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Date:
July 2001 -
(Download PDF Version)
Topic:
Handling Traffic
Offenses
Question:
Which programs handle traffic violations? What type of traffic
violations? What type of training for volunteers is required?
Are the same courtroom procedures used as in other offenses?
Problems experienced? Consequences juries have imposed? Are
intake interviews conducted with traffic violation offenders?
Responses
from
Coordinators:
Judy London
Coordinator
Yoakum County Teen Court
706 Linda Lane
Denver City, Texas 79323
Phone: (806) 592-9169
jlondon@hiplains.net
Justices of the Peace and the municipal judge in this county
refer most youthful traffic law offenders to teen court.
Judges interview the defendants and offer teen court as an
option for disposition with a plea of guilty. If the
defendant has not completed a defensive driving course for a
traffic offense within a year and has not been through the
teen court program before, the judge recommends teen court.
Court costs are imposed by the judge, but no fines are
required. Traffic offenses are categorized into 4 offense
classes and each class has a sentencing range of community
service hours and terms of jury duty. Our program was
initiated 10 years ago to handle traffic cases only. Five
years later we added class C misdemeanor offenses. These are
all class 4 (most serious) offenses. Courtroom procedures
for traffic and class C cases are the same. We operate with
a volunteer staff of about 50 youth; typically the most
experienced volunteers serve during the special dockets set
up for class C tickets. Our judges and advisory committee
expect traffic cases and class C cases to be heard on
separate occasions. I have found that training volunteers
for traffic hearings is actually less complicated than
teaching them about criminal offenses. Young people are
familiar with traffic laws and are comfortable prosecuting
and defending those offenders.
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Jefferson County Youth Court
Michele L. Carlton
Director
c/o Jefferson-Lewis Mediation Center, Inc.
7 Empsall Plaza Courtyard
Watertown, NY 13601
Phone: (315) 785-0333
Fax: (315) 785-0322
youthcrt@imcnet.net
I only handle kids ages 7-15 in New York. And the legal
driving age is 16. However, I have handled a number of
snowmobile and ATV traffic violations. Our process is the
same as other offenses. We use a tribunal method.
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Betty Cropper
cropper1@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.eduIn
Ohio we have an additional program in addition to the Teen
Courts. It is called 4-H Carteens. The program is a traffic
safety education effort taught by teens for first time
offenders. It is conducted in cooperation with the Ohio
Highway Patrol and the Juvenile court. We have a 72%
reduction in 2nd time offenders. If you would like more
information about this educational program please Email me
at
cropper1@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.edu. We are willing to
conduct training programs.
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Stayton Sublimity
Jennifer Strutz
Youth Court Coordinator
362 N. Third Avenue
Stayton, OR 97383
Phone: (503) 769-5749
Fax: (503) 769-7573
jastrutz@aol.com
We process traffic violations in the same manner as other
offenses. Much the same sanctions ie: essay, charts,
diversion classes, community service, jury duty, etc. We are
in the process of training for a 3-5 youth judge panel that
will handle bicycle helmet infraction, MIP Tobacco, other
bicycle related citations and vehicle violations. The judges
will inquiry and hand down the sanction. Offenders follow
through as any other offender. All of the volunteers take a
3 hour training in peer court procedure (mock trial),
understanding the crimes they will see and handing out
properly sanctions to fit the crime for a successful
completion. All offenders undergo the same training before
sitting back on the jury.
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Citrus County Teen Court
Tomas R. Moore
Director
110 North Apopka Avenue
Inverness, FL 34450
Phone: (352) 637-9860
Fax: (352) 637-9857
stmoore@citrus.infi.net
The Citrus County, FL Teen Court will
entertain certain motor vehicle or traffic offenses in our
program. We will accept a referral from the County Court
(Traffic Court) for any youth charged with driving without a
license as long as they are under 16 years old. We will also
hear cases of Driving while License is suspended if the
offender is over 16 years and the drivers license was only
suspended for that persons truancy. Here in Florida the law
allows for a juvenile's license to be suspended for certain
status offenses such as truancy.
These case are processed the same as any
other referral to the Teen Court with appropriate sanctions
imposed. An example would be that along with community
service hours, jury duties and the other terms and
conditions the offender may also have to attend a driver
improvement class or write an essay discussing DUI even
though alcohol was not involved. Failure to comply or an
unsuccessful termination from Teen Court will place the
individual back in from of the same judge that originally
made the referral to the Teen Court. In the very few cases
where this has happened it has proved to be a serious
tactical error on the part of the young person.
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College Station Teen Court
Peggy Calliham
Coordinator Box 9960
College Station, TX 77842
Phone: (409) 764-3499
Fax: (409) 764-3894
pcalliham@ci.college-station.tx.us
Our Teen Court handles Class C Misdemeanor traffic citations
just like others. Only difference is that most of the time
we use a Master Jury procedure to conduct the hearings
because they are much simpler and we have more of them. This
way we can handle them in a timely manner. Traffic
Violations are a part of our regular discipline grid for
sentencing. I do require Defensive Driving as a part of the
sentence on moving violations.
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Duncanville Teen Court
Olivia Harrington
Teen Court Coordinator
P.O. Box 380280
Duncanville, TX 75138-0280
Phone: (972) 780-5063
Fax: (972) 780-6463
oharrington@ci.duncanville.tx.us
http://www.ci.duncanville.tx.us/teen court.htm
Duncanville Teen Court handles most Class C misdemeanor
traffic offenses. Training the same, courtroom procedure the
same, about 1/3 of our cases are traffic. No problems,
nothing unusual. We interview all of our defendants,
including traffic.
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Abilene Teen Court
Deydra Stevenson
Teen Court Coordinator
City of Abilene
P.O. Box 60
Abilene, TX 79604
Phone: (915) 676-6402
Fax: (915) 676-6286
stevensd@abilenetx.com
The City of Abilene Teen Court handles traffic violations in
its Teen Court Program, all training is administered the
same. Attorneys are given there cases a week in advance to
make preparation's for:
a. interviewing the Teen
b. interviewing any witness to the violation
c. asking the appropriate question for the violation
Court procedures are the same in all cases in Teen Court we
just have a list of questions for the various violations
that assist the attorney or prosecutor in their cases. We
have encountered no problems with this procedure and our
Teen Court program has been in operation since 1992.
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Jeanie Lyles Mitchell
Administrative Office of the Court
100 Millcreek Park
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone: (502) 573-2350
jeaniel@mail.aoc.state.ky.us
Traffic offenses are on our criteria list of possible cases.
We haven't heard too many though. We use the same procedure,
training, etc as for our other teen court cases.
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Corpus Christi Teen Court, Inc.
Orlando Garcia
Teen Court Director
Martineau Juvenile Hall
2310 Golliher Road
Corpus Christi, TX 78415
Phone: (361) 561-6079
Fax: (361) 852-5846
garcia99@the-i.net
The majority of our cases are traffic violations. Jurors
should have driving experience. All other procedures are the
same. The referring court should have a system to notify the
dept. of motor, public, safety of the outcome of the
violation so driving records remain current and accurate.
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Kristi Ware
Teen Court Coordinator
Community Action Program Region VII, Inc.
2105 Lee Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58504
Phone: (701)-258-2240
teencourt@teencourt.com
www.teencourt.com
We have handled a couple first time traffic violations
including driving without a license coupled with failure to
yield and limitations on backing, both of which resulted in
damage to the driver's or another's vehicle. We handle these
cases the same as all other cases as far as interviewing the
offender, courtroom procedures, and volunteer training. Some
of the possible consequences for the above named offenses
have included the mandatory 4 points on the driving record
plus additional points for other traffic violations, jury
duty, apology to relevant persons, community project or
volunteer time, an essay on the responsibilities of driving
a motor vehicle, and attendance of a defensive driving
course.
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Vilas County Teen Court
Nancy Anne Livingston
Teen Court Coordinator
330 Court Street
Eagle River, WI 54521
Phone: (715) 479-3749
Fax: (715) 479-1978
nancy.livingston@ces.uwex.eduIn
In response to the traffic violation question we have had
several traffic offense that have come through Vilas County
Teen Court. All have been driving without a license. We
handle them in the same manner we hold all of our Teen Court
proceedings - we use the panel model with 4 trained panel
members hearing cases. The sanctions have been similar to
other cases with letters of apology, reports on the WI DOT
stats involving teen crashes, etc... community service and
the likes.
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Mary Beck
Midland Teen Court
Midland, TX
Phone: (915) 689-1085
TEENCOURT@prodigy.net
Midland Teen Court has always heard traffic. We hear all
offenses that are Class C misdemeanors (basically everything
except DWI or accidents with injuries). Usually we use the
Master Jury format, using only licensed drivers on the jury.
We have sample questions for them to ask, and require that
all jurors participate. Due to time constraints, we do not
usually perform office interviews but just send the youth
the information in writing and require that they call to
confirm. A licensed attorney serves as judge. Everyone in
the courtroom learns from the proceedings and I know I'm a
better driver afterwards. In addition to the other
consequences such as community service and jury service, all
traffic offenders must complete a traffic education class
which we hold in our offices (currently showing a "Shattered
Dreams" video made this spring in Midland)
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Keller, Haltom City, Watauga Teen Court
Leslie A. Comeaux
Teen Court Coordinator
7101 Whitley Road
Watauga, TX 76148
Phone: (817) 514-5823
Fax: (817) 281-1191
Lcomeaux47@hotmail.com
http://www.ci.watauga.tx.us/courts/teencourt.htm
All class C misdemeanors are handled in the State of Texas.
That includes all traffic citations. They are handled the
same way as any other offense in this teen court. The only
difference is that Traffic may go to the master jury instead
of the teen having an attorney etc.
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