"The defendants respectfully ask the court to allow these efforts to continue."

In still other cases, the complaint said, the defendants asked school officials to lie to help cover up the scheme.

"Often the defendant has come in the next day and asked for a show cause hearing on the seizure."

Those defendants could ask judges to declare them candidates for treatment.

The other defendants, each given a turn to speak, asked the former police chief to testify that they had not been involved.

At times, the young defendants had trouble understanding the judge's questions and asked him to repeat them.

Your Honor, the defendant has not yet asked for bail.

The defendants had asked the judge to limit possible damages under the law.

Since Tuesday, all three defendants have apologized and asked for forgiveness.