Teen Court- Orange County

Teen Court for Orange County Restorative Justice Program

Youth ages eleven to eighteen who take responsibility for a low-level offense may be referred to Teen Court by law enforcement, judges, or court counselors. Participation is voluntary and confidential, offering an opportunity for youth to take meaningful accountability for their actions outside of the traditional court system.

Teen Court is a peer-led, restorative process facilitated by trained youth volunteers serving as attorneys, clerks, and jurors, and an adult volunteer acts as the presiding judge. Rather than focusing on punishment, Teen Court emphasizes restoration and growth. The peer jury crafts a constructive plan—known as a restorative disposition—that typically includes community service and jury duty, and may also involve writing apology letters, completing online educational modules, or participating in other activities designed to repair harm and rebuild trust within the community.

If you are interested in joining our restorative justice team, we have positions to volunteer for that include:

• Jury Monitor (Monitoring the jury process) 
• Language Translators (Spanish is in high demand, but we are open to creating a list of people who can speak a variety of languages for on-call translations that may be needed for court proceedings. You would be alerted ahead of time if your language skills are required.) 
• Attorney Trainings ( You would assist in training youth as a prosecuting or defense attorney)
  
  This program provides an in-depth look at our Criminal Justice System and how it works. It's a wonderful opportunity for students in the Law field!