Warren County Justice Center hosts Teen Court “swearing-in” ceremony

BOWLING GREEN, KY. – The Warren County Justice Center held its Teen Court “swearing-in ceremony” Monday night.

Teen Court is a program that allows high school students to work on real juvenile cases.

Each participant gains courtroom experience as an attorney or juror, helping determine an appropriate punishment.

Monday’s ceremony swore in more than 50 students, who pledged to keep the cases confidential. 

Parents also watched a mock trial showcasing the knowledge their children will apply in real cases beginning next month.

Organizers spoke about the program’s benefits for students and the juveniles they represent.

“They are actually represented by their peers. We have student attorneys, student prosecutors and student defense attorneys. They have already admitted guilt to whatever the crime is,” said Teen Court Coordinator Jacob Stover.

“These attorneys come up with a constructive sentence as their punishment. It’s a good deterrent for the kids and helps them stay out of the system after this.”

“It gives them an opportunity to develop their public-speaking skills, gain exposure to the legal system and develop their critical-thinking skills,” said Teen Court Presiding Judge Kimberly Geoghegan.

“They have an opportunity, when they serve on the jury, to recommend a constructive sentence for a juvenile offender.”

Organizers said one of the most common dispositions for juveniles in Teen Court is to return as a juror.

“One of the most interesting constructive-sentence recommendations is for the Teen Court jury to recommend that a juvenile offender return to serve on the Teen Court jury. It gives them an opportunity to envision themselves as part of our process instead of an outsider. We hope they’ll realize that decisions have consequences and that, in the future, they’ll think about the potential consequences of their actions.”

Teen Court will begin trials in October and hold monthly court sessions through May.