Oneida County Teen Court in need of youth panelists

Oneida County Teen Court is recruiting high school students to be panelists for the 2024-2025 school year.

“Teen Court is an official part of the municipal court system that provides an alternative for first time youth offenders,” according to Sharon Krause, Positive Youth Development Educator with UW-Madison Division of Extension. “Panelists work as a team to help youth learn from their mistakes, accept responsibility for their actions, restore their role in the community, and move forward without a juvenile record.  They do this by interviewing the offender and parent/guardian to try to find the root cause of the behavior. Then, panelists assign sanctions designed to help the youth avoid making similar decisions in the future.”

Some benefits of being a teen court panelist include building communication and leadership skills; learning about the justice system; gaining experience working with individuals with diverse backgrounds; increasing problem-solving skills; and creating positive change in their peer groups, schools and communities.  Students interested in pursuing careers in law, government policies, social work, or counseling will find it especially beneficial, the release states.

High school students who wish to become panelists need to have good listening skills, work well as part of a team, and be trustworthy with confidential information.  A high grade point average is not required, but panelists should be in good academic standing and able to maintain their grades while occasionally missing classes to hear cases.  

There are three venues for hearing cases. Rhinelander High School students meet at the courthouse; Lakeland Union High School cases are heard on campus; and all panelists are eligible to hear cases conducted over Zoom in the evening. Any Oneida County student who will be in 9th through 12th grade next fall is welcome to apply to become a panelist, as well as Vilas County students who attend LUHS. Applications can be found online and are due May 1. 

For more information about Teen Court and panelist application materials, visit https://oneida.extension.wisc.edu/positive-youth-development/teencourt/ or contact Krause at [email protected] or (608) 381-2661.