Teen Court
Division: Patrol Operations
The team works with Adams County School District 14 and the Municipal Court to operate the teen court program. Through this monthly program, students from Adams City High School are able to have criminal cases resolved through a jury of their peers, rather than the criminal justice system. In exchange for a deferred prosecution, the offender and victim bring their incident to the teen court. Volunteer student attorneys are mentored by volunteer adult attorneys. A 3-member peer jury observes the proceedings, overseen by a Deputy District Attorney Judge.
After both student attorneys present their case, the jury decides where the harm occurred and assigns punishment. Punishment may include writing an apology to the victim, taking anger management classes, and community service.
Honors
The program has received accolades from the municipal judge and participants. This example of restorative justice prevents minor incidents from creating criminal records for youth.
