Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio has announced that the Court’s first Teen Court will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at 4:30p.m. The hearings will be conducted in the third floor courtroom in the William P. Kannel Juvenile Court Center, 650 Dan Street on Akron’s North Hill.

Teen Court will consist of high school students who will hear actual cases that have come to the Court. Thirty-four high school students recently completed eight hours of training to prepare them for serving on the Teen Court. The students will assume the roles of prosecutor, defense attorney and jurors during the hearings. Judge Teodosio will preside over the first Teen Court session and Magistrate Kristin Maxwell will be on the bench for future hearing dates.

The cases the Teen Court will hear are first pre-screened by Court staff. The cases will involve low level misdemeanors committed by first-time youthful offenders who have admitted to the charge before a Judge or Magistrate. The Teen Court prosecutor will offer the facts of the case to the jury, including statements from victims, if necessary, while the defense attorney will argue for the juvenile offender. After hearing each presentation, the jurors will begin deliberations. They will receive a “menu” of possible sanctions the offender could receive as a sanction for his or her offense. If the youth complies with the conditions of the sanction delivered by the jury, the youth will subsequently have the charge(s) dismissed. Non-compliance would bring the youth back to the Court to face stiffer sanctions.

“I think this is a unique way to introduce our young people to the court system and the juvenile justice process,” said Judge Teodosio. “I think it also offers a viable solution for youthful offenders who have made a mistake to clear their record. Teen Court can teach lessons in a variety of ways.”