WSAYC ANNUAL RETREAT
Executive Board Annual Retreat at Seattle University School of Law
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BOTHELL YOUTH COURT
Youth court aims to educate teens about traffic violations The ticket is not reported to the Department of Licensing, and there are no insurance ramifications. By Lizz Giordano Everett Herald Wednesday, May 30, 2018 6:18am Julia Kozak questions a fellow high school student during a hearing in Bothell Youth Court. (Lizz Giordano / The Herald) BOTHELL —Judge Michelle Gehlsen has just a few minutes to emphasize the importance of safe driving skills to teenagers appearing before her with traffic violations. “Usually the parent just pays the ticket, but how does that change behavior? What did they learn?” said Gehlsen, who works in Bothell Municipal Court. “I didn’t have time to really educate.” Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rather than just paying a fine, Gehlsen wanted a process that would allow offending teenagers time to reflect. That dilemma led her to establish the Bothell ...