"Court is now in session." There is a judge behind the bench, a panel of jurors off to the side and two attorneys representing the defense and prosecution. But the judge is the only adult in the proceedings. This is Teen Court, where kids ages 12 to 17 determine the fate of their peers. Recently, Y-Press interviewed volunteers Brittany Brown, 14; Crystal Brown, 15; Bryan Sanders, 14; Katie Anderso

When Carolyn Thurston was first approached to volunteer as a court advocate for children, she thought it would be temporary. But her volunteering developed into a full-time career. "I always noticed that the volunteer work that made me the happiest got my fingernails dirty. I was out there on the streets working with the problem, not just trying to work around the problem in an administrative way.

Sixteen-year-old Claire, who has had experience with the child advocate program, gives her side of the story. Her name has been changed to protect her identity. Life before After Claire's mother died when she was 2, she lived with her father, and they received Social Security benefits. However, he didn't work and was spending the money unwisely, including on drugs. To help support herself, she got