From left: Savannah Hyde, Department of Juvenile Justice/DJJ; Sophia Witke, Conflict Resolution Center/CRC; Ronn Abernathy, chief court counselor, 25th Judicial District; Chris Norman, DJJ; Kristi Marshall, DJJ; Jackson Koonts, DJJ; Kaylee Wohlenhaus, assistant district attorney, Burke; Cathy Starnes, CRC; Wesley Hendrix, CRC; Payton Thomas, CRC; Emily Hall, CRC; Riley Land, CRC; Dhyan Patel, CRC; and Crystal Carpenter, Burke County Clerk of Courts. Starnes also thanked Burke County Sheriff Banks Hinceman, Judge Robert A. Mullinax, Burke County Public Schools, Burke County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and volunteers for bringing Burke County’s Teen Court program to fruition.
From left: Savannah Hyde, Department of Juvenile Justice/DJJ; Sophia Witke, Conflict Resolution Center/CRC; Ronn Abernathy, chief court counselor, 25th Judicial District; Chris Norman, DJJ; Kristi Marshall, DJJ; Jackson Koonts, DJJ; Kaylee Wohlenhaus, assistant district attorney, Burke; Cathy Starnes, CRC; Wesley Hendrix, CRC; Payton Thomas, CRC; Emily Hall, CRC; Riley Land, CRC; Dhyan Patel, CRC; and Crystal Carpenter, Burke County Clerk of Courts. Starnes also thanked Burke County Sheriff Banks Hinceman, Judge Robert A. Mullinax, Burke County Public Schools, Burke County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and volunteers for bringing Burke County’s Teen Court program to fruition.
Burke County now has its own Teen Court program, designed to help teenagers who commit minor offenses avoid formal charges. The Conflict Resolution Center launched the initiative Aug. 19, offering restorative, educational mock trials instead of punitive measures.
Teen Court diverts teens from criminal charges through peer-led trials in real courtrooms
Program aims to teach accountability and promote positive community values
Referrals come from school resource officers or the Department of Juvenile Justice
Judge Kaylee Wohlenhaus will preside, bringing experience from Catawba County Teen Court
CRC, based in Hildebran, serves Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties
A full version of this story by government reporter Mica Banks will be included in Saturday’s edition of The Paper.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
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