16th Circuit Driver Safety Program Improves Service, Saves Lives, Earns Accolades
(Left to Right) Driver Safety Manager Dennis Schmidt, Circuit Clerk Tom Hartwell, and Dean Lesa Norris celebrate more than 25 years of providing driver safety program classes in Kane County. Waubonsee Community College is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary of service to the area.
A 16th Circuit Court program that allows drivers the option to receive court supervision for their violation without going to court has been a model for other courts in Illinois and the country. Now, the program is receiving recognition from Waubonsee Community College, one of the partners in the program.
Kane County Circuit Clerk Thomas M. Hartwell was presented with a commemorative plaque on May 17 in recognition of 25 years of cooperation in offering driver’s safety classes to the 16th Judicial Circuit Court. The recognition was presented by Waubonsee Dean for Workforce Development Lesa Norris and Waubonsee Driver Safety Manager Dennis Schmidt.
Cooperation between the 16th Judicial Circuit Court, the Circuit Clerk’s Office and the Waubonsee Driver Safety Program gives participants an option plead guilty and opt to attend driving safety classes which include driver safety coursework and life-saving defensive driving techniques.
Benefits to those who successfully complete the coursework can include keeping the ticket from being reported to the Secretary of States office as a conviction. Successful program completion may also help prevent insurance premiums from increasing.
“This driver safety program is a valuable service to the public and to overall highway safety,” Hartwell said. “It has been our pleasure to support this popular program and to continue an effective educational program in cooperation with Waubonsee Community College.
“More than 8,165 residents participate in the program each year,” Hartwell added. “And this program not only improves understanding of traffic safety, it also helps lessen the burden on our county’s crowded court system.”
More information about the Driver Safety Program can be found on the Circuit Clerk’s website www.cic.co.kane.il.us, and on the Waubonsee Community College website www.waubonsee.edu.
The office of Kane County Circuit Clerk Tom Hartwell is located in the Kane Branch Court building at 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, just north of Route 38. Waubonsee Community College offers Driver Safety Program courses at 11 locations throughout Kane County.
SOURCE: Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office news release
