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--> --> Ashland High School sophomore volunteer Caelin Johnson (middle) listens to a student (right) accused of trespassing on top of Reeder Reservoir. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA Peers lay down the law By Maggie McGehee Ashland Daily Tidings Shoplifting, trespassing, drinking and using drugs are common problems with American youth, but an Ashland Police Department program provides teens another option besides entering the juvenile justice system - Peer Jury. Now in it's seventh year in Ashland, the Peer Jury program has suffered some minor changes, but the basic concept has remained the same - teens represented by teens go before other teens for judgment for minor crimes. The program is part of the APD's youth diversion program headed by Youth Diversion Officer Jan Janssen, who also founded the program. "The Peer Jury meets once a month to hear a culmination of cases, mostly from the high school, but we also have cases involving adults and Southern Oregon University students," Janssen said. "Everything I deal with, these guys deal with. I can pass on any arrest I have to them ... When kids come into my program, it's an opportunity for me to get them help, and it's a chance for their peers to decide what should happen. I like that part a lot." When teens are caught breaking the law, they often are given the option of a Peer Jury hearing as a way of side-stepping the Juvenile Justice Department. The jury consists of Ashland High School volunteers and students who once were defendants before the jury, something which Janssen said gives the jury unique insight. "When you have that experience of being handcuffed and taken to the police station, it changes how you look at everything," Janssen said. "This group of kids are compassionate and they want to come up with consequences that fit the crime. They know the culture and what it's like to be 16 or 17 at this time, which is something I don't know. Sometimes with the Peer Jury, their punishment is tougher than a judge would be." In its first meeting for this school year, the Peer Jury met Monday evening to hear two cases. Though the cases are confidential and all records are destroyed after each hearing, defendant Asha Stout - an AHS senior - spoke with The Tidings about his hearing. In his case, Stout was charged with trespassing after he climbed on top of the Reeder Reservoir to watch a sunset with a friend. Though Stout had left the reservoir by the time the police arrived, he had accidentally left behind his day planner containing his social security card. When he went before the Peer Jury, Stout gave a personal account of what had happened and answered questions by the jurors. Though Stout said he was willing to apologize to the City of Ashland for trespassing at the reservoir, he told jurors that he didn't feel he had done anything wrong. The jury ordered Stout to write a letter of apology to the City of Ashland, serve as a juror on the Peer Jury next month and to have several sessions with Janssen. "It feels fair," Stout said. "It's a great idea (the Peer Jury). I know the courts are overcrowded these days, and it doesn't make sense to me to throw cases in there like mine." Once the jury hands down a verdict, its decision is subject to Janssen's approval and is final. Punishments often include community service and defendants are often ordered to serve as a juror at the next meeting, Janssen said. But not all cases are as simple as Stout's. The jury often hears sad, personal tales of the defendants' lives, including stories of abuse and alcoholism, all of which jury members have to take into account when deciding which punishment, if any, they should hand down. For juror Caelin Johnson, a 16-year-old AHS sophomore, being on the jury brings a wealth of responsibility that she is just now getting used to. "This is a big responsibility," Johnson said. "It's intense. I kind of feel like when I get into the chair that it's kind of a neat responsibility." Caelin is a volunteer from the high school, but the experience is one she hopes will be useful if she chooses to study law in college. "I think it's a real good experience for me," Johnson said. "I have never been involved in the law and have never gotten into trouble, so I feel my perspective on how the justice system works is limited. Now I know what options are available ... It's a really good program and Jan Janssen is an angel for setting it up." In the past, the Peer Jury also included an adult attorney who served as a judge, asking questions and advising the jury during deliberations. This year Janssen decided to eliminate the position for fear the program was getting "adult-heavy." Janssen's assistant Billy Haden, a senior sociology student at Southern Oregon University, often sits in on jury deliberations in case the teens have any questions, but he said he is mostly there to observe. "This is a great aspect of the community," Haden said. "Peers judging peers, it's a great resource. And these guys love it." Email your... 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