Centreville hosted “Courts in the Schools”

St. Joseph County District Court Judge Rob Pattison last week staged his fourth “Courts in the Schools” program.
Before a group of nearly 100 upperclassmen at Centreville High School, Pattison sentenced Megan Kucks, a 22-year-old Kalamazoo resident, and Thomas Polston, a 24-year-old Burr Oak man, for their separate cases of driving while impaired.
In part because they agreed to have their sentencings conducted through the innovative program, Kucks and Polston received concessions in their respective sentencings that Pattison said he would not typically yield in such cases.
Where $600 would be a typical assessment for fines and costs, Pattison ordered the fee $100 in Kucks’ case, saying her agreeing to have the case conclude before the high school students was an effective form of community service.
Polston, meanwhile, was arrested March 4 after a gathering with friends at a Sturgis eatery. He was about a mile from home when his vehicle struck a pole and became disabled.
Attorney TJ Reed represented both Polston and Kucks. He said Polston has shown remorse and acknowledged he could have been killed the night of the crash.
Pattison said he is planning to stage “Courts in the Schools” in Constantine and possibly White Pigeon in the fall.