Olean Youth Court Gives Area Students an Opportunity to Be Part of Legal Proceedings

OLEAN, NY — Ninth and 10 ^th graders in four Greater Olean area high schools have the opportunity to take part in actual court proceedings this summer as part of Olean Youth Court, a program designed to discourage young people from committing crimes.

Students from the Olean City, Portville Central, Allegany-Limestone Central and Hinsdale Central school districts will serve roles as judge, side judge, facts attorney and law guardian in cases involving minor crimes such as theft.

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The program provides “an opportunity for students to learn about our legal system” and “get some real world experience on what real law and responsibility is about," said Olean Youth and Recreation Program Coordinator Kris Shewairy.

The goal of the program is for first time offenders, who are between 12 and 17, to understand what they did and learn from it, Shewairy added.

Registration begins Monday at 3:30 p.m. The Youth Court office is located on the basement level of the Olean Municipal Building, and the Youth Court is in session on two Wednesday evenings each month.

Participants will be required to complete a structured training program and pass a final law exam.

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The Olean Area Youth Court was established in 1986 and is an affiliate program of the City of Olean Youth Bureau.

Additional information is available by contacting Youth Court Coordinator Paula Keenan, at 716-376-5645.

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