Mercer County Teen Court

It has begun. Following a heavy recruiting campaign at the end of the school year and a highly successful kickoff event at the end of June, the Mercer County Teen Court has officially started training volunteers for the program.

Designed as a positive voluntary alternative to the standard juvenile justice system, the newly formed Teen Court will help stop first time offenders in their tracks and allow them to re-evaluate what they have done in a positive peer motivation setting. Offenders will be brought before a jury of their peers where they are sentenced to a penalty that properly fits the crime that they have committed. Student volunteers will serve with mentors as defense and prosecution for the court and even evaluate judgment as members of the six to twelve member jury. Other positions that students will participate in include the clerk and bailiff.

Teen Court Coordinator, Jerri Moses, has been preparing adult and youth volunteers alike and is excited at the progress so far. "The kickoff event really brought the people together and let them know more about what to expect as a volunteer. Now, we are taking the next logical step to properly train and motivate these individuals, so that they can accurately and competently serve in a variety of important roles."

Attorneys in Mercer County will also be participating in a hands-on fashion. Omar Aboulhosn, an attorney at Sanders, Austin, Prudich and Flanigan, commented that, "I believe that Teen Court will become a very important program in the whole juvenile justice system. In addition to having teens setting just punishments for their peers, the educational opportunities that the young people involved will experience will be immeasurable."

Training for the Mercer County Teen Court is slated for every Tuesday in July at the Mercer County Courthouse and is open to the public. Several mock trials will be held in August and the MCTC will officially begin operation in September of this year. This coincides with National Youth Court Month.

Moses added that, "I can't think of a better time for the Teen Court to begin than National Youth Court Month. Since we started this process, we have been in constant contact with the National Youth Court Headquarters and they are amazed at the progress that we have made in such a short period of time. It just goes to show you what a group of dedicated individuals can do when you have the right people on your team. We certainly have that here in Mercer County."

The Mercer County Teen Court is sponsored through a partnership of the Mercer County Drug Free Community Support Program, a Community Connections, Inc. initiative, ChildLaw Services, Inc., and the Mercer County Commission as well as a host of advisory members from the Board of Education, Juvenile Probation Office, Law Enforcement Officials, area businesses and many others.