The Young Adult Court is targeted at felony offenders between the ages of 16- 22 who are charged with a non-violent offense. A non-violent felony includes all theft and non-trafficking drug offenses.
The program will accept up to 25 Defendants.
The Defense Attorney will petition for placement in YAC. A copy of the petition will be filed with the Clerk of the District Court and a copy will be forwarded to the County Attorney’s Office.
The County Attorney’s Office will forward a set of reports and a copy of the petition to the YAC team for review. Reviews will occur once each week excluding holidays.
If the Defendant is deemed a potential YAC participant, the County Attorney’s office will send a letter to the defendant and the defense attorney. If appropriate, a letter will be sent to the victim, detailing their role in the YAC review process.
The Defendant will contact the YAC Coordinator to set a time and date for an interview.
The YAC team conducts an LSI interview with the Defendant.
The YAC Coordinator provides the County Attorney with a Suitability Screening Report and recommendation based on the information obtained in the LSI interview.
If deemed eligible, a plea date is set in Judge Lamberty’s Court.
After the participant enters a plea, the court will order the defendant to the YAC program.
Court reviews will be conducted on Judge Lamberty’s sentencing days. The dates are pre-determined for Monday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. The Court hearings will be conducted in Judge Lamberty’s court room.
The Douglas County Young Adult Court shall not deny participation to anyone based on a person’s financial status, gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, or physical disability. Furthermore, a person’s entrance or termination from YAC cannot be based on the individual’s inability to pay fees.