|
Teen Court Advisory Committee
| Powers and Duties |
The Teen Court Advisory Board are volunteers who participate actively in each
Teen Court Session.
Adult board members assist during the Teen Court session by monitoring teen
juries and by facilitating the master jury process, which is also made up of
teen jurors. In most cases, the adult volunteers will need to listen to the
case as it is tried in TeenCour>, and then accompany the teen jurors to
deliberate the outcome. Many times the adult has to get the teens motivated to
participate, and to deter conversations that do not pertain to the events in
questions.
In the Master Jury process, the adult volunteers usually must also facilitate
the questioning of the defendants and their parents. Again, many times teens
are hesitant about speaking out in a small group, so it is up to the adult to
keep things moving in the right direction. We make sure both types of juries
are monitored by adults to ensure proper procedures and behavior. In some
instances, the adults may also help the teen clerks with paperwork for the
defendants after the trial is complete.
Volunteers usually arrive on Teen Court nights prior to the 6pm start time, and
stay until the end of the session, which may be 8:30 or 9:00 pm, depending on
the number of defendants on the docket. Teen Court is a popular program because
the cost is $20.00 verses a fine in some instances of almost $300. Parents must
attend the first time a teen comes to Teen Court, and most nights we have
between 100-200 people here for a Teen Court session.
Overall, the Teen Court Advisory Board members each contribute around 6-8 hours
per month to the Teen Court program.
|
| Number of Members |
Seven Members |
| Term |
Two Years except Place 1 shall be for one year. Those persons appointed to odd
numbered places terms expire on September 30th of odd numbered years and those
persons appointed to even numbered places terms expire September 30th of even
numbered years. |
| Meetings |
The Teen Court meets two Monday evenings of each month, usually the first and
second, but this may change some months to coincide with the Birdville School
Calendar. The Advisory Board also meets at least once a quarter, sometimes
every other month to discuss items of action and importance with regard to the
Teen Court program. The Advisory Board meetings are held at the Municipal Court
and usually last about 2-3 hours, depending on the agenda.
|
| Method of Appointment |
The appointments to the Board may be made by the City Council Member who holds
the corresponding council place. |
| Qualifications |
Place 1 - High school student from Richland High School, Birdville, High
School, or Fort Worth Christian School
Places 2 through 7 - Residents of the City of North Richland Hills
|
|
