Municipal Court Judge Receives Award For STOP Program

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Johns Creek Municipal Court Judge Don Schaefer received the Special Recognition Award by the Georgia Council of Municipal Judges for his work on the city’s STOP program.

The 90-minute class, taught by Judge Schaefer and police volunteers, combines lecture, humor, demonstrations, fictional videos and real photos designed to “educate, shock and awaken drivers” 17 to 20 years old, the city said.

“My name is on the plaque but it’s been a team effort,” Schaefer said. “A lot of people helped get it started and kept it going. The most important thing is that the STOP program is having an impact in terms of educating young drivers and making them a little wiser and safer.”

The award, which recognizes municipal courts or individual judges who have come up with innovative new programs, was presented at the Council’s annual business meeting held in conjunction with its Law & Practice Update Seminar in June.

The intervention program was launched in 2007 because police and municipal court judges observed what appeared to be a disproportionate number of young traffic violators in Johns Creek.

The Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council named STOP, Johns Creek’s teen-driver intervention program, as its 2013 Program of the Year.

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Photo credit: city of Johns Creek