Public Information Office 210 S. McDonald Street Suite 626 McKinney, Texas 75069 www.collincountytx.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2007

Innovative Teen Justice Program to Hold Court in Frisco

(McKINNEY, Texas) -- Collin County's Teen Court will open for business in Frisco this month, expanding the countywide, peer-based justice program for area teenagers with an inaugural session on Oct. 18, 2007, at Justice of the Peace Mike Yarbrough's Precinct 4 courtroom.

Teen Court is a judicial system with adult supervision that allows teenagers who are charged with Class-C misdemeanors to be prosecuted, defended, and sentenced by kids their own age. The program expanded across the county last fall, with sessions opening up at the sub-courthouse in Plano, the University Drive Courts Facility and the old courthouse in McKinney.

In its first year of operations, more than 300 teenagers went through the program, which boasts an 88-percent success rate for defendants. When a teenager completes Teen Court successfully, their case is dismissed, fines are waived and officials remove charges from their juvenile records.

Frisco's inaugural session of Teen Court begins at 5:30 p.m. at Collin County's sub-courthouse, 8585 John Wesley Drive, with an introduction by Commissioner Phyllis Cole, Precinct 1. Justice of the Peace John Payton, Precinct 3-2, will preside over the evening's caseload.

Teen Court officials estimate that the Frisco Municipal Court could refer as many as 500 cases to the program in the coming year. With community service playing a big part of probation requirements in the program, Teen Court could help generate some 9,000 hours of community service for the city.

In its first year of operations, program coordinator Justin P. Nichols noted that more than 90% of parents whose kids who went through Teen Court approved of the program, and would recommend it to other parents whose children get in minor legal trouble.

For more information on Teen Court, visit the program's web pages on the Collin County website, or email teencourt@collincountytx.gov.

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