Teen Court of Kern County
Teen Court is in hibernation until further notice.
Teen Court was established in October 1993. Since the beginning,
Teen Court has maintained a 90 percent success rate of minors not
re-entering the formal Juvenile Justice system. Teen Court is
funded by grants, court fines and private and corporate donations.
In Teen Court, young people between the ages of 10 and 17 years, who are
first time misdemeanor offenders with no previous formal involvement
with the Juvenile Justice system, can be referred by the Kern County
Probation Department to this alternative diversion court.
The must admit guilt of the offense and voluntarily agree to appear with
his/her parents in Teen Court for sentencing by a jury of his/her peers.
The Teen Court program utilizes many adult volunteers: those from the
legal community serve as judges and paralegals. Other adult
volunteers serve as integral staff in the court process.
Teen Court juries are composed of minors serving their Teen Court
sentences as well as student volunteers from our local Junior High and
High Schools, who also serve as court bailiffs. Some of the
student volunteers are returning graduates of the Teen Court program.
The jury members come to realize that it is possible to think before you
act and through this, learn to make better decisions when faced with
life’s temptations.
After testimony, questioning and deliberation, the sentence given by a
jury of peers includes mandatory fines and community service hours in
addition to jury service. Other sentencing possibilities are
written essays, letters of apology to victims and graffiti clean up.
Upon completion of the sentence (within 90 days), the case file is
destroyed and charges are dismissed at the Kern County Probation
Department.
by Beth Rumbo, Teen Court Director