Sag Harbor Gets on Board With Youth Court

Four teens charged in Sag Harbor with making graffiti in January became the first in the village to be tried in the Southampton Town Youth Bureau's Youth Court, an alternative to Family Court in which fellow teens take the roles of judge, jury, defense attorney and prosecutor, reports.

Youth Court does not conduct mock trials; real cases are tried with real sentences, such as community service and writing essays, according to The Express. Teens can only be tried in Youth Court with parental consent, and the youth trying the cases belong to a Youth Bureau program in which they learn the judicial system.

Learn more at sagharboronline.com.