Board ol Supervisors

see Emergency Medical Services
see Olfice ol DistricI Attorney

see Probation Department
see Roads fi Airports
see Sheriffs Office

see Superior Court
SCVMC Trauma Services

Siiicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

MEDIA COVERAGE OF COURT PROCEEDINGS

Media organizations requesting permission to photograph, record, or broadcast(Rule 980) the San Jose State
University DUI trial must submit the completed forms MC-500 and MC-510 at the Student Union Loma
Prieta Room on Monday, October 17‘^ 2005. No flash photography will be permitted while the court is in
session.
-30-

Stanford Trauma Services
State Farm Insurance

United Neighborhoods of SCC
Walk San Jose

A ProlacI of tHo NalionaC //f<jfiway Jtaffit Safety Achiilnislralioh, tHe eMIfotnla Office of Traffic Safely and l&e
Sniiffl CCara County PuGSic HeaCtA VepattHteui