Alaska Statutes 47.12.400 – Youth courts

(a) The department may use youth courts to hear, determine, and dispose of cases involving a minor whose alleged act that brings the minor within the jurisdiction of Alaska Stat. § 47.12.010 – 47.12.260 constitutes a violation of a state law that is a misdemeanor or a violation or constitutes a violation of a municipal ordinance that prescribes a penalty not exceeding the penalties for a class A misdemeanor under state law.

Attorney's Note

Under the Alaska Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:

Class	Prison	Fine
Class A misdemeanor	up to 1 year	up to $25,000

For details, see Alaska Stat. § 12.55.135

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Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 47.12.400

action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
commissioner: means the commissioner of family and community services. See Alaska Statutes 47.12.990
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
court: means the superior court of the state. See Alaska Statutes 47.12.990
department: means the Department of Family and Community Services. See Alaska Statutes 47.12.990
Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
minor: as used in this chapter includes a person described in this section. See Alaska Statutes 47.12.022
municipality: means a political subdivision incorporated under the laws of the state that is a home rule or general law city, a home rule or general law borough, or a unified municipality. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
Testify: Answer questions in court.
Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.

(b) Unless otherwise directed by the commissioner, the jurisdiction of a youth court is coextensive with the boundaries of the municipality in which the youth court is located. Only one youth court may be established within the boundaries of a municipality. Nothing in this subsection prohibits two or more municipalities from operating a single youth court for the municipalities by agreement between them.

(c) A nonprofit corporation may obtain recognition from the commissioner to serve as a youth court. The corporation may exercise only the powers that are delegated to a youth court by the commissioner, and shall exercise those powers as authorized by the corporation’s articles of incorporation and bylaws. The bylaws of the corporation must set out standards and procedures by which the corporation, in its capacity as a youth court,

(1) establishes a system by which the minor may be held accountable for the conduct that brings the minor within the jurisdiction of the youth court by being tried, represented, and adjudicated by the minor’s peers;

(2) guarantees the constitutional rights of the minor that are guaranteed by the state and federal constitutions;

(3) may secure jurisdiction over a minor; the youth court may secure jurisdiction over the minor only with the consent of the minor and the agreement of the minor’s legal custodian;

(4) sets out the process for disposing of matters referred to it for resolution;

(5) provides a process for appeal of a verdict or sentence, and defines the basis for appeals;

(6) reserves the right to refer to the department, under Alaska Stat. § 47.12.060(a), a matter transmitted to the youth court for disposition in which the minor fails, without good cause, to comply with all requirements ordered by the youth court as a part of sentence imposed on the minor; and

(7) prepares and delivers a report of the disposition of the matter referred to it for resolution to the commissioner.

(d) Subject to the privileges that witnesses have in the courts of this state, the commissioner may compel by subpoena, at a specified time and place, the

(1) appearance and sworn testimony of a person who the commissioner reasonably believes may be able to give information relating to a matter before a youth court; and

(2) production by a person of a record or object that the commissioner reasonably believes may relate to a matter before a youth court.

(e) If a person refuses to comply with a subpoena issued under (d) of this section, the superior court may, upon application of the commissioner, compel obedience by proceedings for contempt in the same manner as in the case of disobedience to the requirements of a subpoena issued by the court or refusal to testify in the court.

(f) The commissioner shall make and keep records of all cases referred to a youth court. The records of a youth court proceeding

(1) relating to a minor who complies with all requirements ordered by the youth court as a part of sentence imposed on the minor shall be sealed by the commissioner and may not be used for any purpose; and

(2) except as to a record described in (1) of this subsection, shall be afforded at least the same protection and are subject to at least the same procedural safeguards in matters relating to access, use, and security as they would be under Alaska Stat. § 47.12.310.

(g) An individual who is a member or an agent of the board of directors of a nonprofit corporation that has obtained recognition from the commissioner to serve as a youth court under this section is immune from suit in a civil action based upon the exercise or performance of or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or a discretionary duty as a member of the board of directors or that has been properly delegated by the board of directors. An individual who tries, represents, or adjudicates a minor in a youth court is immune from suit in a civil action based upon the exercise or performance of or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or a discretionary duty within the individual’s quasi-judicial capacity with the youth court. A nonprofit corporation that has obtained recognition from the commissioner to serve as a youth court is immune from suit in a civil action based upon an act or failure to act for which an individual is granted immunity under this subsection.

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