Teen Court Coordinator - Alicia St. Cyr
Bailiff - Ron Cornelius
Volunteer Judges – Wendy Cooper
Advisory Board Members
Janie Wood, Toya Norton, Tina Rimer, Josh Heinze, Lisa Wallace, Doris DeSoto.

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Defendants, attorneys, and jurors need to checked in by 5:30 p.m.

If you have any questions, please call (817) 299-1825.

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Teen Court is a volunteer program which allows juvenile misdemeanor offenders an alternative to the criminal justice system. Offenders "pay" for their offense through community service and involvement in the judicial process. Offenders' cases are presented to a jury of peers or to the board if a jury is not available. Upon successful completion of the program, offenders' cases are dismissed and do not appear on the juvenile's permanent records.

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Juveniles (ages 12-18) who are currently enrolled in an accredited secondary school and who have not already been through the Richland Hills Teen Court Program, may request Teen Court for most traffic violations and other types of Class "C" Misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct or curfew violations. Multiple offenses may be referred to Teen Court only if the offenses occurred at the same time.

Participation in Teen Court is voluntary and is based on an admission of guilt. Offenders must enter a plea of no contest or guilty before the Municipal Court Judge in order to enter the Teen Court Program and a $20 non-refundable fee is assessed at the time of request in lieu of the full fine and court costs. Alcohol and tobacco related cases are not eligible for Teen Court.

Due to the voluntary nature of Teen Court, the defendant may choose to terminate the agreement at any point in the process. However, the full amount of the ticket will become due at that time and a second appearance before the Municipal Court Judge will be required in order to keep the offense off the youth's record. The Teen Court Coordinator may terminate the juvenile's participation in Teen Court if the youth is non-compliant.

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After entering a plea of guilty or no contest with the Municipal Court Judge, the case is set for the next available Teen Court docket. A parent or guardian must accompany the youth to the trial.

At the Teen Court docket, the youth will have the opportunity to be interviewed by the volunteer defense attorney and prosecutor so that they may prepare their case. If no volunteers are available the board will act as a master jury. After the jury is seated and all participants are sworn in, the jury hears arguments from both sides to decide the harshness or leniency of the sentence. Please refer to the Teen Court Discipline Grid for pre-established boundaries. (Note: guilty or innocence is not an issue of discussion as this was decided prior to requesting Teen Court).

After hearing both sides, the jury deliberates the issues and agrees within the boundaries of pre-set guidelines on how many hours of community service the juvenile must serve. The defendant will also be assessed anywhere from one to three jury duties also.

An offender may be returned to the Municipal Court at any time if he/she fails to appear for jury duty, fails to fulfill his/her teen court contract, or exhibits inappropriate behavior at the community service placement or in court.

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1. To become a Teen Court Attorney, you must observe one court session and attend training OR observe two court sessions and attend the next scheduled training. You must also be approved by the Coordinator and the Advisory Board. Applications are available at City Hall.

2. Attorneys are expected to make a six-month commitment to the program.

3. You will be assigned to a team of attorneys. Your team leader will be responsible for assigning cases. Team members will help each other prepare for cases.

4. Attorneys arrive at 5:15 p.m., for court. This allows time to meet briefly as a group and will give you time to meet with your clients in person. Failure to arrive at the scheduled time on two occasions will result in your termination from the counsel position and replacement will be made for you.

5. If you are unable to make one of your scheduled dates, you must notify your team leader and the Coordinator two days in advance. In the event of illness, notification by noon on Monday is sufficient.

6. Team leaders will be designated "Lead Attorneys" and members will be designated "Associate Attorneys." Team leaders will be responsible for assigning cases and for serving as a resource for case preparation. Additionally, they will rotate attending Teen Court Advisory Board meetings. Team leaders will be selected by the Coordinator after consultation with attorneys.

7. Dress Code: part of your responsibility as an attorney is to help create an appropriate courtroom atmosphere. Please avoid wearing jeans and T-shirts. Shorts are never allowed. Look professional!

8. Volunteer teen attorneys are the backbone of the Teen Court Program. While it is a volunteer position, it is expected that you will treat your commitment like regular employment.

9. All guidelines for attorneys must be approved by a majority of the current attorneys and by the Teen Court Advisory Board.

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The rules of the court are intended for all participants of the Teen Court Program.

Dress:
Be neat and clean.
Shoes must be worn, no flip flops
Wear nice shirts/blouses (no profane, obscene or gang related language or illustrations).
No tank tops, strapless, spaghetti strap tops, halter or midriff tops.
No shorts.
No hats, caps or bandannas.

Behavior:
Be courteous and respectful to all participants.
Be alert and attentive.
Speak loudly and clearly.
Refrain from any unnecessary talking.
No inappropriate language.
Address the judge properly; "Your honor or judge."
Response to the judge; "Yes sir/ma'am"
Maintain good posture while seated.
No gum chewing, smoking, tobacco chewing, eating or drinking in the municipal building.
All pagers or cell phones turned off during court proceedings.
Sign in with the teen court coordinator upon arrival.

If you do not comply with the above listed provisions, the Judge and/or Teen Court Coordinator has the authority to remand you back to the Municipal Court Judge. Being remanded back to Municipal Court Judge will result in imposition of a monetary fine for your citation.

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