GET INVOLVED
Below are descriptions of different volunteer positions you can sign up for when volunteering with Alachua County's Teen Court:
TEEN VOLUNTEERS
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Jurors: Must decide appropriate sanctions based on the
number & type of offense(s) made by the defendant. May also ask questions to the defendant during their trial to hear their perspective on what happened in their crime.
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Clerks: Must announce the case name and number at the start of each trial, read the police report to the jury when prompted to by the judge and accurately record the sentence as read by the jury foreperson.
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Attorneys: Represent the defendant or the State of Florida during Teen Court trials. Attorneys must come up with opening and closing statements and present them out loud to the jury along with questioning the defendant on their actions that led them to Teen Court.
ADULT VOLUNTEERS
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Teen Jury Facilitator: Monitor the behavior of jury members both during the trial and while in the deliberation room, encourage in-depth discussion and careful consideration about cases while maintaining a neutral presence in the jury room and serve as a mentor by guiding them on appropriate questions to ask the defendant and help encourage teamwork skills as they work with each other to find the best fit sanctions for a defendant.
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Teen Attorney Trainer: Serve as a mentor to teen attorneys and give them advice on preparing their cases for a trial. They also provide feedback to the teen attorneys on their performance during and after Teen Court trials. Usually law students and legal personnel are great volunteers for this position.
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Judge: Presides over cases including swearing the jury and defendant in and keeps the courtroom in order during trials. Usually law students and legal personnel are great volunteers for this position.
