Montgomery County Teen Court

DUE TO COVIID RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT FOR ACCESS TO THE CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, THE TEEN COURT PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR THE REAMAINDER OF 2020.

Teen Court is a diversion program offered to first time juvenile offenders in which they admit to their involvement in the offense and agree to have their case heard before a peer jury of Teen Court student volunteers in a court setting. The judges, which include Circuit, District, and Special Appeals judges, volunteer their time and are present to answer legal questions and set the tone for the courtroom. Using Teen Court guidelines, the jury decides the appropriate disposition which includes mandatory community service hours, appropriate educational programs, and may include essays, apology letters, or Teen Court jury duties. If the juvenile offender (respondent) completes the assigned disposition within 60 days, the original charge is dismissed and will not appear in the juvenile's record

Teen Court is open to all high school students residing in Montgomery County. The program is run in semester sessions: Spring (January to May), Summer (June to August), Fall (September to December), and an open application period is held in the month prior to start of the next semester session. Volunteer jurors must commit to attending Teen Court on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 4:30P to 7:30P at the Circuit Courthouse in Rockville during the semester. Volunteers must also agree to abide by the Teen Court Code of Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement included in the volunteer application packet.