Teen Court

Teens interested in volunteering as an attorney, juror, or bailiff in the Vanderburgh County Teen Court are welcome to attend the Fall Training that will take place Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the EVSC Career & Technical Center (1901 Lynch Road, Evansville, IN, 47711). All students in grades 9-12 are welcome to attend. Please RSVP, if possible, to Hillary by Monday, September 20 at 421-0030 or hillary@youth-resources.org.

Youth Resources' VANDERBURGH COUNTY TEEN COURT is an early-intervention/diversion program in the Vanderburgh County Juvenile Justice System that offers first-time youth offenders (ages 10-17) an opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

Juvenile offenders go before a jury of their peers and are represented by a peer defense attorney. The jury of high school students determines a disposition (or verdict) based on restorative justice theory that emphasizes how crimes hurt relationships within our community. The jury's duty is to provide an appropriate "sentence" for the juvenile offender so they can understand their offense, its impact, and how to make healthy choices in the future.

Through the Teen Court program, youth gain a valuable understanding of the judicial system, are introduced to positive adult mentors from the legal community and are invited to explore careers in the legal field. They are also given an opportunity to be a positive influence in the lives of their peers!

Since the first official hearing in 2005, Teen Court has involved over 254 youth volunteers in the roles of prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, bailiff, and jurors. Additionally, more than 1,430 hours have been completed in local community service by the juvenile offenders as part of their sentencing.