"The idea of volunteering and volunteerism runs deeper than that," he said. "It's all about choice, all about free will. It's all about personal liberty."

Bryner spoke to about 100 Youth Court members last Friday. Homer Mayor Jim Hornaday welcomed the delegates. Lt. Gov. Loren Leman and Alaska State Trooper Col. Julia Grimes also spoke to young people representing youth courts from Kenai, Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Delta Junction, Kodiak and Wrangell.

During his speech, Leman took a little of the gloss off his squeaky-clean reputation.

He got kicked out of Ninilchik High School in the 1960s, he told about 100 Youth Court attorneys, prosecutors and judges.

Leman didn't mention the youthful indiscretion that caused him to get sent home. It was serious enough that the principal told him he couldn't come back to school until Leman's parents discussed the matter with the principal.

"All of us have choices in life," Leman told the students. "I'd encourage you to make good decisions."

Bryner set the tone for the conference in his talk on the importance of volunteerism. He said if people were completely independent and at liberty, they would fight each other. By organizing as a society to help each other, they obtain freedom.

"It's by helping each other at the social level that we can obtain personal liberty," Bryner said. "That's the root of the instinct to volunteer. ... The enthusiasm we have for volunteering is the sign of a healthy society."

He noted that most people volunteer to obey laws. Armies aren't needed to enforce the laws, just police forces for the few scofflaws who choose not to comply with the law. When those lawbreakers are juveniles who commit misdemeanors that would go to District Court or the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice, that's where Youth Court comes in.

On the Kenai Peninsula, Ginny Espenshade runs the Homer and Kenai youth courts out of a small office at the Homer Council on the Arts. Youth Court volunteers working as defense and prosecuting attorneys and judges administer sentences on cases sent to them. Youth Court is voluntary, and defendants come to local youth courts as part of a juvenile diversion agreement.

The idea of Youth Court is that young offenders pay more attention to justice administered by their peers than from adults. It's the difference between a parent saying, "Don't do that" and the Youth Court saying, "That's not cool," said Owen Bauer, 16, a junior at Homer Flex School and an attorney and acting judge.

Bauer said meeting with other Youth Court members gave him a chance to meet students from other communities and see how they deal with juvenile crime.

"There's a little bit of talking about how their system works," he said. "Throwing ideas back and forth."

For example, the youth courts often assign defendants to write an essay relevant to their offense. It's hard to come up with new or meaningful topics, Bauer said, so brainstorming with other attorneys was helpful.

The Youth Court generally takes only first-offense cases on charges like minor consuming alcohol, shoplifting or vandalism. Sentences can include community work service, restitution, writing letters of apology or writing essays. For the 2002-2003 fiscal year, about 70 percent of the 120 Kenai and Homer cases were alcohol related. Students did 1,610 hours of work service, Espenshade said.

"The alcohol problem in the whole state -- Homer in particular -- is a real problem," he said.

Last year, the Anchorage Youth Court chose not to handle minor consuming alcohol or minor in possession of alcohol cases, said Ted Madsen, an Anchorage high school senior and president of the Anchorage Youth Court bar association. The decision was a big topic at last year's state conference and still a matter of debate this year, Bauer said. Discussing the issue with other attorneys helped the Anchorage Youth Court make a decision, Madsen said.

With 1,100 minor consuming cases, the Anchorage Youth Court felt overwhelmed, Madsen said.

"We decided we didn't have the time, money and resources," he said.

Anchorage Youth Court deals with other issues like theft, criminal mischief and vandalism. Youth Courts don't deal with gang-related or sexual offenses, or anything that could endanger youth court members, Madsen said.

At the conference, Youth Court members participated in workshops on restorative justice, mediation, diversity, alcohol and teens around the world, and polygraph and police investigations. Leman ran a workshop on the executive branch of state government. Homer newspaper reporters helped the United Youth Court work on its newsletter. Improvisational comedian Marty Zeller ran an improv workshop.

Espenshade said students also got together outside the program for events like a closing-night bonfire at Bishop's Beach. It was interesting seeing students from all over the state, she said.

"In each community, the court has a different tone," Espenshade said. "Each community has this different kind of personality."

Funding for Alaska's youth courts comes from the state through the Alaska Division of Justice and grants from nonprofit foundations, especially the United Way, Espenshade said. Most of the budget goes toward staff expenses. The Alaska Bar Association gives support through its pro bono programs.

Students take a 20-hour attorney course and must pass a bar exam to join the youth court. They serve as judges or defense or prosecuting attorneys, Bauer said. Each spring new attorneys are sworn in. He said Espenshade always invites defendants to consider joining youth court.

"She says, 'In the fall, you can do the training and be in the other seat,'" Bauer said.

Leman, Grimes and Bryner all praised the Youth Court members for their work and encouraged them. Leman said the Youth Courts helped youth make good decisions. Grimes praised peer-to-peer justice.

"I think that's real effective. It's a strong message," she said. "It does my heart good to see so many of you together wanting to do something productive."

Grimes backed up her words with cold, hard cash: She presented the United Youth Court of Alaska with a $500 check from Women Police of Alaska.

"Don't doubt it. You're doing a tremendous thing," Bryner told the youth court members. "I'm tremendously happy to see you here."

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong @homernews.com.