February 7, 2011
Judge Tom
2

Drunk driving course for teens has deadly funding

In Los Angeles, California, the Coroner’s Office supports a program for teen drivers that includes a visit to the morgue. Funds for the course are raised through sales from an attached gift shop named “Skeletons in the Closet.”

Twenty years ago a secretary at the morgue noticed the T-shirts and mugs that were given out at forensic conferences. She started selling them with the coroner’s logo from her desk and eventually expanded her inventory and space to a small shop.

Lapel Pin - $5.00

Items available include undertaker boxer shorts, body bags, yellow crime scene tape, toe tags, sweatshirts, notepads and pens–all with the coroner’s logo. Annual sales have exceeded $250,000. The shop draws tour guides and visitors from Asia and Europe. A popular item is the $30.00 beach towel with a life-size body outline.

Other jurisdictions across the country also include a trip to the morgue as a reality check for teen offenders.  A term of probation or part of a diversion program may also include a shift at your local emergency room. Find out more about juvenile DUIs.

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network

Leave A Comment

2 Comments

  • Oklahoma City Divorce
    August 2, 2011 3:39 pm count( 0 )

    Not sure what to think about that one…kind of weird.