Teen Court is a unique justice program for first time offenders of misdemeanor crimes. It is designed to give youth between the ages of 11 and 18 who have broken the law and admitted their guilt, a second chance.
Teen Court is based on the philosophy that a youthful violator is more profoundly impacted when a peer jury decides his or her punishment. The ideal outcome is that young people take responsibility for their actions, provide restitution to the victim and community, and give both the juvenile offender and community an active role in solving juvenile crime.
There are approximately 1,800 Youth Courts on 5 continents. The Woodland Park Teen Court was founded in 1994.