The courtroom can be an intimidating place for any offender, but imagine being a teenager and facing a group of your own peers for sentencing.
That is exactly what a group of offenders were faced with Thursday evening at the Shawnee County Courthouse. These are real trials, with real consequences, but everyone involved in the trial, the defendant, the prosecutor, the jury and the judge are all under the age of 18.
At first glimpse everything in the courtroom appears to be business as usual, but there is something very unusual about the sentencing. The judges, attorneys, clerks, and bailiffs are all high school students.
It is called Youth Court and it kicked off last month in Shawnee County.
Judge David Bruns says it is a good way to put a positive spin on peer pressure.
Those involved say it is a good way to learn about the court system.
All of the defendants must appear at least twice as a juror in the future. Everyone we spoke with said it teaches the teens respect, responsibility, and accountability when it comes to the law.