Teenage Drinking,  Driving,  and Responsibility

Introduction | The Question | Background Information | The Task | Individual Roles |  Conclusion | Evaluation  

Introduction

Drinking and driving are a deadly combination.  The National Safety Council estimates that over 26,000 people are killed each year by drunk drivers in the United States.   Drinking can seem like a very grown-up thing to do, and teenagers feel considerable pressure from their friends to drink.  But drinking is a privilege which requires that the individual act in a responsible and mature way.  When people become irresponsible with liquor, the result can be deadly, as when an intoxicated person drives a car.

The case of People vs. Ballard describes a hypothetical situation involving a high school student who faces felony charges for leaving the scene of an accident where another person has been injured.  You are assigned to develop a portion of the court case brief.  Each of you will gather evidence to help support your case. 

This mock trial is based on People vs. Ballard from Constitutional Rights Foundation, Los Angeles, California.  A part of the California State Department of Education Project.  Co-sponsored by the State Bar California, The California Young Lawyer's Association, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal.