Teen Court Is A Great Program For Local Students

Highlands County Teen Court provides an education that can't be found in the classroom. On top of that, it's a highly effective way to deal with misdemeanor crimes. It's a positive experience for everyone.

Teen Court has been operating for a few years and students in the middle schools and high schools take part. They take on the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys and jurors. They do this, of course, under the direction of adults who are professionals, but this is the real deal.

Fellow teens who have committed misdemeanor crimes and admit to it, and who agree to teen court, have their case laid out to jurors. Prosecutors and defense attorneys make their best arguments and Judge Peter Estrada presides over the court.

Decisions are final and defendants, if found guilty, can be sentenced to a variety of punishments. It's not play time. If a defendant fails to fulfill whatever punishment is meted out, he or she will face regular court and possibly harsher consequences. It's not a place they want to be, and that's why recidivism is so low in Teen Court.

Local teens take their jobs seriously. They are told from the start that this isn't a game, that they must keep information confidential and they must work hard to objectively consider evidence and hand down fair but firm sentences. Our young people meet the challenge.

This program is outstanding. It gives our teens an incredible understanding of our justice system, and gives them an opportunity to see what happens when bad choices are made.

Kudos to the adults who make this program possible for our local students and the teens who participate.