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For years, Teen Court,
offered through Juvenile Services, was a successful
program. Generally, Teen Court is an educational
diversion program that operates on the Municipal Court
level. The program provides an alternative response for
the juvenile justice system for first-time, misdemeanor
juvenile offenders, in which teens determine the
appropriate sanctions for the offender. Teen Court
allows youth in middle and high school after admitting
guilt to have a “sentencing hearing” with students
acting as prosecutor, defense attorney and jurors. An
adult judge presides and a jury of peers determines the
sentence. Due to budget constraints, it was eliminated
from the Juvenile Services offerings. After determining
a budget source in 2007, it was reintroduced in 2008.
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