McHenry County judges giving teens reasons to leave partying behind

With their graying hair, authoritative titles and daily attire that usually features a suit, tie and black robe, Judges Michael Caldwell and Robert Wilbrandt probably are not the first people teens will turn to for advice on how to party.

But perhaps they should be.

That's what the judges and their colleagues in McHenry County's 22nd Judicial Circuit are hoping for this week when they launch "7 Reasons to Leave the Party."

The program, initiated by a judge in downstate Quincy and now spreading across the state, aims to show teens some of the personal and legal consequences they could face with bad decisions at unsupervised parties.

"It's not just about what can happen to them now, but that the consequences can remain into their 30s and 40s," Caldwell said. "The record is there once you get it. They need to know that the effects of illegal conduct are going to last a long, long time."

Caldwell, Wilbrandt and judges Robert Beaderstadt, Gordon Graham and Thomas Meyer recently received training in the program, and starting this week, will take what they learned to groups of students at county high schools.

The program is a 50-minute interactive presentation designed to mimic what teens might experience at and around an unsupervised house party - alcohol and drug use, underage sex and drunken driving - and illustrate their potential results.

Wilbrandt called the program "preventive law."

"For a lot of the kids, by the time they get into our courtrooms, it's too late," he said. "We want to reach out to them ahead of time."

The seven reasons to leave, Wilbrandt said, include avoiding a criminal record, maintaining driving privileges, keeping free time, keeping the trust of parents and teachers, maintaining privacy, avoiding fines and legal costs, and, most importantly, saving one's life.

"That's what this is really about," he said. "It seems we're losing kids in McHenry County every year."

The judges recognize they have a tough sell with most high schoolers, Caldwell said the program is worthwhile if it persuades just a few to behave responsibly.

"If we get to just one of them, it's a success," he said. "If that one can influence others to leave or not go to the party, it's an overwhelming success."