Tonight I visited the Sandy Court House to view Aubrey and her Youth Court peers in action. When I arrived, she was reading the Traffic Law book while manning the Security Post.
Shortly after my arrival, she came up to work in Court Room #1. The whole 'court room' environment makes me nervous, but she absolutely loves it. She serves not only as a 'peer juror' in giving dispositions (sentencing contracts with youth who have been arrested for misdemeanors) but also as a 'mentor' to assist the sentenced youth in fulfilling their contract. This night, one of her mentees had their return hearing scheduled and I was was able to watch that. It was pretty cool to see the process.
A youth bailiff escorted the parent and mentee into the court room. They stood at the podium where a lawyer would normal stand and she read them their rights, which are different from an adult court hearing. The bailiff excused the parent to sit down and the bailiff also took a seat next to the jury box. The mentor (ie. Aubrey in this case), who is sitting on the witness stand, read to the jury the charges and contract agreements that had been established in the original court proceeding. Aubrey then began to ask her mentee questions about how she had completed her contract, things she had learned, etc. The jurors also had a chance to ask any questions they had.
The bailiff them escorted the mentee and their parent back into the hall while the jury deliberated and they weighed that decision heavily on the thoughts and comments of the mentor because mentees must check in with and talk with their mentors at least once a week.
It is a big commitment and it takes a certain kind of person to help and serve others in this way. Aubs has a talent and passion for it, and we are so proud of the positive influence she has had on so many.
