Teen Court is a collaborative effort between the Pennington County State's Attorney, the 7th Judicial Circuit Court and The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Juvenile offenders, ages 12 - 17, are referred to Teen Court by the State's Attorneys as an alternative to the formal juvenile justice system.
Teen Court is a sentencing hearing where offenders' cases are presented to a jury of their peers by teen volunteer attorneys. The peer jury then decides a constructive disposition based on the mitigating and aggravating circumstances of the case.
Teen Court is a "second chance" for those youths who have made a poor choice(s) and have little or no previous criminal history. Hopefully, after the Teen Court experience, the youth will stay free of the criminal court system.