Peer court provides alternative for first time juvenile offenders
The Cache Valley Peer Court is an alternative to Juvenile Court for first-time offenders in the area. It is run with permission of the Juvenile Court and Cache County Attorney’s Office, according to the court’s handout.
The peer court is funded by participating agencies, private and public organizations, grants, service charge and donations according to the handout.
The peer court is made up of 24 kids between the ages of 14 and 18. The position held by these young people include judges, peer mentors, clerks, courtroom administrator, victims advocate and peer advocates. The members of the peer court join for all sorts of reasons, Sargent Sean Marshall said. Sometimes, the kids have been offenders who have attended the court, changed their ways and become a member.
“I joined to stay out of trouble,” Shelby Boehme, 15, said.
Marshall said 75 percent of the cases at the peer court are theft cases. Other crimes are usually curfew violations or fights at school. The kids on the court enjoy helping out other juveniles and keeping them out of trouble.
“It’s a way of bringing kids from all over the community to help their peers. It helps kids who are on the right track to make better choices,” Marshall said.
According to the handout, the judges in the court decide a disposition (sentence, essentially) for the offenders. These dispositions usually involve community hours, study hours, letters of apology and reports.
The offenders will occasionally be sent to some classes. There are three different classes the teens can be referred to. There is a class called Safeteen, a second class, a tobacco class for minors, and a third class called Truancy. The classes hold pre-tests and post-tests which show dramatic improvements in the kids attending. They are effective classes, said Jay Larsen, of the health department.
When a an offender comes to peer court, the offender and his or her parents are escorted into the courtroom. The offender is sworn in and the judges begin to ask him or her questions. They ask about the offender’s motives for the crime, his or her grades in school, how much time he or she spends with friends, and what he or she does in spare time.
The offender is escorted into the hall and the parents are questioned in a similar manner. The parents are escorted out and the judges (there are three per case) decide on a disposition, as well as a deadline for it to be completed. If the offender attends the court and completes the disposition, he or she will not receive a criminal record.
The offender and parents are invited back into the courtroom and the offender is commended for taking responsibility for his or her own actions.
The disposition is presented, a mentor is assigned, and the court is dismissed with the signing of papers. The offender will return after completion of the disposition and report that the work is done and share his or her feelings about what has been experienced.
The peer court is a valuable asset to the city. It is made up of good kids who are a step above their peers and involved in both their school and community, Larsen said.
Questions about the peer court, can be directed to the Logan City Police Department Youth Division at 716-9341.