WHAT IS THE PEER JURY PROGRAM?
It is a program Operating under the auspices of local police departments in Dundee Township (Sleepy Hollow is in Dundee Township). The program is designed to provide a meaningful and remedial method of dealing with selected juvenile (Under age 17) offenders without reference to the Juvenile Court. It does not determine guilt or innocence. A case is sent to the Peer Jury for hearing by the a jury of six (6) and an adult moderator when
- The offender admits having committed the offense;
- The responsible police officer determines that such a disposition is appropriate; and
- The offender and his/her parent or guardian consent in writing to such a disposition and sign a Waiver of Liability and Confidentiality.
When these conditions are met, the offender and his/her parent or guardian are scheduled for a hearing before the Peer Jury panel at the Carpentersville courtroom at a definite date and time. At the hearing, a police officer reads the charges, states the possible sentence if the offense was committed by an adult, and summarizes the facts of the case. The offender is then questioned by members of the panel. The offender and his/her parent or guardian then withdraw while the jury deliberates and fixes an appropriate punishment. The sentence usually includes some form of individualized community service.
The offender and his/her parent or guardian are then recalled and informed of the sentence. Adjustments, if necessary, are made to allow schedule conflicts and a completion date fixed. The offender is then given a written copy of the sentence and date (usually 30 days later) for a discharge hearing. The offender then performs the assigned the assigned tasks.
The performance is monitored by the Peer Jury Coordinator who is available to the offender in case any problems arise and may contact the offender if necessary.
Upon completion of community service, a report on the offender's performance is forwarded to the Peer Jury Coordinator by the offender's supervisor for the service project and any other assigned projects are turned into the coordinator.
At the discharge hearing, the offender and his/her parent or guardian appear again. The panel, which may or not be the sentencing panel, reviews the offender's performance and questions the offender about his/her experiences while performing the sentence. If satisfactory, the offender is discharged. If the performance is incomplete or unsatisfactory, the discharge hearing maybe continued or the offender remanded to the juvenile officer for appropriate court proceedings.
