By Jim Newell
Review Editor
It’s not only “bad” people who make mistakes; “good” people do, too.
And there’s consequences for making poor decisions, a lesson that Judge Julie Nicholson and the attorneys in her school courts try to impart to young people.
“When I was elected in 1997, one of the initiatives I had was to educate kids on healthy choices. So, I worked with the school systems – I have four different school districts in my jurisdiction – and I devised this program, which was actually modeled off of one that Judge Michael Martone did called Court in the Schools and Critical Life Choices,” said Nicholson, whose regular court is in the 52nd District Court, 3rd Division in Rochester.

On May 16, students at Scripps Middle School were witness to a sentencing hearing. And while the court may have been in their gym, where they play basketball and dodgeball and socialize, it was clear to them that this wasn’t some mock court: this was a real court, with real penalties and a real defendant.
“That’s why we have the flags here on the stage, a table that looks like a (judge’s) bench. I am required to wear my robe. We are required to record all the court proceedings. So, they know ahead of time that this is a courtroom and they have to respect the rules of the courtroom,” Nicholson said. “The program is designed to educate the kids as to what the laws are out there and how those laws impact them, as well as what the consequences are when they break the laws. I do the sentencing first and then I do a video program that shows various scenarios of where people made bad decisions.”
Attorney Steven A. Drakos, the defense attorney in the case at Scripps, and Nicholson have been holding court sessions in schools for 20 years.
The students were also warned that if there were any outbursts or disruptive behavior, they could be held in contempt.
“This is a real court atmosphere. If any child, young adult, gets out of line the judge has the power to arrest or hold them in contempt of court. They could be fined or, if they’re a certain age, they could face jail time in a juvenile court,” Drakos said. “But we’ve never had an incident. They’ve all been respectful, especially at this school.
“We’re celebrating 20 years of going to not only all Lake Orion schools, but also Rochester and any schools under the jurisdiction of the 52-3 District Court,” Drakos said. “Judge Nicholson and I went to law school together and came up with this idea in 1996 when we ran for judges (seats).”
In that race, Nicholson won a seat on the district court bench and Drakos, who finished third, continued practicing law.
“I was proud that she took it upon herself to continue this. Other attorneys are involved, too, but it’s special to me when it comes to the Lake Orion school district,” said Drakos, who lives and works in Lake Orion and is a trustee on the school board.
During the proceeding at Scripps, the students witnessed a sentencing hearing for a 39-year-old woman who hit a light pole with her car and left the scene of an accident. Drakos noted that his client, Amanda Haynes, went to authorities afterward and got tested and was “clean.”
Complicating the decision for Nicholson was that Haynes, an airline pilot, had a prior conviction for drinking and driving (Operating While Intoxicated) in 2016.
“She has volunteered to come to Scripps so, hopefully, the kids can benefit from her experiences,” Drakos said. “But leaving the scene still impacted her career. She also lost her pilot’s license (prior to the court sentencing) and can’t fly anymore.”
Drakos noted that his client could have refused to have her sentencing in a school. “She has a right not to be here. She has a right to have her hearing in a court of law, but she has chosen to be here.”
And the students saw for themselves the real consequences for one’s actions. While Haynes avoided jail time, she was sentenced to 18 months of probation, ordered to pay court costs and fines, undergo counseling treatment and a Level 2 traffic safety course.
She also has to perform work assignments (WWAM), a sentencing option for all offenders convicted of a misdemeanor, where participants perform work at various non-profit organizations throughout Oakland County, Thursday through Sunday.
Over the years of holding sentencing hearings in schools, Nicholson has seen the impact the program has had on students.
“It’s been very positive, with a lot of great feedback. I’ve been doing this for 22 years now and I’ve actually had teachers that saw the program when they were in 7th grade that have asked me to come back to their schools. So, it stays with them,” she said. “I do a follow-up program in the high schools called ‘Have to choose.’ I generally target 10th to 11th graders and we go over, again, the consequences of making bad decisions.”
Nicholson and Drakos agree that reaching students early on can help deter them from making the wrong decision in the future.
“The reason she does this at the middle school level and not the high school level is that the middle school level is where the students are still being molded. That way we help prepare them for high school peer pressure,” Drakos said. “I’m just honored to be a part of the program.”
“They’re still impressionable. They’re starting to get to that point where they’re getting a little bit more freedom and they’re starting to make these decisions. They also are starting to have a lot of peer pressure, so they have to know how to make the right decisions and how to say ‘No’,” Nicholson said.
After the sentencing hearing, Nicholson gave the students a presentation about the dangers of drinking and driving and using drugs.
“I think it’s great that the schools have been so willing to work with me in doing this and educating the kids. I’ve got two kids who are now adults and I know how hard it is for parents to try to get that message out to kids. I think all the schools in our jurisdiction do a great job in trying to educate the kids,” Nicholson said.
Drakos appreciates the judge’s efforts to educate young people, adding it takes time for Nicholson and her staff to move the court proceedings to a school
“She’s very committed. She’s never missed one opportunity to help the youth in our community. For her to take time to come to our schools to benefit other people shows credibility, and respect for people who are, in fact, in trouble,” Drakos said.