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Brian Morrow

(313) 833-3106

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Teen Court Locations

Teen Court

What is Teen Court?

Teen Court is a juvenile diversion program created for juveniles who have no prior juvenile court record and who have committed a minor violation of the law. In a Teen Court proceeding, juveniles between the ages of 11 and 16, who commit certain minor misdemeanor infractions (such as shoplifting, minor in possession of alcohol, possession of marijuana, etc.) who are willing to admit responsibility at the outset, testify as to their guilt before a jury of high school-age teenagers (the “Teen Jury”). Following the youth offender’s testimony, the Teen Jury questions him/her, as well as his/her parent(s) or guardian, regarding the event that brought the juvenile to court, as well as any other relevant issues that may potentially put the juvenile at risk for further unlawful behavior, such as school attendance, home behaviors, and drug and alcohol use. Based upon the answers to the Teen Jury’s questions, the Teen Jury then determines an appropriate disposition, or juvenile sentence, for the juvenile offender. Dispositions, which cannot involve any form of detention, typically include a requirement of no new delinquent behavior, community service, oral and/or written apologies, restitution if applicable, maintenance of acceptable school attendance and grades, and may also include, if applicable, mandatory participation in counseling services, drug screens and an on-line shoplifting prevention program. If the juvenile offender successfully completes the disposition imposed by the Teen Jury, the case is not formally charged and thus, the juvenile will not have a juvenile record for the offense.

During the 2010-2011 academic school year, Teen Court operates in three venues. Two of the venues are schools within the Detroit Public School (“DPS”) system, specifically Denby and Southeastern high schools, which have mock courtrooms built into classrooms, specifically to accommodate the Teen Court program. In these venues, the program utilizes students who are taking law classes at Denby and Southeastern. The third venue is the 34th District Court, located in Romulus, where students from law and advanced placement government classes from Huron High School act as the jurors.

From the juvenile offender’s perspective, Teen Court allows a juvenile a “second chance” to avoid having a juvenile record. Equally important, however, is that the juvenile is compelled to accept responsibility for his/her actions at the “front-end” of the process and receives consequences (community service and restitution, for example) and remedial services (tutoring, counseling, etc.) that are fashioned and explained to him/her in an impactful way by juveniles who are the offender’s true peer group. The Teen Jury’s ability to relate to the youth offender also lends itself to a more meaningful determination of consequences for the youth’s delinquent behavior. Perhaps it is not surprising then, that it has been demonstrated across the country that juveniles whose cases are heard in Teen Court often have a lower recidivism rate than youths who go through the formal court system.

At a minimum, the Teen Court program serves to educate juveniles about the juvenile justice system. However, it certainly does much more than that. It also encourages teens to take an active role in the community in which they live and provides them an opportunity to participate in a responsible and meaningful way to affect positive change in real life cases. Moreover, it provides an opportunity for the jurors to reflect upon, and learn from, the poor choices that other juveniles have made, without having to make the same mistakes themselves.

Please call Brian Morrow (313.833.3106) for details and information regarding specific Teen Court dates.