Gainesville seminar to focus on Georgia law, how it relates to teens, parents

GAINESVILLE - Lakeview Academy in Gainesville is hosting a seminar later this week to educate the public on Georgia law and how it pertains to teenagers and their parents.
 
J. Tom Morgan, a former District Attorney and trial lawyer with over 35 years of experience in the legal field, will conduct the seminar on Thursday morning inside Lakeview's Bagwell Media Center. The event is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
 
Morgan, who made an appearance Tuesday on WDUN's Morning Talk, said he will cover a wide variety of topics during the seminar.
 
"What we're going to do is talk about these laws and their consequences. It's not preaching or moralizing, it's just 'Here are the facts and here are the results if you break these laws in Georgia,'" he said.
 
Morgan, who authored a book titled "Ignorance is No Defense: A Teenager's Guide to Georgia Law," noted that his talk would involve more than simply reciting laws out of a text book.
 
"We go through these laws, and I give them examples. I don't [just] give them the black-letter law," he said. "Having practiced law for 35 years I've got plenty of stories to illustrate these cases and these laws that can impact these kids."
 
While a number of subjects will be open for discussion during Thursday event, Morgan said he will be focusing primarily on three main topics: sex, drugs and alcohol. Morgan said the latter often becomes an issue for many high school students, especially upperclassmen.
 
"[The most widespread issues I see for] seniors in high school would be alcohol and alcohol-related offenses. Ever since we raised the drinking age to 21, we've created a whole generation of criminals doing the same thing that I was doing a generation ago because you could drink at 18," he explained. "So we talk about alcohol and its impact and how it or an arrest could seriously impact where you go to college."
 
Morgan gives an average of 40-50 speeches per year on state law and how it relates to teens. Although the event focuses largely on high school students and teenagers of all ages, Morgan said he makes it a point to speak directly to parents as well.
 
"I'm also going to talk to the parents. I really go after these parents hard who allow these parties to happen at their lake house, or after-prom parties," he said. "If you allow alcohol to be served [to minors] at your home...even if you didn't bring the alcohol, one, you're committing a crime, and two, you could be liable for any damage that would happen to that child."
 
Morgan ended his on-air conversation with a message for parents, one that he thinks could go a long way if they take it to heart: "You're not supposed to be a cool parent, you're supposed to be a good parent."
 
Lakeview Academy is located at 796 Lakeview Drive, Gainesville, GA, 30501.