Upon entering the courtroom, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The jury had taken their seats and soon the judge looked to me, “Does the Prosecution wish to make an opening statement?” “Yes, your Honor,” I replied. As lead prosecutor in the inaugural case of the Mendocino Coast Teen-Peer Court, my first task was to look over the details. In reading this case, involving the shoplifting alcohol from a grocery store, the juvenile defendant had been given the option to clear this conviction from his record if he was to participate with the organization and complete the sentence provided. To gather more information I conducted interviews with the arresting officers and store employees. I took special note of how often the store manager suspected