Teen court

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Juvenile court.

A teen court (sometimes called youth court or peer court) is a

minor offense, or have been charged with a misdemeanor, and are otherwise eligible for diversion. Depending on their training, community support, and agreements with traditional court systems, most teen or youth courts are recognized as valid, legal venues for the process of hearing cases, sentencing and sentence fulfillment. Teen courts and their verdicts are not authorized by public law
.

Court structure

Teen courts are staffed by youth

jurors, lawyers, bailiffs, and clerks. Teen courts usually function in cooperation with local juvenile courts and youth detention centers, middle and high schools, and/or community organizations such as the YMCA. Most teen courts are sentencing courts in which the offender has already admitted guilt or pleaded no contest
.

Many teen courts operate much like a traditional court, holding hearings before a judge and jury with the jury deliberating to determine an appropriate disposition. Other courts employ different structures, such as a judge-panel model which includes a panel of 3 to 6 youth judges who collectively hear, deliberate, and sentence the offender.

Often, sentences will involve the defendant's making

restitution to someone harmed or inconvenienced by their actions, or creating an informational awareness project about health, safety, respect, or another topic relevant to the offense. One of the more common sentences is community service. In many jury-based programs it is mandatory that the offender serve on a teen court jury. In some cases, educational workshops are required as part of the sentence, usually in cases involving alcohol or drug charges.[2]

Youth volunteers may be eligible for school or community service credits through their schools, and community awards such as the President's Volunteer Service Award. Adult volunteers serve as trainers, advisors and coordinators of the teen courts; some courts have a small paid staff.

Principles and results

Teen or youth courts provide an alternative court system through which juvenile

bar exam, peer mentoring and compliance with a code of conduct. Many youth courts establish a youth bar association or ethics body which helps to set guidelines
for ethical and fair procedure.

Because cases heard by teen courts are real cases, participants in teen court programs are required to sign an oath of confidentiality regarding any information which comes to their knowledge in the course of the teen court case presentation.

State-approved teen courts implement

recidivism rates
for standard programs in several states range from 6%-9%, which is less than half of the traditional recidivism rate for juvenile offenders, which hovers around 20%.

Restorative justice principles require the offender to make amends to the victim and/or the community and provide opportunities for victims and community members to participate in the

decision making
. Because of the active role the victim plays, qualitative assessments can be made into victim impact and victim satisfaction.

See also

References

  1. ^ Motsinger, Gabe (April 27, 2017). "Teen Court offers young misdemeanor offenders a path to redemption". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.alachuasheriff.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

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