Volunteers Sought for Teen Court Juries

They won’t be sending a jury summons in the mail, but organizers of the first Teen Court are hoping teenagers volunteer to serve as jurors for trials of minor crimes committed by their peers.

Following the example of many small cities throughout Southern California, Calabasas officials are hoping to curb teen crime by allowing youths charged with misdemeanors to be judged and sentenced by other teens.

“Being judged by a jury of your peers is much more threatening than being judged by the juvenile justice system,” said Marilyn Fisher, Calabasas recreation supervisor.

The first two cases of the Teen Court program will be heard April 15 in the council chambers at City Hall, 25135 Mureau Road. Six jurors are needed per case, and each case takes approximately 45 minutes to prosecute, officials said.

A judge oversees the proceedings at which the teenage jurors question the defendant in an attempt to establish guilt, motive and intent, city officials said. The jurors then deliberate and hand down a legally binding sentence for the crime, including probation, which must be completed by the defendant, according to city officials.

The first-time offenders are referred to Teen Court by the Lost Hills sheriff’s station. Failure to comply with a jury’s order would result in the offender’s case being sent to the juvenile justice system, city officials said.

Any area teenager may apply, and no experience is necessary to be a juror.

“It’s exciting for the jurors,” Fisher said. “They go through the whole process of what can happen to them if they make a stupid mistake, or if after they are 18, they get a jury summons.”

For information about serving on a jury, call (818) 880-6461.