FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2018
COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Office launched a new legal education program at William Pitcher Junior High School today (Aug. 24) in partnership with St. Tammany Parish Schools to teach schoolchildren about the criminal justice system and help them make good choices.
The program, called Kids LEAD (Legal Education And Discovery), also will introduce the students to a variety of legal careers by providing speakers each week on a different legal topic for the entire semester.
“I am excited about bringing this much-needed program to St. Tammany Parish schools,” Montgomery said. “It will help our children think about the choices they make and the sometimes life-altering consequences.”
The program’s first session kicked off at 10 a.m. Friday with District Judge William J. Knight, who talked to the students about the consequences of their choices. Other speakers on the agenda include Assistant District Attorney Collin Sims, Criminal Division Chief, who will provide an overview of the criminal justice system; and Assistant District Attorney Ronnie Gracianette, who will engage the students in an interactive activity in which they act as members of a grand jury and make decisions in a fictitious case. The students also will hear from representatives of the Louisiana Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, MADD, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, ADAPT Rape Crisis Center, and more.
The program is designed to educate students about the criminal justice system and help them steer clear of trouble.
“We are so excited to be a part of the program that District Attorney’s office is initiating,” said Amy T. Burns, Principal of William Pitcher. “I am appreciative of the opportunity that it affords my students to have a better understanding of why good choices are so important in life.”
