West Bloomfield— The consequences of drinking and driving were  witnessed firsthand Friday by West Bloomfield High School students as they  watched a live court in their school.

Members of the school’s law club, American history classes and other students  attended the sentencing of defendants in two drunken driving cases before 48th  District Chief Judge Diane D’Agostini in the school’s media center.

The stiff fines, jail time and probation sentences grabbed the students’  attention.

One of the defendants was sentenced to two years’ probation and 30 days in  jail, with credit for five days served. He also was ordered to undergo drug  testing and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week.

The other defendant was given eight months’ probation. She also was ordered  to undergo drug testing and given 20 hours of community service.

“It was a wake-up call for everyone who sat and watched,” said Taylor  Onderko, 16, a junior. “What we learned should influence everyone’s decisions in  the future.”

A poster board was displayed in front of the makeshift courtroom, filled with  newspaper accounts of victims who had been killed by drunken drivers. D’Agostini  referred to the board when sentencing the two defendants, neither of whom hurt  anyone while driving drunk.

“Drunk driving causing death is a form of manslaughter, and depending on how  extreme the drunk driving case is, the charge could be second-degree murder,”  the judge said. “You’re just lucky you didn’t kill anybody, or yourself.”

To emphasize the point, D’Agostini showed a video involving a local teen who  caused his best friend’s death while driving under the influence. Many in the  audience dabbed their eyes as the young man, and the family of the deceased  teen, shared their story.

“The video was very effective because it showed the consequences of what can  happen when someone drives drunk,” said Sakina Usuf, 17, a junior.

D’Agostini said she was particularly concerned about teens drinking and  driving as prom season begins.

“I see it more and more as summer approaches,” she said. “You’re drunk,  you’re driving and putting innocent people in danger. And that includes smoking  marijuana. I’m seeing it so frequently. People getting high while driving, or  driving a couple of hours later. Drugged driving brings the same penalties as  drunk driving.”

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