Program designed to help teen offenders expunge charges, become aware of judicial process, promote advocacy

McAllen Municipal Court’s Teen Court Program has opened applications for local teens to volunteer as teen attorneys and jurors beginning in June through October 2024. McAllen Municipal Court’s Teen Court Program allows teenage offenders to dispose of their citations in a court of their peers. In lieu of a conviction and fees, the teens are represented by teen attorneys and the case is tried to teen jurors. As long as the teen offender completes the community service hours and requirements assessed by the teen jury, their charge is dismissed, and no fines are assessed against them.

Any teen aged 14 or older who lives or goes to school in the city of McAllen is eligible to apply to serve as a teen juror and/or attorney for the program. Teen volunteers will serve as jurors, prosecutors, and defense attorneys on class C misdemeanor offenses. Volunteers are limited to those enrolled in secondary education; college applicants are not being accepted at this time. If selected, the teen volunteer will be required to attend one of two advocacy conferences in the months of June and July where they will learn the requirements of the program and will be taught advocacy skills by local trial attorneys. Teens selected will serve as volunteers for teen court sessions from the month of June to the month of October. Participation in the Teen Court Program requires no financial commitment and financial assistance for court appropriate clothing for volunteers is available.

To apply as a teen volunteer for the McAllen Municipal Court Teen Court Program, please contact Teen Court Coordinator Giselle Fernandez at (956)681-2900 or via email at mcallenmunicipalcourt@mcallen.net. Teens can also access the application at www.mcallen.net/departments/court or at the QR code below.

Applications are open through Friday, May 24, 2024 at 11:59 pm. Those chosen as teen volunteers will be notified no later than June 1, 2024.

For more information on the McAllen Teen Court, follow McAllen Municipal Court on Facebook or on Instagram @mcallenmunicourt.

The court was awarded a $7,965 Texas Bar Foundation grant to revamp the Teen Court Program in 2024.

Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $26 million in grants to law-related programs.  Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation  is the nation’s largest charitably funded bar foundation.

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