St. Clair County looks to train jurors for teen court

St. Clair County looks to train jurors for teen court by Jamie Forsythe

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St. Clair County is piloting teen court — a justice program that allows first-time non-violent offenders to come before a peer jury after admitting guilt.

“Teen court is beneficial to offenders and to the youth who act as jurors,” said retired Judge Annette Eckert, who is the volunteer director and moderator of the teen court pilot program. “It provides accountability for offenders and affirms positive behavior for volunteer jurors.”

The county will host a teen court juror training session on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Lindenwood University-Belleville. High school students interested in serving as teen court jurors can contact their school administrators.