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Youth Court Glossary

A B C D E F H I J L M O P R S T V W Y

The following is a list of words commonly used in youth court.  While the words may be used in other settings, we have attempted to define them as they typically are used in youth court.

 

 

 

A

accountability - occurs when respondents/defendants acknowledge responsibility for their behavior, are aware of the harmful effects their behavior has on others (e.g., victims, family members, community), and repair the harm they caused through completion of their disposition requirements

active listening - a skill in which the listeners demonstrate that they understand what the speaker is saying both verbally and nonverbally

adult judge model - a youth court program model where volunteer youth serve in the roles of defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, jurors and an adult volunteer serves in the role of judge

adversarial system - a system of determining the truth by allowing all of the competing parties to present their views, without having to reach agreement, to an impartial person(s)

apology - a written or oral expression of regret and acknowledgement of the harm done to the victim by the respondent/defendant

arraignment - in a youth court that allows a not-guilty plea, the first hearing in which the judge tells the respondent/defendant the charge and takes a plea

B

bailiff - the person who calls the court to order, helps keep order in the courtroom, announces the case, administers the oath, escorts jury, and closes proceedings

C

closing arguments - an attorney’s remarks to the jury or to the judge panel to persuade them to follow the attorney’s recommendation on the disposition, as supported by the evidence

community advocate - (1) a person who presents the impact of the respondent’s/defendant’s behavior on all victims (including the community), (2) sometimes used as the term to describe a prosecutor in youth court community impact statement - a written document or spoken testimony that explains how the community has been harmed as a result of the respondent’s/defendant’s behavior and offers suggestions on what may be done to repair the harm to the community

community service - service performed by respondent/defendant to make amends or repair harm to the community or other victims competency development - building relationships with caring and positive adults or peers and providing respondents/ defendants with opportunities to increase their skills and abilities so they are able to function as more productive members of society

confidentiality - the requirement not to reveal information court clerk - the person who keeps the written or taped records of the case proceedings

crime - action(s) that violate a law

cross-examination - questions asked of a witness by opposing counsel that is designed to strengthen their case or expose the weakness and inconsistencies of the other side’s presentation

D

defense attorney - the attorney who acts on behalf of the respondent/defendant in youth court

deliberation - the act of considering the evidence with the purpose of reaching a agreement on a disposition/sentence

delinquent act - act(s) committed by a juvenile that would carry criminal sanctions if they were committed by an adult

demeanor - the way a person presents her or himself; their conduct or mood

direct examination - open-ended questions asked to get a witness to report relevant information to a jury or judge panel; asked by the attorney who called the witness

disposition - the sentence imposed on a respondent/defendant requiring specific conditions or actions

diversion - a program that allows the respondent/defendant charged with a less serious offense to be removed from the formal justice process and placed, or diverted, into an alternative program that does not create a permanent juvenile justice record.

E

educational classes - classes that address and assist in behavior change and competency development in areas such as (but not limited to) alcohol and drug education, anger management, self-esteem, or shoplifting

essays - a document written by the respondent/defendant after researching a specific topic related to the offense committed, such as the economic impact of shoplifting on the community or the consequences of drinking and driving

ethics - a system of moral principals and values; an established code of conduct for youth court volunteers

evidence - the testimony, written statements and reports, and physical items introduced into a youth court hearing

F

felony - a crime that, if committed by an adult, would carry more than one year of possible prison time

H

hearing (also disposition hearing) - a session in which a group of young persons hear evidence and decide upon a disposition for the respondent/defendant

I

investigation - gathering evidence for a hearing by reading over police reports and victim and community impact statements and interviewing the respondent/defendant and witnesses

J

judge - a youth or adult volunteer who manages the youth court process and makes sure that correct procedures are followed; in youth tribunal model courts the judges also determine the disposition

jurisdiction - the authority of a youth court to handle specific crimes, school rule violations, status offenses, or traffic infractions.

jury/jurors - person(s) who listen to evidence presented at a hearing and decide upon a disposition for a respondent/defendant; in peer jury model youth courts, jurors also directly question the respondent/defendant and witnesses

juvenile - a youth or child under the age of majority (age varies by state) who is under the jurisdiction of juvenile court if a crime, violation, or infraction is committed

L

lawyer - the attorney or person who advocates for another in legal matters

M

mediation - a facilitated process allowing the victims, parents, or other interested parties to meet face-to-face with the respondent/defendant in an attempt to resolve a conflict and reach a mutually agreed upon solution; led by trained facilitators

mentor - a youth or adult who teaches by example; in youth court a youth mentor may be assigned to the respondent/defendant to assure the completion of the youth court disposition; an adult mentor may be assigned to assist youth attorneys with the presentation of their case to the court

misdemeanor - a crime that, if committed by an adult, would carry a possibility of a year or less of jail time

O

offender - a juvenile who admits to have committed a crime, a violation, or other problem behavior

opening statements - an attorney’s introduction of his/her case to the court

P

peer jury model - a youth court program model in which jurors ask the respondent/defendant questions directly, instead of relying on defense and prosecuting attorneys to bring out the facts of the case

police report - official account of an offense written by a police officer;  often used by youth court attorneys in gathering evidence and preparing opening statements or in introducing the case in peer jury youth courts

presiding juror - (jury foreperson) person who ensures that each juror has a chance to fully and fairly participate and that the disposition is what the jury decided; in peer jury model youth courts, the presiding juror also manages the hearing

prosecution - the attorney’s side that represents the government, community, victim, and/or school

R

respondent/defendant - juvenile appearing before youth court who has committed a crime, violation, traffic infraction, violated a school rule, or engages in some other problem behavior that makes him/her eligible for youth court

restitution - an attempt to repay, restore, or repair harm to the victim through money or services

restorative justice - a response to crime that provides opportunities for those most directly affected by crime - the victim, the offender, their families, and representatives of the community - to be directly involved in responding to the harm caused by crime; based upon values which emphasize the importance of providing opportunities for more active involvement in the process of: offering support and assistance to crime victims; holding offenders directly accountable to the people and
communities they have violated; restoring the emotional and material losses to victims (to the degree possible); providing a range of opportunities for dialogue and problem solving among interested and
affected parties; offering offenders opportunities for competency development and reintegration into productive community life; and strengthening public safety through community building

retributive justice - an approach to sentencing respondents/defendants that focuses on punishment

S

sentence - disposition or consequences imposed on a respondent/defendant because of a crime, infraction, violation, or problem behavior

status offense - offenses that would not be crimes if committed by adults; examples include truancy from school, running away from home, and underage drinking

T

testimony - the information given by witnesses or respondent/defendant under oath

traffic infraction - violation of a driving law

V

victim - a person who is affected due to an act by another

victim advocate - a person who supports victim during the youth court hearing process

victim impact statement - a written document or spoken testimony from the victim(s) of a crime or violation that describes how a crime or behavior has affected or harmed the victim; it is signed by the victim and presented during the youth court hearing before the respondent/defendant is
sentenced violation - behavior that breaks an established school rule or traffic regulation

W

witness - any person who testifies at a hearing about what he or she has seen, heard, or otherwise experienced

Y

youth advocate - (1) a person who provides support to the respondent/defendant during the hearing, (2) sometimes used as a term to describe defense attorney in some youth court models

youth court - a program in which youth are sentenced by their peers (also called teen, peer or student court)

youth judge model - a youth court program model where volunteer youth serve in all roles including the role of judge

youth tribunal model - a youth court program model where the case is presented by youth attorneys to a panel of youth judges (typically 3) who determine the appropriate disposition for the respondent/defendant

 

This website is supported under cooperative agreement number 2006-JF-FX-0078 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education.  This website is produced and maintained by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  Points of view or opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Transportation, or the U.S. Department of Education.