What is teen court and how does it work?
Teen court is a cooperative, volunteer community program which provides an alternative to the formal process of trial and sentencing for juvenile offenders. Young people (aged 10 through high school), who have committed certain misdemeanor crimes such as traffic tickets, shoplifting, truancy, drinking, drugs, assault and others, agree to meet with local authorities and parents. They assume responsibility for their own actions and voluntarily accept a sentence from a jury of their peers. The sentence is a contract to serve a suitable amount of time in volunteer or community service or to make some kind of appropriate restitution for their offense. Upon completion of the sentence, the referring agency dismisses charges against the youth. Auxiliary Units across the nation are working to initiate this type of program by contacting and meeting with local agencies and working cooperatively wherever needed.
