Friday, July 22, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Teen Court concept discussed in detailBy LEE WILLIAMS When Tara Nicholsdad was convicted of burglary, she was devastated. Her dad used to spoil her and she felt like none of that was real. The teen lost her mother in an accident months later and Nichols was upset. The teen was sent to live with her only remaining relatives, an aunt and her two children. Nichols starting messing up in school and her aunt threatened to send her to foster care if she was left behind. Sure enough, Nichols learned she would have to repeat the eighth grade, and she grew even more upset. Thirsty, Nichols went to the refrigerator. The only thing to drink in the refrigerator was beer. Without thinking, Nichols guzzled down three beers. The drunk teen left the home and began to yell and make obscene gestures at passing motorists. Police arrived and Nichols tried to escape. She was detained. Months later Nichols is dealing with the consequences. Nichols agreed she didnt act appropriately that day, but she and her guardian agreed to go through the Teen Court program. Through a sentence handed down by a group of her peers that generally consists of community service and a written and verbal apology and possibly restitution, Nichols would pay for her lapse in judgment. Once she completed the terms of her sentence, Nichols would get a clean slate. Thats what Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown, the Peachtree City Police Department, and 12-year-old Rising Starr student Travis Richardson want to bring to Peachtree City. But its going to take some doing. Brown said he had funds set aside in the City Councils budget to start the program. All they have to do is iron out the details. An estimated two dozen people including members of the Juvenile Court Division, Juvenile Probation Office, Peachtree City Youth Council, police, parents and other concerned citizens sat down to do just that during a 2 1/2-hour meeting July 14 at the Peachtree City Hall. This was the second meeting held on the topic. The details are far from finalized, but the group did establish several parameters. The program would be available to first-time misdemeanor teen offenders between the ages of 12 and 17. Eligible offenses include minor thefts less than $50 value, criminal trespassing or vandalism, tobacco violations, obstruction or giving a false name and date of birth to police, loitering/prowling, simple battery with no injury present, curfew violation, non-moving traffic violations, golf cart/recreational path use ordinances, truancy and school disciplinary problems (minor offenses). Alcohol offenses were originally put on the list of eligible offenses; however, Maj. Mike Dupree of the Peachtree City Police Department and Terri Pitts of the Juvenile Probation Office opposed the item. The cases weve seen theyre very drunk and weve had some very serious offenses associated with that, Pitts said. At Teen Court, teens would serve as the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Teens also would serve as the jurors. Brown believes this alone will make the difference in a teen. Some say it made a whole lot of difference having a bunch of teens imposing sentence, rather than people I dont know, Brown said. Adults, however, would serve as the judge and serve as a monitor in the jury room. The monitor would be a passive participant whose main function is to keep the conversation flowing. A teen who comes through Teen Court will have already admitted guilt, but agree to come to Teen Court to wipe their slate clean after adhering to the terms imposed by their peers. The teen and their parent and/or guardian would meet with Teen Court officials to receive acceptance into the program. The evening moved along as Brown took input from those in attendance. However, the meeting hit a snag toward the end, during the discussion of when Teen Court would be held came up. Those members agreed Teen Court would be held one day a month on Saturdays. But Pitts, joined by Dupree, questioned whether the program would be feasible. In 2004, Peachtree City Police Department had 639 juvenile cases. Dupree said the department averages 30 cases a month. With court being held only one day a month, Pitts doubted it would work. She said 95 percent of the cases her office deals with involves minor first-time juvenile offenses. In order to work you are going to have to strike half of the offenses from the list, Pitts said referring to the list of 12 eligible offenses. But Brown pointed to other communities with larger populations and higher crime rates and argued that it was still worth exploring. The city is soliciting volunteers to participate on the Teen Court Committee. The committee, along with city staff, will be responsible for creating the final procedures that will be presented to the City Council. Any teens or parents interested in participating on the committee should call Gloria Reid at 770-487-7657.
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