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

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Report on the Teen Court Prom_. ,„,c 0 U possible approach to help stem the tide of juvenile delinquency in Durham County. In the summer of 1994, with the strong support and endorsement of District Attorney Jim Hardin, Jr., she approached the Durham Public Schools' Safe Schools Office about cooperatively developing a grant proposal to establish a teen court program. The Safe Schools Office heartily endorsed the idea, and together they prepared the grant application. The AOC approved the application, and a grant of$20,000 was awarded to the Durham Public Schools in the fall of 1994, pursuant to the 1994 legislation. Soon thereafter, a Teen Court Advisory Board was established, comprising school officials,juvenile services officials, a member of the Durham Police Department, a member of the Sheriffs Department, attorneys, a city councilman, a representative from the Durham Dispute Settlement Center, and the Durham Community Service Coordinator. The Board chose Attorney Timothy W. Morse to serve as the Teen Court Coordinator. Mr. Morse began in October 1994, serving under contract with Durham Public Schools. He immediately began to formulate policies and procedures, develop training manuals, discuss the program with school principals, enlist support from attorneys to train students, and recruit and train volunteer student attorneys. The first Teen Court session was held in December 1994. Y. OPERATION OF THE TEEN COURT PROGRAMS .w Overview of the Process Cumberland County. The Teen Court program in Cumberland County accepts referrals from juvenile intake, juvenile court, the police, the sheriff, the schools, and district court. Juveniles referred to Teen Court are generally first-time offenders who are at least 10 years old and who allegedly misbehave at school or commit a nonviolent offense that would be a misdemeanor or an infraction if committed by an adult. If the juvenile admits guilt, the referral source may refer the case to Teen Court, thus offering the offender its constructive sentencing opportunity. If the juvenile chooses this opportunity, and Teen Court staff determine that the offense is appropriate for Teen Court, the offender and parent/guardian meet with Teen Court staff for an interview, during which they receive more information, sign ; a contract and complete paperwork (including an indication of interest in specific types of community service), and receive a court date. Participation is voluntary, and the juvenile may decide to withdraw at any stage, in which case the referral source is so notified. , The offender and parent/guardian appear for court as scheduled, and discuss the case with the defense attorney. When the case is called, the juvenile is sworn in, tells what happened, and answers questions asked by the defense attorney and prosecutor. The attorneys present closing arguments and sentence recommendations to the jury, which generally comprises four to eight members. Since the offender admits guilt, the jury's duty during deliberations is to arrive at a unanimous verdict on a "Constructive Sentence," which must fall