Judge tells pupils wrong choices have consequences

To children who have heard an adult say "Because I said so," it may seem that adults can do whatever they want.

"And in a way they can -- unless it breaks the law," said Valerie Cochran, assistant public defender. "Adults have to follow rules too."

Ms. Cochran and state court Judge Pattie Booker spoke to about 40 fifth-graders at Bayvale Elementary School on April 2 about making the right choices.

Correlating a principal to a judge, they used examples of consequences pupils face at school to those a judge might impose.

"When you violate the rules or the law when you grow up, instead of being brought before the principal or your parents, you're brought before the court," Judge Booker told them. "If you break the rules now and you go to the principal's office, maybe your parents are called or maybe you are suspended from school. When you get to be a grown up, it's a much worse punishment."

While making one bad choice can have harsh consequences, it doesn't mean that a person can't change, Ms. Cochran said.

"Even if you have been in trouble a lot in the past, you can change your mind, you can change your behavior," she said. "Everyone has a choice every day. When you wake up and come to school, every day you have a choice to behave yourself or not."

Near the end of the presentation, Dr. Dana Harris, the school's principal, asked the pupils: "How many of you know of someone who had to go before a judge?" and most of the pupils raised their hands.

That's why she invited Ms. Cochran and Judge Booker to speak to the pupils, she said.

"Knowing that so many know of someone who has gone before a judge, I thought that it would beneficial for them to hear firsthand how choices can affect the consequences," she said. "Hopefully, this will encourage them to think about what the choices they make and the consequences it could bring."

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.