Contact:          Heather E. Carlyle

Telephone:     (607) 739-0797 or (607) 739-3517 ext. 102

Fax:                 (607) 739-3518

E-mail:        hcarlyle@horseheads.org

Office Hours: 

     School Year: Mon 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
                       Thu & Fri  9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
                             Tue 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. (office) & 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

     Summer:         Mon, Wed, Thu & Fri  9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.. 
                            Tue 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (office) & 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Youth Court Training 2011

All Youth Court Trainings will be held at the Horseheads Village Hall located at 202 South Main Street.  All training sessions will be held on Sunday evenings from 6:00-8:00 p.m. 

2011 Training Dates
October 16

October 23

October 30

November 6

November 13

November 20

December 4

Watch for Heather Carlyle to be in your school in the Fall!  To register for Youth Court training, pick up an application at the Youth Bureau or at your school's Main Office!

Begun in 1976, Horseheads Youth Court is a successful alternative to the Family-Court system. When a youth age 7-15 is apprehended breaking a law, he/she may be summoned before the members of the Youth Court for trial. Members are local youth (ages 12-19) who are trained as judges, lawyers, and law clerks in the trial-by-peer process.
This nationally recognized Youth Court allows a first time offender to assume full responsibility of their negative actions without acquiring a juvenile record. Many of these offenders are good young people who made a poor decision. Youth Court allows these youth a "second chance.”
Any resident (grades 7-12) of the Town of Horseheads or a student attending Thomas A. Edison High School, Horseheads Middle School or Horseheads High School is eligible to apply for Youth Court membership. Training is held in October-November at the Horseheads Village Hall. The fourteen-hour training is followed by a written test and an interview.
Youth Court clients receive community service hours for their sentence. This work is performed at the Youth Bureau, various Town and Village Parks, SPCA, YMCA, Horseheads Fire Department and many other agencies in the region.
Youth Court clients are referred by Horseheads Police Department, Elmira Heights Police Department, New York State Troopers, Chemung County Sheriff Department as well as school officials and parents.

What Kind of Training Is Given To Members?
Each prospective Youth Court member is required to take a 7-week training course. Training is designed to give trainees a basic understanding of Penal Law, Probation, Family Court, and roles of Judges, Attorneys, and Law Clerks. The course covers such topics as the jurisdiction of the Youth Court, advantages and disadvantages, the ethics of the court process, courtroom procedure, the rules of evidence and interviewing offenders. An extensive part of the training also involves participation in simulated hearings and role-play of mock cases. At the end of the course, an examination is given followed by a personal interview. At that point the selection will be made and candidates will be notified as soon as possible.

Requirements to Become a Youth Court Member:
A. Students in grades 7-12 in the Horseheads or Elmira Heights School District, or a resident of the Town of Horseheads.
B. Comprehensive 7 week training.
C. Mandatory attendance.
D. Participation in training activities.
E. Accuracy on take-home assignments.
F. Pass competitive bar exam.
G. Personal interview.