A unique partnership between San Antonio Municipal Court, Lanier High School and St. Mary's University is trying to keep that a child's first interaction with law not mean the end of an academic career, and cement a path to prison. A new court will have students from Lanier High School acting as the judge, the prosecutor, the defense, and the jury in trials over their peers for things like fighting and other school-related crimes.
The pilot project will begin recruiting students soon, and the model could prove to be important for educating students on the process of the law and keep them from re-offending. If that is the case, it could expand to other schools.
Guests:
- Judge John Bull, municipal court Judge
- Vanessa Trevino, Juvenile Court Manager
- Greg Zlotnick, staff attorney and pro bono program supervisor at the St. Mary's Center for Legal and Social Justice
- Laura Cooper, principal at Lanier High School
Transparency Note: Greg Zlotnick is also a member of the TPR Community Advisory Board
