How Does Teen Court Work?

A teen appears in Teen Court for his/her trial. The teen is questioned by defense and prosecuting attorneys, which are volunteers, and then sentenced by a jury of their peers, which are teens that have been sentenced to serve on the Teen Court Jury.

The jury assesses punishment based on a grid system, called the Discipline Grid.

The youth will be sentenced to perform community service and jury duty.

The youth is provided a list of agencies to contact to complete community service work.

The youth is assigned to jury duty the week following their trial.

Once all requirements have been met, Teen Court will submit the citation to the referring court for dismissal.

If the youth fails to complete, the citation is referred back to the referring court for further action.

If this occurs, the citation will be entered onto the youth’s record as a conviction, the original fine will be assessed, and in some cases the youth’s driver’s license will be suspended or denied.