IN THIS ISSUE

Teen Law School in the Classroom a Big Hit at Kingman High

Second Disconnected Youth Summit Convenes October 15

Sexting and Arizona's New Revenge Porn Law

ENews October 2014

Teen Law School a Big Hit with the Freshmen

of Kingman High School

When students comment that a class is cool but doesn't last long enough, you can bet something good is happening in that classroom.

So it was at Kingman High School last month when Teen Law School was taught to the entire freshman class over an eight day period.

In lieu of regularly scheduled health and PE classes, students learned about the rules at school and Arizona laws that pertain to the Six D's - Drinking, Driving, Drugs, Dating, Digital Drama and Dumb Stuff - all while exploring the dynamics of peer pressure and developing new skills for making safer, law-abiding choices.

"I knew almost none of this stuff before class. I learned things that will help me stay out of trouble." A student

The classes were taught by Robert Fudge, Teen Law School's longtime Mohave County facilitator, who visited the high school campus each day. Guests to the classes included Melissa Barry, a juvenile prosecutor with the Mohave County Attorney's Office. Ms. Barry answered questions from students and brought to life the kind of heart-wrenching legal dramas that can play out in juvenile courts when kids make poor choices.

Another visitor to class was Kingman High School senior McKell Oldbull, 17, who told participants that she got kicked out of school in her sophomore year for drinking alcohol on campus and was sent to alternative school.

She returned for her junior year and was chosen as part of a 30-member test group last fall for the course. She now speaks to students and staff about her experience and how it changed her.

"I learned from Teen Law School about what happens if you commit a crime and the freedoms you can lose," said Oldbull. "I also discovered my career goal, which is to be a juvenile counselor. This is an excellent program and I love it because it turned my life around."

Congratulations to McKell and all the students of Kingman High who are now considerably more capable of resisting peer pressure and making safe, law-abiding choices.

We loved bringing the Teen Law School experience to you all!

If you'd like to see Teen Law School taught in your child's high school, please contact Claudia Gilburd, Teen Law School's Founder and CEO.

Second Disconnected Youth Summit Convenes October 15

Last year, Arizonans learned through the excellent reporting of Eugene Scott of the Arizona Republic, that Phoenix is home to the largest number of "disconnected youth" in the country. Disconnected youth are defined as individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed. The social, economic and civic consequences of having young adults not in school or at a job affects everyone in the region.

That's why Teen Law School will be proud to join with others invested in this community to help change the future for thousands of Valley youth.

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014, hundreds of people representing social service, education, business and civic agencies are gathering in Phoenix to take initial steps to re-engage our disconnected youth. We will learn from re-engagement experts about which strategies have worked in other areas, both near and far, and look at how to be successful in our own initiatives.

Attendees will leave knowing what steps to take next to join this movement.

Together, we can re-engage the Valley's disconnected youth.

WHEN: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, October 15, 2014

WHERE: Desert Willow Conference Center, 4340 E Cotton Center Boulevard, Phoenix

WHAT: MCESA's Second Disconnected Youth Summit

To register, click HERE

To read Eugene Scott's full article, click here. To read the full

Measure of America report, click here.

Teenage Sexting and

Arizona's New Revenge Porn Law

Several years ago, Governor Brewer signed into law one of the nation's smartest solutions to the growing problem of juvenile "sexting," the practice of posting, sending or possessing nude or partially nude photos of oneself or minors to friends and romantic partners.

Before then, the only applicable statutes on the books were our state's extremely harsh child pornography laws which carry lengthy, mandatory prison sentences and subsequent sex offender registration. Few prosecutors could justify sending children under 18 to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections or residential sex offender treatment programs for engaging in a practice that unfortunately is very prevalent in teen culture.

Now that we have an appropriate response to sexting, it's important for parents and their children to understand what the law says and how it can be applied to minors under the age of 18. This is especially critical since a recently enacted "Revenge Porn" law in Arizona complicates and confuses the matter, for everyone involved.

The bottom line is that sexting is a prohibited activity. The law states that if one juvenile transmits a nude or partially nude photo to one other juvenile, the penalty is $300 per photo and can be assessed to the sender and receiver, unless the receiver deletes the image immediately, does not forward it and/or reports the incident to an adult authority. BUT, when a juvenile sends a prohibited image to more than one juvenile, by tweeting it, posting it on social media or forwarding it to several friends, the violation can elevate to a Class 2 misdemeanor which can carry a fine of $750 and up to 4 months in jail. If the images are sexually explicit, the minors involved can receive far more serious charges. It is critical to remember that this law applies only to juveniles under the age of 18. If an 18 year old transmits or or possesses images of anyone under 18, the adult penalties will apply.

Signed by Governor Brewer in July, our new "Revenge Porn" law intends to criminalize at felony levels, the practice of transmitting photos that at one time might have been "consented" to, without explicit permission and with the intention of humiliating or harming the subject of the photos. Again, prosecutors are reluctant to apply the new law since it is somewhat ambiguous and is being challenged by a variety of groups including the ACLU. That is very good news since Revenge Porn penalties are dramatic, indeed.

Why not share what you've just learned about our sexting laws with your teen tonight? Encourage them to think about the emotional, social and psychological damages caused by sexting which far exceed petty fines and juvenile records. Let them know they can protect themselves by never engaging in the practice, by deleting unwanted images immediately and by never forwarding them, ever. For an excellent guide to understanding teenage sexting published by the University of Arizona, click here.

Many thanks to

for piloting our innovative

Teen Law School in the Classroom curriculum

for taking the lead in strengthening resources for disconnected youth

and those returning from secure care.

For more information about Teen Law School and The Teen Law School Project (501c3)

please call us at 480-584-3692.

Is your school, church, organization or employer ready for a Teen Law School or LawU101 workshop? For group rates and more information, please call 1-877-211-8825.

Sincerely,

The Team at Teen Law School, Inc.

P.S. Teen Law School does not offer legal advice, and nothing in this newsletter should be construed or mistaken as legal advice. The only way to receive reliable legal advice is to consult with a licensed attorney.