United Way supports Youth Court

The Oneida Youth Court would like to thank the United Way of Greater Oneida and its contributors for their continuous support. The United Way allocates an annual dollar amount to the Youth Court. The financial allocation is the sole source of the courts annual operating budget.

The Oneida Youth Court is nowin its 42nd year and is very proud to be the longest, continually running Youth Court in New York State. Our court has served as a model for other courts as far away as Hawaii. The court hears cases involving Penal Law offenses that have been committed by juveniles from the age of 9 to 15 years old. Offenders that are found guilty, may be given a warning, a conditional discharge or a sentenced to perform community service hours. One of the courts main emphases is to hold the juvenile offenders accountable for their poor choices, with the hope that their court experiences and peer advice, will help them make better decisions in the future.

Community service hours are usually completed in the offender’s home school. Administrators and staff at our local schools have helped greatly over the years, to assure that the offenders properly complete their assigned hours. Other organizations that have assisted with community service hours in the past, are the Oneida Recreation Department, various churches, Oneida Community Mansion House, and the Oneida American Legion.

Oneida High School students in grades 9 through 12 hold the positions of judge, defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, clerk and bailiff. The students have two adult supervisors, Jackie Carll, a retired teacher and principal and Rob Murano, a social studies teacher at Oneida High School.

This is a unique court system that has proven to be successful. The success is due to the combined efforts of dedicated students, giving advisors, parents, police officers, employees in the Oneida City School District and other volunteers in the community.

Once again, on behalf of the Oneida Youth Court, I would like to thank the United Way and United Way contributors for their years of continued support. Investigator Troy N. Tiller, Oneida Youth Court director