Teens sentence their peers in Tippecanoe County program

A special Tippecanoe County Courthouse program has jurors, lawyers and defendants, but they’re all younger than 18.

The program aims to keep young people who commit relatively minor offenses out of the criminal justice system by helping them to learn from their experiences, the (Lafayette) Journal & Courier (http://on.jconline.com/1G30qqz ) reported.

Defendants at teen court admit guilt and are sentenced by their peers instead of participating in a conventional trial. The only adult participates are volunteer attorneys who act as judges.