The city of McAllen is planning to make some changes to their Teen Court Program by allowing teens to serve as attorneys and members of the jury in real court cases.

It's all part of a program to give teens hands-on experience, so they can make better choices. 

Right now, teens have to write an essay or create a presentation to get their offenses dismissed, but the Teen Court Program is going back to what it used to be, a trial by jury, and they're looking for a few volunteers.

Teens from the ages of 10 to 17 who are accused of minor crimes can be tried and sentenced by a jury of teens their own age if they choose to stand trial.

Once they complete the program, their offenses will be dismissed.

Judge Lauren Sepulveda says this program allows teens to keep their records clean and learn about the criminal justice system.

"I think having them involved in the process really shows them how the legal system works and gets them interested in maybe becoming an advocate, becoming a lawyer or possibly a law enforcement officer in the future. And that's what we want to do. We want to get kids interested in the criminal justice process," Sepulveda said.

Sepulveda says volunteers will be trained by local lawyers and the first court session will start in late January and run through June.

She says each month they hope to try at least 10 new cases by the teen court, and they are hoping to train at least 30 teen attorneys and jurors.

Sepulveda says the volunteers will be picked during the holiday season and start training in early January. Teens interested in the program have to live in McAllen to participate.

To learn how to apply for the program, contact the Teen Court Coordinator Giselle Fernandes at (956) 681-2900 or via email at mcallenmunicipalcourt@mcallen.net.