Arrival at the Courthouse
All
jurors and respondents should arrive at the St. Mary’s County
District Courthouse no later than 5:30 PM, entering through the
front doors of the Carter Building. Upon entry everyone is
required to go through the security checkpoint. Please follow
the instructions of the officer on the security checking
procedures. Remember that radios, recording devices, cameras,
weapons, and any other electronic devices are strictly
prohibited. For Teen Court, a cell phone may be brought into the
Courthouse to coordinate pickup after the session but MUST be
turned off upon entering and kept off until dismissal.
Respondents
After passing through the
security checkpoint, an adult volunteer will greet all
respondents and their parents/guardians. Utilizing the court
docket, the adult volunteer records their presence and directs
them to the assigned courtroom’s waiting area. If an adult
volunteer is not available at the time of arrival, please
proceed up the stairs and check-in with the Teen Court
Coordinator for further instructions.
Jurors
After passing through court security, all
jurors are to proceed directly to the Russell Room on the second
floor. If the Russell room is not available, jurors are to
proceed through the double glass doors on the left and quietly
have a seat in the area outside of the courtrooms. Bathrooms are
located in the hallway to the right of the elevators. Note:
There are to be NO food or drinks inside the glass double doors.
There is to be NO loitering in the halls, elevators, snack
rooms, or entering any other areas of the Courthouse under any
circumstances. The vending machine areas are all off limits at
all times. Jurors are to immediately return to the designated
Jury Waiting Area.
The Adult Volunteer assigned to this
area will ensure that upon entering the room all volunteers
(“mandatory” participants, jurors and attorneys) complete all
the requested information on the session sign-in sheet. Any
completed sanctions should be placed in the purple folder which
will be picked up by the Coordinator. Youth volunteers should
then quietly take a seat in the designated Jury Waiting Area and
await the beginning of the orientation.
Orientation/Assignment to Jury Panels
All
jurors should be seated in the Jury Waiting Area by 5:30 PM. No
later than 5:40 PM an Adult Volunteer will welcome the jurors
and provide a brief juror orientation to the Teen Court program.
The orientation will include the purpose of the St. Mary’s
County Teen Court, the responsibilities of the Teen Court juror,
the courtroom procedures for the petit and grand jury formats
(based on the docket), conduct guidelines, and any
administrative guidance. At the conclusion of the orientation,
the sign-in roster will be used to assign jurors to different
jury panels (A, B, C, etc.). Assignments will be made based on
the nature of the cases on the docket. For example, cases
involving a middle school student should consist of middle
school would consist of middle school aged jurors. Requests to
be seated on the same jury with an acquaintance will not be
honored unless under special circumstances approved in advance.
Each juror’s name will be called out and when acknowledged,
advised of the assigned jury panel. Any jurors arriving late or
in excess of the maximum 12 required for a panel, will be
assigned to a jury panel as an “alternate juror” and will be
substituted for an assigned juror if there is a recognition
issue of the respondent. Alternate jurors will be given an
opportunity to sit on the jury panel by switching with an
assigned juror for subsequent cases. The Teen Court Jury Monitor
can make any necessary changes once in the courtroom. Each juror
should remember the jury panel to which they have been assigned.
The staff member will advise each assigned jury panel the nature
of the cases on their docket and the jury format to be used. Any
questions about the Teen Court procedures should be directed to
the adult volunteer or the Teen Court Coordinator. Any last
minute bathroom breaks should be made at this time since the
cases will not be stopped for this purpose.
Relocation to Assigned Courtrooms
At 5:55 PM
the jurors are advised that it was time to proceed to the
courtroom. At this time all jurors should collect all their
personal belongings to take with them. All gum, food, and drinks
should be disposed of at this time since none are permitted in
the courtroom. All hats are to be removed and remain off for the
duration of the court session. All cell phones should be checked
to ensure that they are turned completely off. The Adult
Volunteer will announce the first jury panel to move to their
courtroom and will direct them to the Adult Volunteer who will
escort them to their courtroom and will serve as their Jury
Monitor for the entire session. Jurors will quietly follow their
designated Jury Monitor to the assigned courtroom, entering the
first two rows of seats on the left side of the courtroom,
starting with the seats in the front row and then the second
row. All alternate jurors are to sit together in the back of the
courtroom and are not to leave the courtroom under any
circumstances unless specifically excused by the Judge or the
Jury Monitor.
Once seated in the jury area jurors can
place their personal items under their seat but out of the
aisle. The Jury Monitor will hand out notepads, pens, and
sanction sheets (if appropriate). If the grand jury format is to
be used, a seating chart will be prepared for the Judge, clearly
printing the juror's first name only in the box that corresponds
with their seat. All items except the notepad and pen should be
on the floor and not on any railing.
Opening the
Teen Court Session
Once all jurors are ready
for the session to begin, the Adult Volunteer will ask the
bailiff to get all of the assigned respondents and their parents
for that courtroom that are currently present. Once all the
gallery observers are seated, respondents along with their Teen
Court attorneys (if applicable) at the defense table,
parents/guardians in the right front rows of the courtroom
gallery, and the courtroom is ready, the bailiff will advise the
judge. The bailiff will return to the courtroom and announce:
“All rise, the St. Mary’s County Teen Court is now in session,
the Honorable Community Judge <Name> presiding”. If not already
seated, the judge will enter, take the bench and ask everyone to
be seated. After a brief introduction the judge will administer
the Oath of Confidentiality to everyone present. The judge will
direct that the bailiff to escort all respondents and their
parents/guardians back to the waiting room except for the
participants of the case to be heard. The judge will ask the
jury if any member of the jury recognizes the respondent. If any
juror knows or recognizes the respondent, an alternate will take
his/her place. Similarly the respondent will be asked if they
recognize or know any member of the jury. If so, the judge will
determine if an alternate juror is to take his/her place. Once
the jury has been selected, the judge will ask the bailiff to
administer the Jury Oath. The judge will then direct the jury on
their responsibilities as jurors.
What happens next
depends on the court format being used for the case under
consideration. There are two formats utilized by the Teen Court:
Petit Jury and Grand Jury. The Petit Jury format involves the
use of Teen Court attorneys as the Prosecutor and Defense
Counsel. The Prosecutor will be seated at the table to the right
of the Judge as you look from the gallery. The Defense Counsel
and Respondent will be seated at the table to the left. In the
Grand Jury format there will be no Teen Court attorneys present.
Important note
It is incumbent
on each and every juror to give their full time and attention to
the respondent’s responses to questions from either their Teen
Court attorneys or from the Teen Court jury. The Adult Volunteer
will be alert for any juror daydreaming, dozing off, doodling,
laughing, smirking, making facial expressions, or otherwise not
paying attention to the case being heard because such behavior
is unfair to the teen respondent and and will not be tolerated,
resulting in their immediate removal from the jury. It is also
important for the jurors to remember that to participate in the
Teen Court Program the respondent acknowledges their involvement
(guilt) to the charges. The jurors are NOT determining whether
they are guilty or not, only the appropriate disposition
(sentence) for their actions.
Grand Jury
Procedures
At the direction of the Judge, the
bailiff will announce the case and ask the respondent to take
the witness stand to be sworn in by the bailiff. The bailiff
will administer the oath and will ask the respondent to take
their seat and state their name, age, and the school they
attend. The Judge will provide a general overview of the
offense. The Judge will then ask the jury to proceed with their
questions. Jurors should raise their hand and wait to be
recognized by the Judge. Once recognized, the juror can ask
their question directly of the respondent. At the completion of
the juror questioning the Judge will ask the respondent if they
would like to address the jury. After the respondent has
completed their remarks, the Judge will ask the respondent to
leave the witness stand to return to the defense table. The
Judge will call any victim to the stand or will read any impact
statement. The Judge will then address the jury and explain any
elements of the law that would be applicable to the case under
consideration. The Judge will then appoint a foreperson from the
jury. Since deliberations are to take place in the courtroom,
the judge will ask the bailiff to escort the respondent,
parents, and all gallery observers to the waiting area. The
bailiff will escort everyone out of the courtroom except the
Judge, jury, bailiff, and Jury Monitor. Each juror will be
provided with a Teen Court sanction guideline sheet. The
foreperson will complete the jury disposition form with the
respondent’s name and case number provided by the Jury Monitor.
The Jury Monitor will identify the category (severity) of the
offense. The foreperson will lead the discussion of each of the
sanctions identified on the disposition form, using the sanction
guideline for the category level of the offense. The sanction
guideline identifies the minimum and maximum sanction levels for
each category. Sanctions do not have to be limited to only
sanctions from the guidelines but can be anything reasonable
that the jury feels would be appropriate for that particular
respondent. For a sanction to be imposed, an affirmative vote is
required by the total number of jurors minus 2. Any questions or
issues should be directed to the Jury Monitor who will answer
the question or communicate with the Judge as necessary. Once
the jury panel has come to agreement on all the sanctions to be
imposed, the foreperson will read out loud all the sanctions
agreed upon and ask the jury if they agree with all of the
sanctions. Once completed, the foreperson will sign the jury
disposition form in the spot indicated. Jurors should place
everything back on the floor underneath their seat. When the
Judge and jury are ready, the bailiff will return the
respondent, parents, and gallery observers to the courtroom. The
Judge will call the court back to order.
Petit
Jury Procedures
The Judge will ask the bailiff
to announce the case and will ask the Prosecution and Defense if
they are prepared to proceed. The Judge will then ask each to
present their opening remarks. After the opening remarks, the
Judge will ask the respondent to take the witness stand to be
sworn in by the bailiff. The bailiff will administer the oath
and will ask the respondent to take their seat and state their
name, age, and what school they attend. At this point the
Defense and Prosecution will take turns asking questions of the
respondent about the incident and their involvement. Once each
side has completed their questioning and follow-up questions,
the Judge will ask the respondent if they would like to address
the jury. After the respondent has completed their remarks, the
Judge will direct the respondent to return to the defense table
and be seated. The Prosecution and Defense attorneys will then
address the jury to provide their closing remarks which will be
their summary of the case and their recommendations for a
disposition. After both attorneys have finished their closing
remarks, the Judge call any victim to the stand or will read any
victim impact statement. The Judge will then address the jury
and explain any elements of the law that would be applicable to
the case under consideration. The Judge will then appoint a
foreperson from the jury. The judge will ask the bailiff to
escort the respondent, parents, and all gallery observers to the
waiting area. The bailiff will escort everyone out of the
courtroom except the Judge, jury, bailiff, and Jury Monitor. The
jury will conduct deliberations in the courtroom. Each juror
will be provided with a Teen Court sanction guideline sheet. The
foreperson will complete the jury disposition form with the
respondent’s name and case number provided by the Jury Monitor.
The Jury Monitor will identify the category (severity) of the
offense. The foreperson will lead the discussion of each of the
sanctions identified on the disposition form, using the sanction
guideline for the category level of the offense. The sanction
guideline identifies the minimum and maximum sanction levels for
each category. Sanctions do not have to be limited to only from
the guideline sanctions but can be anything reasonable that the
jury feels would be appropriate for that particular respondent.
For a sanction to be imposed, an affirmative vote is required by
the total number of jurors minus 2. Any questions or issues
should be directed to the Jury Monitor who will answer the
question or communicate with the Judge as necessary. Once the
jury panel has come to agreement on all the sanctions to be
imposed, the foreperson will read out loud all the sanctions
agreed upon and ask the jury if they agree with all of the
sanctions. Once completed, the foreperson will sign the jury
disposition form in the spot indicated. Jurors should place
everything back on the floor underneath their seat. When the
Judge and jury are ready, the bailiff will return the
respondent, parents, and gallery observers to the courtroom. The
Judge will call the court back to order.
Post-Deliberation Procedures
In both formats,
after calling the court back to order following jury
deliberations, the Judge will ask the foreperson if the jury has
reached a disposition. The foreperson will respond with “Yes,
Your Honor” and hand the jury disposition form to the bailiff
who will in turn hand it to the Judge. The Judge will review the
disposition and will address the respondent, asking them to face
the jury. The Judge will then read the disposition agreed upon
by the jury and will ask the respondent if they understand the
disposition. The Judge will ask the respondent’s parent(s) to
join the respondent at the defense table. The Judge will ask
some questions of the parent(s) concerning the respondent and
then invite them to be seated. The Judge will directly address
the respondent to discuss the various implications of their
actions. Upon completion of the Judge’s comments the Judge will
hand the signed jury disposition form to the bailiff who will
escort the respondent and their parent(s) to the Teen Court
Coordinator’s office for administrative processing. The jury,
Judge, and bailiff will prepare themselves and the courtroom for
the next case. The bailiff will bring in the next respondent and
their parents/guardians and the process will repeat until all
cases on the docket have been heard.
Dismissal
Once all of the cases designated for that
courtroom have been heard, the jurors are to remain in their
seats, either in the jury area or the gallery, until they have
been dismissed by the Judge or the Teen Court staff member.
Jurors will be reminded that the proceedings are confidential
and to make sure that they have turned in all of the materials
they were given to use during the cases and have turned in all
notes they took to the Teen Court Staff member for proper
disposal. Before leaving, all jurors should make sure that they
have all their belongings and that any trash around their seats
has been picked up and properly disposed of. If any of the
jurors have attendance verification documents that require
signature, the Jury Monitor will take the necessary action.
Jurors are to not loiter in the halls since other courtrooms may
still be in session. Dismissed jurors will proceed directly to
the courthouse front door and promptly exit. A Teen Court staff
member will remain until everyone has been picked up.
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