Teens judging teens in Clallam Youth Court
By Randy Trick, Peninsula Daily News
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That's the theory behind Clallam County Youth Court.
Students in middle school and high school volunteer to sit as judge, jury and advocates for peers accused of first misdemeanors
"We get a lot of offenders that get MIPs [minor in possession of alcohol] and stuff like that," said Molly Barnes, a 17-year-old Port Angeles High School senior and a program participant.
"Most of it is peer pressure, and it is interesting to learn about peer pressure and why they cave in to that.
"Some kids are pushed into it more because they have other problems in their lives."
On Sept. 12, 36 teenagers were sworn into the Clallam County Youth Court program, now in its eighth year.
The program allows the teenagers to be creative in ordering community service, research projects or other ways to make things right, said Irene DuBeau, a legal process coordinator for the Clallam County Juvenile Court and a coordinator of the youth court.
"The whole point of the program is restorative justice," she said.
"It gives a chance to repair harm to the community.
"Kids feel disconnected from the community when they commit a crime. . . [The sentence] gives them a sense of belonging."
Diversion program
Youth court is not a school club or a mock trial.
It is a fully legal, state-recognized form of diversion for first-time juvenile offenders.
Offenders who complete the program have their offenses dismissed.
If they don't complete their sentences, they can be taken back to regular juvenile court.
Because the decisions of the teens are legally binding, they take their responsibilities seriously, they said.
"Basically, it's a real court system. It's not like we're messing around or anything," said Rachel Thompson, a 17-year-old Sequim High School Senior.
"It makes it easier for first-time offenders to go through the rest of their lives."
Sentenced to fish
One of the more interesting sentences from the teens, said Denetta Rutten, a juvenile court probation officer and coordinator of the teen court, was a sentence for an offender to go fishing and bring two fish a week to a disabled person who could no longer fish for himself.
The crime in that instance had nothing to do with fishing, she said.
But a sentence like that gives the teenager a feeling of responsibility in the community, DuBeau said.
Rutten said watching the teens dispense their own justice twice a month is refreshing after having served as a senior probation officer with the county's juvenile court services.
"These kids are not afraid to ask questions, and not afraid to change things," she said.
"The kids really want to volunteer and belong to something in the community."
Teens in charge
While Rutten and DuBeau observe the court, they do not intervene as the teens hear arguments and pass sentences.
"Kids are doing sentencing; they understand the motivation of why kids did something. They understand kids' thoughts and action."
The court is one of three in the state that is run completely by teens.
The other two are in Whatcom and Kitsap counties.
Teenagers volunteering for the court said they like being in charge, and they take it seriously.
"Other than coordinators, we don't have adults running it," Thompson said.
"And that's a good thing for teens to do because we're going to end up running it anyway.
"When we get our own jobs, we're not going to have anyone holding our hands, anyway."
Teen court works
The court sees between 25 and 35 defendants each year, Rutten said.
The program has shown it works, Rutten said.
Only about 3 percent of the teens who have completed the court program end up back in the Clallam County juvenile justice system, Rutten said.
"We hardly ever see these kids back," she said.
"We have two kids that were defendants in teen court. They put a year between, then came back and asked if they could be involved."
As teenagers, they can understand better how some of the crimes were committed, said Kane Swanson, a 16-year-old Port Angeles High School junior.
"For most of them it's just a stupid mistake," Swanson said.
"I know a lot of people that come through, and I know that they have the potential that if they get their act together they'll be OK."
Participants in the court will be taught by the county's prosecutors and public defenders, and attend seminars at the law schools of the University of Washington and Seattle University.
The court participants are organizing fund-raising events to pay for the participants to attend the National Youth Court Association's Walk for Justice in Washington, D.C., the weekend of April 4.
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Reporter Randy Trick can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at randy.trick@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: September 24. 2007 9:00PM