On hand for the celebration were (left to right) Michael E. Botke, director Teen Court, a program of Child And Family Services; James Paparella, executive director of Child And Family Services; Nicholas Toodzio, Teen Court Advisory Board chair; Debbie De Leon, Ingham County commissioner — District 2, chair; Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Janelle Lawless, Family Division; Stuart Dunnings III, Ingham County prosecuting attorney; Jack Levine, National Association of Youth Courts Program director, Tallahassee, Fla.; Don Vickers, Ingham County commissioner — District 16; and Don LeDuc, president of Thomas Cooley Law School.
Lansing Teen Court celebrated its 10th anniversary recently at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Cooley provides office space for the program and courtroom space for the hearings and Cooley students also serve as youth advocates and jury monitors.
In addition, Cooley students also assist with Street Law Workshops.
Stuart Dunnings III, prosecuting attorney for Ingham County, served as the keynote speaker for the anniversary event.
Mike Botke, program director, said the keynote address delivered by Dunnings “was particularly endearing as he cited the collective effort of so many judicial officials and community leaders who have contributed so much time and resources toward the obvious success that the program has achieved.”
“We also really appreciated the visit by Jack Levine, the National Youth Court Director honoring Teen Court Lansing with his commentary on our accomplishments in Ingham County,” Botke said.
Teen Court provides juvenile justice diversion services to more than 200 first-time youth offenders per year as referred by the Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Circuit Court-Family Division.
Botke said the program has much to celebrate.
“Ten years ago, the community implemented a unique Juvenile Justice Program that engages and looks upon teens as a resource,” he said. “Accountability, personal responsibility and a greater awareness of civic duty and community service is what we are teaching our youth.”
Youths charged with minor offenses appear before a jury of their peers, who determine how the youth can repair the harm caused to the victim and community, and what services the youth may need to achieve personal success.
Once the youth completes the peer jury’s sanctions, the court petition is dismissed and the youth does not incur a formal juvenile criminal record. The program has a 90 percent success rate.
“Teen Court is as much an education program as it is a juvenile justice diversion program,” Botke explained. “It takes courage for teens to stand in front of a jury of their peers during their court accountability hearing step.
“Giving first-time juvenile offenders an opportunity to repair the harm they caused in committing misdemeanor offenses is not only cost-effective, it works as a sound intervention, prevention and education program teaching our youth how to become part of the solution to community and personal challenges instead of being looked upon as the problem.”
More than 4,500 youths have been recruited and trained through a collaboration with Eastern, Sexton, Everett, Mason, Dansville, Williamston, East Lansing, and Okemos high schools.
Teen Court is a program of Child & Family Services, which was founded nearly 100 years ago.
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