On March 6, eight students from Holbrook High School gathered at the historic Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook to participate in the first of what is hoped to be many teen courts in the future.
The Holbrook Teen Court experience has been a part of the community since the 1990s but while not new, it has been a few years since the last one.
Holbrook’s Justice Court Judge Evelyn Marez presides over the court and explained that there are some criteria in order for a teen to be tried in court. First, they have to be a first time offender who was referred by a juvenile probation officer or a justice court judge. The offender also has to have pleaded guilty and be willing to take responsibility for their actions.
The teens conducting the court have gone through an extensive training on how to participate in the hearings so that enough information is gathered to assign an appropriate sentence.
The guilty teen has to be willing to accept the sentencing handed down, which is often community service, counseling, writing a letter of apology or essay, or in cases where there is a victim, pay restitution. Marez said that part of her job is to make sure the sentencing is appropriate to the circumstances.
HHS history teacher Nick Moyte, who recently started working with teen court, has been helping the students with their training and organizing. Moyte said, “I have never done this before, but it has been a good experience. It isn’t complicated as the process is done using a generic script for teen court in Arizona.”
Marez said teen court is very true to the real court system. “There is a prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, court clerk, bailiff and jury.” Right now, Holbrook’s Teen Court only has four jurors, but the goal is to get the required eight. All participating students and their parents must sign non-disclosure forms.
The case tried on March 6 was both enlightening and frustrating, as the defendant was a no-show for the second time. Marez led the teens through the process of what happens in moments like this. After questioning the prosecuting and defense attorneys, she swore in the jurors and the bailiff. The courtroom was then cleared to allow the jurors a chance to deliberate a recommended course of action. After nearly 20 minutes, a verdict was reached giving the defendant one more chance to appear before teen court before the case is sent back to regular court.
Court Clerk Tessa Chavez, a senior who is planning on becoming a forensic psychologist through Arizona State University, said this was her first time to ever be in a courtroom. “I think it would be good for everyone to experience this,” noted Chavez.
Bailiff Julia Cancino, a junior, admitted that the cases were more difficult than she thought they would be, but added, “It is good to experience the actual order of the court.”
The jurors included four seniors, Jury Foreman Josh Kishbaugh, Troy Hill, Tyler Christensen and Kearstin Saxton. The general consensus of the jurors was that it was a great experience that gave them a chance to hang out with their friends while being able to see the judicial system up close.
Harrison Edwards, a senior, acts as the prosecuting attorney and said he spent a lot of time weighing out the pros and cons of what would be a fair sentencing in this case, while Jack Hardy, II, a junior, acts as the attorney for the defense and said he has learned a lot about legal proceedings as he prepared his case and how professional it is. It has even made him consider the possibility of pursuing a career in law.
Marez said, “The ultimate goal of this teen court is to enable the students involved to feel comfortable in completing the process on their own.”
Marez and Moyte both wanted to thank the Navajo County Historical Society for their support in allowing the court to take place in the historic courtroom. “We are so appreciative to Dawn Sawyer for helping to set everything up and to the Society for letting us use the old courtroom,” said Marez. All the parties involved hoped that the teens provided this opportunity through the courts would take advantage of it.
