The Town of Parker is proud to announce that 24 students representing 13 schools throughout Douglas County will be sworn into Parker Teen Court at noon on Saturday, March 15 at Parker Town Hall. The swearing-in ceremony will be facilitated by Judge Kevin Sidel of the Parker Municipal Court.
The eager teens will officially join Parker Teen Court after successfully completing four weeks of legal training on topics such as juvenile justice, the court system and criminal law, ethics, the impact of crime and restorative justice.
Teen Court is a community-based intervention/prevention program designed to provide an alternative response to the juvenile justice system for first-time, nonviolent, misdemeanor juvenile offenders ages 12 to 17 years old. Following a “justice for teen, by teens” model, members determine appropriate sanctions for first-time juvenile offenders in either a peer panel or trial setting.
Parker Teen Court provides youth with the opportunity to be directly involved in the justice system while making a positive impact on the community and their peers. Since its inception in 2005, the organization has been an integral part of dealing with youth offenders in the community and now has a roster of over 100 trained participants. Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of roles, including juror, bailiff, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney and judge. Cases are heard on a weekly basis at Town Hall.
For more information on Parker Teen Court, contact Sarah Vandiver at svandiver@parkeronline.org or 303.805.3171.