Lake state's attorney hosts workshop for students
Submitted by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office
The Lake County State's Attorney's Office hosted its annual Knowledge is Power Workshop in partnership with the Exchange Club of North Chicago, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the 19th Judicial Circuit and Neal Math and Science Academy in North Chicago.
The program was hosted on Tuesday, Dec. 29, at the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.
The program is intended for career insight to the criminal justice system. The LCSAO seeks to motivate students to pursue higher education, give back to their community through public service, and consider the criminal justice profession as a potential career goal.
The vision is to intervene at an early age to educate students on the various career opportunities that Lake County government may offer.
An additional goal is for young students to establish a positive relationship with law enforcement and court staff, and to be motivated to stay away from a life of criminality and drugs.
The annual workshops also help to educate middle school and high school students as to the phases of the criminal justice system and help them understand what is being done to protect the rights of victims and the due process rights of defendants.
This year, the Honorable Judge Jorge Ortiz participated in the workshop. He spoke to the students of the phases in his career and how, ultimately, he was selected to become the first Latino Chief Judge in Lake County as of January 2016. Judge Ortiz even allowed students to experience sitting at the judge's bench.
Students also toured the Lake County State's Attorney's office and heard Nerheim speak about his efforts and involvement within Lake County and the functions of the office. He was proud to welcome the students to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, as well as educate them on making the right choices in life.
"The Knowledge is Power program is one of my favorite new programs because it has the potential to motivate young people to pursue a career in criminal justice. When I meet with these kids, I know I am speaking to a future state's attorney, public defender, probation officer, police officer or judge," Nerheim said.
"When they first come in, they don't always have the best perception of the criminal justice system. It is important for them to see who we really are and what we really do. This program provides these students with a sense of empowerment, as well as a vision of what they are capable of accomplishing."
The students also toured the Lake County jail with Sam Cunningham from the Lake County Sheriff's Office/Lake County jail. They learned the processes and protocols of the Lake County jail and observed the layout of the jail.
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