Detroit Teachers and Other Area Mentors to Be Honored by Television Host Judge Glenda Hatchett

Detroit Teachers and Other Area Mentors to Be Honored by Television Host Judge Glenda Hatchett

$1,000 Donation to Be Awarded to Winning Teacher's School

Contest Open to All Local Residents

CULVER CITY, Calif., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit area residents will be able to nominate local teachers and mentors for awards and prizes under a new contest announced today by Sony Pictures Television's syndicated courtroom series "Judge Hatchett," hosted by Judge Glenda Hatchett. Judge Hatchett's "Reach for a Better Future: Inspiring Excellence Tour," is open to all local residents and will honor two Detroit-area mentors (one teacher and one general mentor) who have inspired others to excellence.

Anyone can nominate local mentors for the contest by submitting a nomination form before October 14, 2005. Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.judgehatchett.com or they can be sent via mail, fax or e-mail to those who call the tour's organizer, Very Special Events, at 858-485-1171. Each honoree selected from the nominees will receive a plaque and a $200 gift card for Fairlane Town Center. In addition, a donation of $1,000 will be made to the winning teacher's school in his or her name.

"Each of us has had mentors -- people in our lives whose character traits and actions motivated and inspired us," said Judge Glenda Hatchett. "So many generous individuals demonstrated those positive leadership qualities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and now, more than ever, we need to celebrate that type of selfless concern for our fellow citizens."

The winning mentors in each category will be honored at an awards ceremony at Fairlane Town Center (18900 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn) on Saturday, October 29. Judge Hatchett will appear in person to present each honoree with their awards and speak briefly about inspiring excellence. As part of the event, the mall's Center Court will be transformed into an exposition setting for local community organizations to discuss their programs and encourage the community to get involved.

In addition to Detroit, the Judge Hatchett's "Reach for a Better Future: Inspiring Excellence Tour," will also visit malls in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. / Baltimore during the month of October to honor local mentors.

The television series "Judge Hatchett" is currently in its sixth season and airs Monday-Friday in Detroit on the FOX affiliate WJBK at 1:00 and 1:30 PM. In addition to hosting the series, Judge Glenda Hatchett is also the author of the national bestseller, "Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say" (Harper Collins, 2003), based on her extensive professional experiences as a jurist and her own personal experience as a mother of two boys.

Hatchett served for nine years as the chief presiding judge at Georgia's Fulton County Juvenile Court, one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. Through her innovative creative sentencing, she sentenced trouble teens to work at community organizations and businesses to expose the youths to positive role models and inspire them to make changes in their lives. The program was so well received that she began garnering accolades throughout the judicial community, including Outstanding Jurist of the Year from the local chapter of the National Bar Association.

She is nationally recognized as an authority on legal, social and juvenile issues, and frequently delivers speeches and lectures throughout the country. Judge Hatchett has appeared as a judicial expert on numerous television programs and networks including "Nightline," "Good Morning America," "MacNeil/Lehrer," Fox News Channel and CNN, as well as various national and local radio programs.

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment for network and cable television, as well as first-run and off-network series for syndication. With more than 25 programs on the air, SPT boasts a program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off- network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

Source: Sony Pictures Television

CONTACT: Bryan Byrd, +1-310-244-3790, bryan_byrd@spe.sony.com, or Teni Halburian, +1-310-244-6340, teni_halburian@spe.sony.com, both of Sony Pictures Television

Web site: http://www.judgehatchett.com/

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