Northville Man Recognized for Creating Wayne County's Teen Court Program

Brian Morrow, Northville resident and Deputy Chief of the Juvenile Division of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, is the 2011 recipient of the Anthony C. Wayne Leadership Award.

The announcement was made on Jan. 20 at the 2011 Wayne County Employee Achievement Awards Ceremony held at the Guardian Building in Detroit. According to the county application form, the award is given to a person who shows "outstanding leadership qualities over a considerable period of time."

Morrow was recognized for creating a Teen Court program in Wayne County. The juvenile diversion program trains high school students to serve as teen jurors and was created in 2006. Teens can make sentences on real juvenile delinquency cases, which are screened by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

"I feel honored to have been given this award and very fortunate to be the person coordinating this program on behalf of Prosecutor Worthy," Morrow said via email. "Really, though, the award is a tribute to the value of the program and a testament to the student jurors that make it work. I am most proud of the students that have acted as teen jurors over the course of the six years we have been running this program. They have approached their duties seriously, with an eye toward doing what is best for the community, the juvenile offenders and the offender's families, many of whom are crying out for someone to help them get their kids back on track."

According to the teen court website: "The Teen Jury's ability to relate to the youth offender also encourages a more meaningful determination of consequences for the youth." They question youth offenders and their parents or guardian about the offense. Then the teen jury determines an appropriate punishment for their peers, which cannot involve any kind of detention. Typical penalties include "community service, oral and/or written apologies, restitution if applicable, maintenance of acceptable school attendance and grades, and may also include mandatory participation in counseling services."

One teen court operates out of the 34th District Court in Romulus and three are held in Detroit high schools. 

Morrow added that, in every case, the teen before the jury cannot commit any new offenses while under the term of supervision dictated by the teen jury, which typically lasts between three to six months. Cases are dismissed without impact to the teen's juvenile record if the program is successfully completed.