TJ holds a presentation on the current legal system to better educate the community.
Photo by Becca Hansen
On March 22, 2011 TJ partners held The New Reality: Teens in the 21st Century Legal System, a presentation to open awareness on the changes that have taken place since many TJ parents were high school students, and to help inform students of where they stand in the criminal justice system.
The presentation included four guest speakers, all of whom hold careers within the field of criminal justice and are highly esteemed members of the legal community. The speakers included: Karen Steinhauser (an attorney defending criminal and civil cases, an adjunct professor of law at DU, and a former Denver Chief Deputy District Attorney), Pamela Wakefield (a private practice attorney, a former Chief Deputy District Attorney in Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, and the parent of a TJ student) Teri Cueva (a Juvenile Probation Officer), and Tim Cueva (Student Resource Officer here at TJ). “I liked speaking in the presentation. I thought it was a great way to educate the parents and students here at Thomas Jefferson,” said Resource Officer Cueva.
The presentation focused on new technologies that did not exist in many TJ parents’ generations. New behaviors that did not exist were brought up, such as texting while driving, confrontations that occur via text or Internet, and sexting. “The speakers really showed us how important it is for parents to keep up with technology and how to help their kids not get into trouble using it,” said Lisa Hansen, a TJ parent who attended,
The speakers discussed teen decision-making and what legal consequences are possible if poor choices are made, particularly around the use of alcohol and marijuana. One example given to the audience was from a TJ Partners member, who also formerly worked in the limousine rental business, about what is done when students attending a dance or prom are found to have alcohol. “The presentation was very informative. It taught me a lot about modern-day law and that teenagers should be more aware of the law,” said Junior Luke Fabian who attended the presentation.
The speakers spoke both to parents and students in the presentation, but the main focus was for the parents. The speakers focused mostly on the importance of parental involvement in their children’s lives. They encouraged the parents to talk to their student(s) frequently and to keep track of their what their kids are getting involved in. “The most important message to the parents was probably to know what your kid is up to and where they are, to help keep them out of trouble,” said Officer Cueva.
The evening’s presentation was wrapped up by an open question forum where parents and students were encouraged to ask the speakers any questions they may have had, pertaining to the presentation or the legal system. “The presentation was very informative and interesting. I think everyone should have gone. It was well worth the time to go,” said Hansen.
The presentation could not have been put on without the efforts of the TJ Partners and all of the guest speakers who helped to make the night both informative and relevant to the TJ community.
