First teen court session in Burleson is slated for May

by PegNews wire

Case is dismissed. No conviction is reported. The defendant takes responsibility. And, the community gains a structured volunteer force.

That’s what the City of Burleson, specifically the staff at the Burleson Municipal Court, envisioned with a Teen Court program. The Teen Court proposal was presented to Burleson City Council members in June 2008 and approved for the 2008-2009 fiscal year budget. Akala Murray was hired as the Teen Court coordinator in February of this year. The first Teen Court session is slated for May.

“Teen Court gives teens and adults a way to work together by creating an environment which gets them involved in community programs,” Constance White, the court administrator, said. “Teen Court provides a positive, meaningful alternative in which defendants take responsibility for their actions and make restitution themselves, rather than parents paying the fines.”

Teen Court is a voluntary program that would allow teens (12-19 years of age) with Class C misdemeanors “pay” for the citations through community service, educational classes, serving on a jury, and being involved in the judicial process.

The offenders will be judged by a jury of their own peers. Those involved must be in middle school or high school. Teen Court would be an option for defendants once every two years. A Teen Court defendant can not have more than three citations.

If a teen enters a plea of guilty or no contest, the judge will refer them to Teen Court. A master jury of the teen’s peers will be called together to hear traffic violations. A regular jury of the teen’s peers will hear more severe offenses, including theft, assault, disorderly conduct, and minor in possession (MIP). The jurors will sentence the defendant to community service hours. Defendants will also be assigned to jury duty. A Teen Court jury may also order defendants to undergo educational classes, which could include alcohol/tobacco awareness and anger management. A defendant may also be required to write an essay about the offense that resulted in assignment to Teen Court.

All terms of the sentence imposed by the jury must be completed within 90 days of the hearing. Once those requirements are met, the case is dismissed and no conviction is reported to the state.

If a young offender does not complete the requirements of Teen Court, then the teen must pay the original fine, the offense appears as a conviction on the driving and/or personal record, and the offender’s driver’s license could be suspended, based on the offense committed.

The sentence will include a $20 administrative fee in place of a fine. Ten dollars will go to the state and $10 will go to the City to help fund Teen Court.

For more information about this release, call the public information office at 817-447-5400, ext. 286.

Source: Burleson