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Juvenile court and student jurors

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by PushpavalliSrinivasan, Nov 17, 2009.

  1. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Juvenile court and student jurors

    During my visit to US I came to know that students were invited to juvenile court and some of them were selected as jurors by the presiding judge. My grandson was selected from his school to attend the same. He attended a juvenile court where three cases were taken up. He attended all three and he had told me about one case. The judge selects the students randomly and they are sworn in. My grandson said that twelve boys were selected as jurors.
    This was a case of a teen age boy whose playful activity led him to be nabbed by the cops. During winter when roads were covered with snow this boy picked up ice blocks and threw them at passing cars. One person whose car was hit called the cops. The cops picked up the boy and filed a case.
    After the presentation of the case the peers are allowed to question the accused. In this case the questions framed by the juvenile jurors like this:
    1. Was the accused ever arrested before for any offense?
    2. Did he try to run away from the scene when the cops came?
    3. Did he damage any of the cars which he hit?
    4. Did he cause accident by hitting the car with ice chunk?
    5. Did he regret now for what he had done?

    When the jurors finished their questioning they were asked to go to a separate room and to discuss among themselves and to give the judgment. But they were provided with a guideline and a list of punishment to choose.
    As this boy was a first time offender and he had accepted his misdeed and also apologized he was asked to narrate the incident in writing and also to write an imposition saying that he would not indulge in such activities in future which will jeopardize the safety of road users and was let off with a warning.
    This is how a peer court works in US for juvenile offenders which give an insight to the judicial system to the younger generation.
    It seems a good idea :idea involving children who will be the future citizens of the country. It gives them exposure to judicial system.
    I wanted to share this with you all. I’ll be glad to know your views on this matter.
    Love,
    PS
     
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  2. Mindian

    Mindian IL Hall of Fame

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    dear pushpa mam,

    very interesting...i love it when children are given such practical exposure in different fields....2 years back my daughter too participated in a MUN (mini U N) meet in Singapore where children from different schools participated..my daughter was chosen as the ambassador of UKRAINE for which she had to google a lot about that country and frame resolutions for human rights and present them at the meet.i felt it was a very enjoyable way of getting to know more about that country and of course much interesting than reading out of the geography book.:)
     
  3. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Mindi,
    It is nice to know that your daughter participated in mini UN meet for children. It is really a good experience for children to interact with children of other countries. Parents should encourage children when they get these kind of opportunuties. Thanks for sharing,
    Love,
    PS


     
  4. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Pushpavalli ma'am,
    Nice to read about your grandson's experience about the Juvenile court and its proceedings.
    My daughter too attended a 'mock trial' in the court-room, longtime back.

    Sure it gives an insight to what is happening behind the doors (jurors discussion about the case) and how they are guided to their decision.

    Nice to know about your daughter's experience as an ambassador to Ukraine, Mindi.

    sriniketan
     
  5. Jpatma

    Jpatma Silver IL'ite

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    PS,
    Its really niceto involve children in decision making with the guidance from adults. It will definitely groom them and make them responsible.

    Its a good idea to be implemented. Glad your grandson had such opportunity, also srini's and mindi's.

    Must be chip of the old block.
    Jaya
     
  6. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Pushpa,


    this is somethign wonderful, a right trial is given, the children to act as jurors, wonderful really.

    Thanks for bringing this up before us.

    Regards

    kamal
     
  7. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sriniketan,
    Glad to hear that your daughter had attended a mock trial at the court. It really helps the children to understand the court proceedings. After participating some children are motivated to study law.
    Thanks for sharing you view,
    Love,
    PS
     
  8. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Jaya,
    It is a nice thing to involve children in judicial procedure. It will make them good citizens of the country in future. I wish that in our country also this could be followed.
    Thanks for your fb,
    Love,
    PS
     
  9. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamalji,
    As I have not heard about involving children in judicial procedure in our country, I thought of sharing this with our Ilites.
    Thanks for your comments,
    Love,
    PS


     
  10. sundarusha

    sundarusha Gold IL'ite

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    Dear PS,

    sometimes it is refreshing to hear how youngsters judge certain matters.
    Glad to know your grandson's experience.

    My DS was involved in NMUN which runs similar to United nations. The General Assembly, Security Council, World Health Organization and many other committees convene with student delegates representing nearly every nation. He was chosen as the defense council along with a partner to defend their clients, Former president Charles Taylor of Liberia and the leaders of the Revolutionary Front. The Prosecution consisted of two final-year graduate students in law from Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, a premier French law institute. DS's presentation scored over the presentation of the college students.

    Similarly, Boys' State functions as a mock government framed around state government involving students. A student serves as Governor of the state, and others are elected to various roles. DS was elected as Justice of the Peace for his county.

    It is wonderful that schools encourage such programs and groom decision making skills in children.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2009

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