WASHINGTON STATE ASSOCIATION OF YOUTH COURTS

WSAYC held it's annual conference November 2nd at Seattle University Law School.  During the  conference new board members were elected.  Judge Jennifer Cruz was elected to the Vice-President position and students Ethan Coyle (new student president) and Nigel Naylor (new student vice-president) were welcomed to the board.  Gen Sakura stepped down as incoming student president as he is currently enrolled at the University of Washington (Engineering program) and was promoted to a special advisory role on the board. Whatcom Youth Court reported the retirement of Cathy Beaty who served as coordinator for the court for over 20 years. Her absence will certainly be missed. Whatcom Youth Court currently has over 100 student volunteers that serve on the diversion based court and is in the process of restructuring the student advisory board and the types of cases that can be heard. Cheney Youth Court reports an upcoming New Youth Court Start Up Conference to be held at Gonzaga University

The Washington Judges Foundation announced today that they have awarded WSAYC funding for their upcoming annual conference in the amount of $2700.  These funds support WSAYC providing a free state-wide conference for youth, court coordinators, newly developing youth courts and parties interested in starting a youth court.  We greatly appreciate the continued support from the Washington Judges Foundation.

Register now for the upcoming Washington State Association of Youth Courts Annual Conference. This is a free conference for youth/adults/new or organizing youth court staff - November 2nd, 2019.  Seattle University School of Law 10-3:30pm Please contact:  Margaret Fisher:  margaret.fisher@courts.wa.gov for registration information.

Youth court will address traffic infractions given to 16 and 17 year olds.  by Ashley Hiruko Redmond Reporter Thursday, April 11, 2019 1:42pm It was the Michael Connelly books his grandfather gave him that first created 17-year-old Bouke Spoelstra’s interest in law. Among those shared was “The Lincoln Lawyer.” It tells the story of a Los Angeles lawyer who practiced out of his Lincoln Town Car. But it was his active participation in a youth court in Bothell that deepened Spoelstra’s infatuation with law, he said. And ultimately these pieces led to Spoelstra pushing for Redmond to start its own youth court program. “I think a lot of the time, teenagers especially can perceive the judicial system in a way that it’s simply dishing out punishments that are sometimes negotiable but never avoidable, simply trying to hurt them,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously we know better…that there’s more to that story. And youth court is a way we can communicate that.” Bothell

Seattle Youth Traffic Court students met at Seattle University for an hour presentation on preparing to ask better questions and to consider more options for youth court traffic court dispositions.  Trainers from Sacramento, California provided valuable information through their presentation.