Councilman Mark Cuthbertson addresses youth court inductees and their families.

The Huntington Youth Court today inducted 71 new student members at a Town Hall ceremony. Huntington Youth Court is now in it's second year of operation and participating high schools include Huntington, Northport, Walt Whitman, Harborfields, and Half Hollow Hills East High Schools.

The Youth Court Program, initiated by Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, is aimed at holding youth accountable for misconduct and preventing teen violence, while at the same time providing an educational experience about the legal and court process. The program works with high school volunteers who serve in a simulated courtroom proceeding to determine sentencing for first-time, non-violent offenders.

"There is nothing quite so powerful as teenagers learning from one another," Cuthbertson said. "Through positive peer interaction we hope to provide valuable educational experience for both youthful offenders and Youth Court volunteers. I am hopeful that all of the young people involved will get a lot out of the time they spend of this project and that they will go back to their schools and speak to others about it."