Judge Borne to speak at parish MADD event

A Light of Hope will be shined on those whose lives have been affected by a drunken driver at 6 p.m. Monday as their relatives and friends gather with the St. Mary Parish Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter to light candles in honor or memory of loved ones.
Also during this ceremony, Top Cops of St. Mary Parish will be recognized. Officers from the seven parish law enforcement agencies and State Police Troop I will be honored for their diligence in taking offenders accused of driving while intoxicated off area roads.
Finally, the guest speaker for the ceremony will be 16th Judicial District Judge Vincent Borne who has been an avid supporter of MADD. Additionally, he speaks to high school juniors and seniors each year for the Safe and Sober Prom Campaign.
Borne said he plans to speak about drinking and driving from his perspective of having served 17 years as a prosecutor and now as a district judge including “the danger involved and the effects that it has on folks that are victims of drunk drivers. Especially in cases where death is involved, it could obviously have been avoided,” he said.
Statistics show that there are many in and around St. Mary Parish who have been directly affected by a drunken driver. At one time, the parish led the state with a 100 percent annual statistic of alcohol-related fatalities, meaning that, in one calendar year, all traffic fatalities that occurred inside this parish were the direct result of someone who chose to drink and drive, MADD representative Jacki Ackel said.
This event will be held at The Lamp Post Event Center at 735 Main St. in Franklin and is open to the public.