Today Mike Lundgren brought his students leading Bellflower High's Teen Court Program of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The Teen Court program is a juvenile diversionary for youthful offenders who commit low level offenses. Over 33 high schools in Los Angeles County participate in the Teen Court Program, and over 80 Superior Court judges volunteer their time to the program. The juvenile who has been diverted to the program is placed on trial with participating high school students asking the juvenile as well as his/her parents critical questions. From this information the participating high school students, the jurors, determine the culpability of the juvenile and recommend a restorative justice sentence for the juvenile. The judicial officer then imposes a sentence. If the juvenile complies with the terms of the sentence then he is deemed to have successfully completed the program and his case is never filed in juvenile court.
We congratulate Bellflower High School for starting and being accepted into this wonderful program.