Here Comes the Judge! Chrysler Group Partners with Hispanic Television's Judge Franco to Communicate Safety Messages to At-Risk Minority Group

Here Comes the Judge! Chrysler Group Partners with Hispanic Television's Judge Franco to Communicate Safety Messages to At-Risk Minority Group

- Motor vehicle crashes are leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 1-44 - Star of hit Hispanic courtroom television show 'La Corte Del Pueblo' (People's Court) to communicate information about the Company's safety programs

LOS ANGELES, May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hispanics, the fastest growing minority group in the United States, are facing a problem so serious that it has become a major public health issue. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 1-44 and the third leading cause of death for Hispanics of all ages, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer, according to a 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

To help counter this alarming statistic and educate the Latino community about vehicle safety, the Chrysler Group announced today that it will partner with Judge Manuel Franco, the star of the hit Hispanic courtroom television show "La Corte Del Pueblo" (People's Court), to communicate important driver and passenger safety messages and information about the Company's safety programs. The announcement was made as part of the Los Angeles-leg of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Chrysler Group's "21 turns 21: Lifesaving Milestones" program, a 21-minivan caravan that is touring high schools in 21 cities to educate teens on making smart and healthy decisions regarding underage drinking and teen driving safety.

The Hispanic population grew by nearly 60 percent between the 1990 and 2000 Census, much faster than the U.S. population as a whole. This rapid population growth means that Hispanics will constitute an increasing proportion of crash injuries and fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"The biggest problem facing the Latino community is not receiving information about vehicle safety in a way that resonates with them," said Luis Morais, Senior Manager - Safety Programs, Chrysler Group. "Because Judge Franco is a respected leader and advocate in the Hispanic community and has a natural forum through which he can reach this audience, he is an ideal person to help us get the message out about vehicle safety and to, hopefully, save lives."

In addition to encouraging the use of seat belts, Judge Franco will be sharing information about the Chrysler Group's commitment to safety and the company's innovative safety programs such as Road Ready Teens, Fit for a Kid and SeatCheck.

"The Chrysler Group has demonstrated its leadership in the safety arena with innovative programs," said Judge Franco. "I am pleased to work with them to help make a difference in the Hispanic community."

Judge Franco rose to prominence as a result of his popular TV courtroom show, which aired on Telemundo from 1999-2004. On his program, he dealt primarily with sorting out everyday legal dilemmas such as landlords and angry tenants, wrongful business practices and angry customers. He has also been heard since 1996 on LA's KTNQ 1020AM, which is owned by Hispanic Broadcasting.

Born in Mexico in 1943, Judge Franco received his bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1964, then attended medical school before earning his Juris Doctor in 1969 from UC Davis School of Law. He was admitted into the State Bar of California in 1970. He served as a Judge Pro Tempore from 1975-1998 and has been admitted to practice law before all courts of the State of California, the 9th Circuit Court Appeals Federal Court and the United States Supreme Court.

Judge Franco is also very involved in his community. He is active with the Olive Crest Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing child abuse, treating victims of child abuse and preserving the family. He also teaches educational programs for attorneys as a part of a continuing education series for the State of California and works with a free clinic that provides low income individuals free legal advice. His weekly radio show, which he initiated, addresses social, medical and legal issues facing the Latino community.

Judge Franco is an avid car aficionado. He participated in the first-ever New York Urban Dealer Awards and Auto Show Preview at the New York International Auto Show in 2004. He served as host of the awards ceremony honoring members of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA) for their diversity practices.

Chrysler Group Safety Programs

Chrysler Group initiated Road Ready Teens (RRT) in 2003 to focus on teen drivers and teens approaching the driving age. In the first year, RRT direct outreach efforts and materials reached more than 40 million teens and parents. RRT is also available in Spanish.

DaimlerChrysler's Fit for a Kid was the country's first permanent child safety seat inspection service. The service is free and offered by appointment at participating Five Star Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge dealers. Fit for a Kid is open to all families, no matter what make or model vehicle they drive.

In February 2002, DaimlerChrysler joined with NHTSA and other partners on SeatCheck, an initiative to expand access to a locator to help parents find safety seat inspection locations and to promote all inspection services to parents. SeatCheck, also available in Spanish, includes a toll-free telephone hotline (1-866- SEAT-CHECK) that taps into NHTSA's online service.

About "21 Turns 21: Lifesaving Milestones"

The "21 Turns 21" Lifesaving Milestones" tour is in celebration of the 21st anniversary of the lifesaving 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act as well as the 21st birthday of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans. In honor of these milestones, Chrysler Group donated 21 Chrysler and Dodge minivans to MADD to help expand its lifesaving education programs for youth.

Source: Chrysler Group

CONTACT: Angela Ford, +1-248-512-2986, als32@daimlerchrysler.com , or Curtrise Garner, +1-248-512-2712, cg61@daimlerchrysler.com , both of Chrysler Group

Web site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/ http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/

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