TEEN COURT
Where Youths Try to Administer Justice
in Spite of Adults
and
Offenders Learn How the Court System Really Works
Six months ago, CW was pulled over on his way to school, hauled out of the car, spreadeagled and searched. The cop accused him of driving a stolen car.
"Boy, will my father be upset to hear that!" says CW, trying for a little light humor, which failed, this cop having no discernable sense of humor at all. He merely tightened his grip on CW's arm and told him he was going twenty miles over the speed limit. CW admits that by the time the cop put his lights on, he was speeding, although he thinks it wasn't that fast, but that the cop was in an unmarked car, it was raining, and he was tailing him so close that it scared CW and he reacted by speeding up, admittedly not the correct choice, but it also seems like not so intelligent behavior on the part of the cop. In the next city, two teens were pulled out of their car and killed for their hubcaps this winter. I don't blame CW for being nervous at an
unmarked Camaro two feet away in his rearview mirror.
CW is still wondering about the stolen car, and says, "Who said my car was stolen?" The cop says "Your plates came up stolen on the computer." "You'd better run it again; maybe you punched it in wrong," says CW, probably getting ready to offer to run it for him or fix his computer; he didn't mean to be rude, he just goes to the heart of a problem. The cop says, obviously piqued at the accusation that he can't type something into the computer correctly, "No I didn't,
and your registration sticker is faded. I could give you a ticket for that, too." CW is incensed. "What?? We had a hot summer! It faded!" CW has always been big on justice and fair play and in his mind this cop was not playing fair. CW said, "Are you sure I was
going that fast?" The cop says, "Yeah, I was clocking you." CW says, "Did you use radar. Can I see it?" The cop says , "No I clocked you when I was in back of you," which I think sucks, because it means that while CW was panicking, this guy was getting him to drive faster and faster. But, be that as it may, CW got the ticket and had to go to
court.
Teens are given the option of paying the ticket, going to Driver's Class, or going to Teen Court. CW chose Teen Court. This is an admission of guilt and an agreement to be punished by your peers but it doesn't go on your record. He finally got his summons to appear last night. I was the lucky parent available to accompany him, so I got on my respectable yuppie mommy clothes, took a good book and off we went.
It was like Old Home Week as we entered the Municipal Building.
"Hey Chris!! What are you here for?" "Hey! Speeding! What are you here for?" I'm on
the jury! Hahaa!!" Everyone is high-fiving and joking. Every teen in Southlake seems to be there, either serving on the juries or for a ticket. We fill out some papers and enter the courtroom. The teens serve in all the roles except that of judge, who is a local attorney.
They call the first case. The girl next to CW rises and goes to the front where she is sworn in.
"They're making her put her hand on the Bible!" CW is outraged. "How can they do that? What about Separation of Church and State?" Oh great. He's going to stand up and declare that the court is in violation of the Constitution and refuse to be sworn in.
She repeats the oath; it ends in So help me God.
"Do I have to say that?" says the obstinate and atheistic son of my husband. "What if I refuse? Can they make me say that?" I can tell he's picturing himself on the front page of the Southlake Weekly paper, looking sincere and noble as they haul him off to jail.
"Christian Anderson" I hiss, teeth clenched. If you don't believe in the Bible, then it won't matter if you put your hand on it or a Playboy. And you need all the help you can get. Shut up."
"I'd rather put it on a Playboy," mutters CW.
"What's the charge, counsel?" says the judge.
An attractive girl of about 17 stands and approaches the bench. "Malicious mischief, Your Honor, a Class 5 offense, the most serious offense heard in this court. Miss Doe was arrested at 1:30 in the morning."
Malicious Mischief!!!! 1:30 in the morning!! What was she doing!!! Robbing a house? Spraypainting a car? Mugging an old lady?? "Do you know her?" I whisper to CW, worried about the influences these types of women might have on my angel.
"No. She goes to Grapevine." How do kids know these things?
The prosecuting attorney in her jeans and golf shirt addresses the jury. "Miss Doe and four of her friends have been found guilty of toilet papering a house."
"No!" I gasp in horror. I didn't know they could arrest you for that!
The defense attorney examines her client.
"Are you sorry?"
"Oh yes."
Do you think what you did was irresponsible?"
"Oh yes. I never do things like that normally."
"Why did you do it?"
"Because she papered mine last week."
Aha!!! Well no wonder! Anyone with teens understands the rules. If you get papered, you retaliate.
The prosecuting attorney gives an impassioned speech about guilt and vandalism and taking the law into your own hands. Miss X gets 46 community service hours. She waves at the jury as she leaves.
They call CW out of the courtroom. A bouncy little bailiff in jeans and a golfshirt (required uniform?) says flirtatiously. "YOU get to go to Master Jury." We are uncertain whether this is good or bad. "You get to represent yourself." the girl coos up at CW.
This is a bad idea. I can see CW already planning his summation. We enter a room where seven teens are seated around a table. The jury forewoman smiles a little at CW. I find out later they are friends. CW says "Yes, Ma'am" to her which cracks everyone up, though they do their best not do it loudly. He tells them his tale.
"Oh, man, was this Officer Marler?" says one boy.
"No, it was the Camaro cop." THis is met by sympathetic chuckles.
"Hey, how come you don't have to go to school til 9 am?"
"I swim at 6 am and then I'm off first block,"
More sympathetic looks at the 6 am reference.
"Did your parents punish you?"
CW rolls his eyes. "Oh man. Yeah! They took the car away for a month and then for another month I could only drive to school and swim practice!" The other boys are appalled.
"Whoa! Was it your car they took away??" CW looks pitiful and nods. I feel like an ogress; the kids are glaring at me.
The foreman gets them back on track. "What kind of grades do you make? Extracurricular activities? Community service? Job?" Obviously she is feeding him his lines. By the time she's done, he sounds as if he should be knighted or crowned king or something. They
excuse him.
He is given two terms of service on the jury and 28 hours of community service hours which they waive because he already does so many hours with United Nations. On the sheet they give him is written in big letters, "PUNISHED SEVERLEY [sic] AT HOME!!!!"
Fortunately the adults in charge won't let the jury waive his hours so CW will have to work off his offense.
He can't wait to pull jury duty-- though he says he'd be better as the judge. It's a frightening thought. |
