The Pima County Teen Court, a nationwide model, may have to move from its downtown courthouse home by year’s end.

County supervisors heard from supporters of the court at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

Officials were told that the 13-year-old program, which provides sentencing options for offenders ages 12 to 17, should stay at its 97 E. Congress St. location in the Pima County Justice Court.

The program deals with youths for offenses such as marijuana possession, criminal damage, theft, assault and other such matters.

Pima County has a critical need for office space, county officials said. The Justice Court has moved and no longer uses the space, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said Tuesday. The Teen Court uses the space on nights and weekends. It sits empty during weekday work hours.

“It’s about the efficiency of using office space,” Huckelberry said.

In the Teen Court program, young violators are shown how the courts system works and go on trial, with judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys present.

Verdicts are handed down by peer juries. Participating offenders must comply with sentences requiring family education, communication skills, gang prevention, responsible decision-making, letters of apology, duty on a peer jury, educational workshops, and community service learning programs.

The current location for the Teen Court is ideal, because the Justice Court has two courtrooms that are used to create as realistic an atmosphere as possible for youthful offenders who land in the justice system, said Claire Scheuren, deputy director of the Pima Prevention Partnership. The agency oversees the Teen Court program.

“Ours is the largest teen court in the United States,” Scheuren said.

When the court is in session, 75 to 250 people may participate. That includes volunteer judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, peer juries and volunteers in training.

The Teen Court caseload is heavy.

“Juvenile courts probation officers are sending cases over all the time,” Scheuren said.

Huckelberry said the county will revisit the issue, possibly shrinking the square footage of the two courtrooms, allowing the Teen Court program to remain while providing for new office space for county uses during weekdays.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 at 12:01 am and is filed under Education, Local. Tags for this post: Crime/Safety, Garry Duffy, Local-Crime/Safety, page-a04. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.