Duncanville Teen Court celebrates its triumphs

by Brian Allen of of Best Southwest Citizen

DUNCANVILLE — To show appreciation for the teens and volunteers involved with making Duncanville Teen Court a success, new Teen Court Coordinator Sylvia Araiza organized a banquet full of all the glamour of a Hollywood event with red carpets, stars and Oscars.

The Teen Court Banquet on April 16 commemorated the work of attorneys, prosecutors, judges, bailiffs and all volunteers. Several Teen Court participants received awards for their work this past year. Honorees included Best Overall Attorney Ruth Ross; Best Defense Attorney Ashley Grant; Best Prosecutor Kristopher Wilkins; Best Court Clerk/Bailiff Larkeal Walker; and the 2008 Barbara Tow $500 Scholarship recipient Denise Bables; Judge Vickie McCarthy was honored for Most Volunteer Hours in the adult category with 371 hours served and Allie Mora was recognized for her continual participation and volunteer hours.

Duncanville Mayor David L. Green, Council members Scott Cannon, Paul Ford, Deborah Hodge and Ken Weaver attended and Councilmember-at-large Dorothy Burton was the keynote speaker.

For Araiza, Teen Court has been a more rewarding experience than she initially anticipated and the banquet was a fitting culmination to a great year.

“I did not realize how much satisfaction and self-fulfillment came from participating in a program that showcases the many talents of Duncanville youth. They have chosen to volunteer and get involved in their community; they all are stars,” said Araiza. “It took a lot of time and hard work to plan the banquet this first time, but these teens deserve and earned every bit of the recognition they received.”

Teen Court gives volunteers, who serve as defense attorneys, prosecutors, court clerks, bailiffs and jurors, an opportunity to experience the legal system firsthand on a continuing basis and possibly influence their career choices.

For those interested in joining the Duncanville Teen Court, training will be held Saturday, May 10, 2008 at City Hall, 203 E. Wheatland Rd. Applications are available at Teen Court office located at City Hall, Duncanville High School and all Duncanville middle schools. Teens ages 14-18 who live in the Duncanville School District (not necessarily attend Duncanville schools) are eligible to apply. For more information, contact Duncanville Teen Court Coordinator Sylvia Araiza at (972) 780-5063 or visit http://www.duncanville.com/teen_court.sht