To drive home the message about the dangers and consequences of drunken driving, the Traffic Safe Communities Network in Santa Clara County is the first in the state to offer real-life driving under the influence of alcohol trials in high schools.

Willow Glen High School's Little Theater was transformed into a courtroom on Dec. 15 as 40-year-old John Laye pleaded not guilty to a DUI charge before Superior Court Judge Randolph Rice and approximately 300 high school seniors who watched as a civics assignment.

"It does have an impact to see it happening," said Annel Morales, one of 16 mock jurors who sat on the stage to the right of the judge.

Another mock juror, Craig Doleshel, said, "We see how they handle their expressions and signs of possible nervousness."

Students heard how the defendant, John Laye, was stopped on the morning of Aug. 8 for speeding on an on ramp, making a sudden lane change and not stopping for a police car's lights.

Officer Melinda Ingham gave testimony that Laye's gait, slightly slurred speech and watery eyes, as well as his performance on the walk and turn, stand and balance, and finger dexterity tests raised her suspicions that he was intoxicated over the legal .08 blood alcohol level.

She also administered the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS), which measures the amount of alcohol in breath, and Laye's reading was .09.

When he was tested in a crime lab 45 minutes later, his blood alcohol level was .10. As a result, defense attorney Michelle Pusateri argued that there was doubt that at the time of his arrest his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit because the PAS test is an approximation.

Crime lab expert Trevor Gillis testified that at a .07 blood alcohol level, people start losing psychomotor control, which affects hand, eye and foot coordination.

Gillis said that one drink is burned off an hour, so to reach a .10 blood alcohol level in six hours, between 10 and 14 drinks were consumed.

When the mock jury left to deliberate the two counts: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08. Judge Rice delivered his verdict of guilty on the second count, but not the first.

The mock jurors reached the same decision.

After the trial, Laye said he agreed to be tried at a school "to keep anyone else from being where I'm at."

Laye added, "It worries me that the prosecutor implies I had 12 drinks." He said he didn't want teenagers to think they could have up to 12 drinks and still be in shape to drive. According to Laye, he had five drinks, including a pint, so he drank about six drinks and only started drinking at 10 p.m.

Laye said besides having a restricted license for 90 days, paying $1,536 in fines and having a DUI conviction on his record, the worst part was the embarrassment and degradation to his family.

At lunch, the California Highway Patrol allowed students to try completing a sobriety test while wearing "Drunk Busters" goggles.

Senior Kelley Sydner said the effects of wearing the goggles that simulate drunkenness were, "You see four of everything and you get really dizzy."

Sydner said she hoped the demonstration made students think twice about choices.

"It's stupid to drink and drive," Hopkins said. "Most of us already know that."