Orange County NC Website
Report on the Teen Court Pr 7 c <br /> HISTORY OF THE TEEN COURT PROGRAMS <br /> Cumberland County. Early in 1993, District Court Judge Andrew Dempster of the <br /> 12th District became interested in the idea of implementing a teen court program in <br /> Cumberland County, based on information about the program in Odessa, Texas. He explored <br /> whether there was community interest in such a concept and, finding that there was, <br /> approached the Cumberland County Dispute Resolution Center about the possibility of the <br /> Center establishing and administering such a program. In April 1993, Pamela Sherman of the <br /> Center spent one week visiting the teen court program in Odessa. She was favorably <br /> impressed and recommended that the Center establish such a program if authorized by the <br /> General Assembly; the Board of Directors adopted this recommendation in May 1993. <br /> After the Teen Court legislation was enacted in July 1993, the Center's Board of <br /> Directors approved the Teen Court Administrator position, and Ms. Sherman was hired in that <br /> capacity. During August and September 1993, she worked on formalizing policies and <br /> procedures, developing training manuals,-recruiting and training volunteers, and discussing the <br /> program with junior and senior high schools in Cumberland County. The first session of Teen <br /> Court was held on October 26, 1993. <br /> Pursuant to the 1993 legislation (1993 Session Laws, Chapter 561, Section 80), state <br /> funds of$30,000 were made available to the Cumberland County Dispute Resolution Center <br /> for implementation of Teen Court during Fiscal Year 1993-94. This level of state funding was <br /> continued for Fiscal Year 1994-95 by a grant award pursuant to the 1994 legislation. The <br /> Center receives an equal level of funding from the United Way of Cumberland County and the <br /> City of Fayetteville, as well as significant contributions of staff time for training from the <br /> Cumberland County Mental Health Center and use of courthouse space from Cumberland <br /> County. <br /> Buncombe County. District Court Judge Rebecca Knight of the 28th District provided <br /> the primary impetus for the establishment of a teen court program in Buncombe County. She <br /> prepared guidelines for the operation of a teen court program and shared her ideas with, and <br /> received encouragement from, other judges in the district. The teen court program in <br /> Buncombe County was established in July 1994, with the first session being held on July 7, <br /> 1994. Until the fall of 1994, the program operated on a part-time basis and was conducted <br /> with volunteers. Buncombe Alternatives, Inc., applied for and received a grant from the <br /> AOC, pursuant to the 1994 legislation. The grant, for $25,000, was awarded in the fall of <br /> 1994. Joseph Elliott was hired as the full-time Teen Court Coordinator in January 1995. <br /> AOC-administered grant funds available to Buncombe Alternatives, Inc., for operation <br /> of Teen Court are matched by over$19,000 from Community Based Alternatives, and by a <br /> contribution of office space by Buncombe County. <br /> Durham County. Assistant District Attorney Marcia Morey of the 14th District became <br /> interested in Teen Court as a potential alternative to the traditional juvenile system, and as a <br />