State Bar of Texas Donates More Than $4,000 to Teen Court Program

EL PASO, TX – The City of El Paso announced that the Municipal Court Teen Court Program has been awarded a $4,350 grant by the State Bar of Texas Foundation.

The funds will be used to purchase training supplies needed for the program throughout the year and for an upcoming Teen Court orientation. 

“In the five years since its inception, the Teen Court Program has been successful due to the hard work and commitment provided by the Municipal Court staff,” said Municipal Court Sentencing Supervisor Adrian De La Rosa. “This grant will help us achieve our goal of assisting and working with youth and their families to meet the requirements of the Teen Court program in order to get their cases dismissed.”

The Teen Court project is a real justice program run by and for teens and serves as a peer court for misdemeanor and traffic offenses.

According to City Hall, teen volunteers serve in the roles of juror, court clerk, bailiff, attorney or prosecutor. The court provides youth, who have been charged with a misdemeanor, with an alternative means of having their case heard. Upon successful completion of the punishment ordered by the court, the defendant will have his or her case dismissed. In addition, an alternative sentence is provided if the youth is found guilty.

Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $24 million in grants to law-related programs. The contributions and funding provided are intended to enhance the rule of law and the justice system in Texas, especially for programs related to legal aid for the underprivileged, administration of justice, ethics in the legal profession, promotion of legal research, publications and forums, and education of the third branch of government.

Source: MEXICO-NOW Staff