NCJ Number
167715
Date Published
Unknown
Length
62 pages
Annotation
This kit describes the purpose and operation of a Teen Court, particularly the Orange County (Florida) Teen Court, and provides details on how to plan and implement such a court.
Abstract
The purpose of Teen Court is to divert less serious cases away from the more formal juvenile court. The Teen Court process provides a forum for defendants to explain their involvement in the offense; a structured environment in which the words and actions of defendants who admit their wrongful acts are evaluated and judged by a jury of peers; and the opportunity for defendants to accept responsibility for their actions by fulfilling the jury's sentence of community service hours and future jury duty assignments. The latter are designed to be constructive and rehabilitative. Following an overview of the Teen Court philosophy, the kit presents a sample training schedule for volunteers who wish to participate in Teen Court. A training syllabus is included as well. Guidelines for attorneys who participate in Teen Court are provided, along with rules for counsel conduct in court. A teaching outline and sample questions are provided for both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney. Types of objectives for Teen Court are reviewed, followed by the outline of a training program for adult volunteers for the Teen Court program. Remaining sections of the kit include a Teen Court order of proceedings, Teen Court forms, Teen Court Orange County by-laws, Teen Court Orange County Bar Association by-laws, statistics on Teen Court operations, and a number of articles on the Teen Court.