About Us

Teen Court is a "real" sentencing hearing for first time misdemeanor and felony juvenile offenders. Teen Court is a non-judicial proceeding that is conducted by trained teen attorneys, bailiffs, and jurors. Everyone involved in the courtroom proceeding is a teenager except the judge, who is a bar-certified attorney or judge. (There are adults who observe and supervise).

Volunteers and past defendants fulfilling sentences come to sit on jury duty. They watch real cases of teenagers who made a mistake in their actions and violated the laws of the United States. At the end of the trial, the jury of only teenage peers decides a just verdict for the defendant and the case. One of the many benefits of Teen Court is that it can be used for community service hours for many different scholarship programs.

Leon County Teen Court continues on as one of the most referred diversion programs in this county. According to recent statistics, the state attorney has referred 45%, of those juveniles who are offered non-judicial program, to Teen Court. Our youth volunteers are also on the increase…on a recent evening we had 17 youth attending jury training. Jury training is required for all volunteers who wish to sit on a Teen Court jury. Give us a call if you are interested!