Teen Court

Oakland County Teen Court is a program created and run by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office through our Juvenile Justice Division. The program provides an alternative to traditional juvenile court to reduce recidivism, improve the community, and focus on restoring relationships rather than punishment. The program is open to juvenile first-time offenders in Oakland County between the ages of 12 and 18 who have committed an offense and are willing to accept responsibility for their actions to avoid formal charges.

As a constructive alternative to charging juveniles, youthful offenders are sent to Teen Court. Once sent to Teen Court, a confidential hearing is held, and the case is presented by students with help from a licensed attorney. Consequences are then determined by a jury of the offenders’ peers, which is comprised of students from different school districts. The program provides youth volunteers an opportunity to learn about the juvenile justice system and to earn volunteer hours or extra credit through their school.

Teen Court is looking for licensed attorneys to participate and act as mentors to student attorneys.

Mentor Application Form

Beyond student and attorney volunteers, Teen Court depends on referrals from law enforcement and schools. If you have a case/incident that you would like to see referred to Teen Court instead of a formal court petition request, please contact the program coordinator to learn how to submit a case referral.

Case Referral Form

The program seeks dedicated school personnel to act as a liaison with the Teen Court coordinator for training and court session scheduling. Contact the program coordinator, Wendy Sims, for further information or if you are interested.

School Interest Form

Teen court relies upon student volunteers. The commitment entails a short training with the program coordinator and one court hearing, approximately 1-2 hours long. To sign up your school, class, or club for the program, please contact the program coordinator.

Student Interest Form

Click here to access and print the Teen Court flyer.