A teenager who pleads guilty to a minor offense might end up facing a true jury of his or her peers, at least in St. Clair County.
Teen court is entering its second year as a justice program to allow nonviolent first-time teen offenders to be sentenced by a peer jury. Teenage volunteers undergo training to learn how to hear evidence, deliberate and come to an appropriate sentence.
Offenders who come before the teen court have already pleaded guilty, and with their parents, agree to be subject to the sentencing determination of a teen jury. If the offender completes the sentence, the conviction is never entered into the record.
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