Agenda - 12-16-1997 - 10e - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report on the Teen Court Pre--v 12 clerks, and bailiffs receive subsequent training of ten hours or more. The training sessions are conducted by local educators, volunteer attorneys, and court employees. The training includes issues such as courtroom procedure, basic legal concepts, mediation, and public speaking. Thus far, 84 students have been trained as jurors. Of these, about 30 have also been trained as attorneys, and 14 have been trained to serve in the bailiff and clerk roles. Teen Court Sessions Cumberland County. Teen Court sessions are held every other Monday night. -From October 26, 1993, to January 30, 1995, there have been 27 sessions of Teen Court. The hearings are generally held from 6:30-8:30 p.m., although Teen Court staff, student volunteers, and offenders arrive early to prepare. From October 1993 through March 1994, two courtrooms operated during each session, and since April 1994, three courtrooms have operated during each session. Currently, four cases per courtroom -- twelve cases total -- are heard during each session of Teen Court. On average, each case involves about 15 minutes of in-court case presentation time, about 10 minutes of deliberation by the jury, and another 10 minutes or so of in-court time when the sentence is delivered and the judge discusses the result, with the juvenile. Each courtroom has two juries hearing alternate cases. The calendar process for each courtroom involves rotation of cases in the following manner until all cases are heard: (1) presentation of the first case; (2) the jury on the first case retires to deliberate; (3) while the first jury deliberates, the next case scheduled for that courtroom is heard; (4) the jury for the second case retires to deliberate; and (5) while the second jury deliberates, the constructive sentence verdict for the first case is presented. Buncombe County. Teen Court sessions are generally held every other Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00 p.m. From July 1994 through January 1995, five sessions have been held, with the January 12, 1995, session being the first in which the new Teen Court Coordinator was involved. Hearings generally take about 30 minutes, including deliberation time of about 10 minutes. One courtroom has been used for these sessions, and generally, four cases are heard per session. The calendar process is similar to that used in the Cumberland County program, with two juries hearing alternate cases. Durham County. Teen Court sessions are generally held the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:00 p.m. So far, there have been two sessions (December 6, 1994, and January 10, 1995). Teen Court staff, student volunteers, and offenders arrive early to prepare. Hearings generally take about 30 minutes, including approximately 10 minutes of jury deliberation time. One courtroom has been used for these sessions, and the calendar process is similar to that used in the Cumberland and Buncombe programs.