Twenty-eight Canyons School District high schoolers were sworn in Tuesday, Sept. 8, as Peer Court judges in a ceremony led by Utah Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Jill Pohlman, an Alta High School graduate.

The students took an Oath of Office in the Canyons Board of Education chamber. They will spend the 2026-2027 school year hearing real cases and deciding how their peers can make things right.

The program gives students accused of minor offenses like fighting, vandalism, shoplifting and vaping an alternative to suspension or expulsion. According to the district, those traditional punishments can increase a student's risk of dropping out or entering the juvenile justice system.

Peer Court meets weekly.

Student-judges question the referred students about the reasons behind their behavior, then determine ways the student can repair any harm. The 28 judges, selected through an application process, log about 2,000 volunteer hours over the course of a school year.

Program Administrator Charisse Hilton has overseen the court since it began hearing cases in the 2020-2021 school year. She said some sessions carry real emotional weight.

"Some nights are heavy," Hilton said at the Sept. 8 ceremony. "It will open your eyes to the challenges that some of our students face."

Hilton has presented at national conferences about the program's results. The court is only the second youth court in Utah sponsored by a school district.

Pohlman, reflecting on her earlier service on the Utah Court of Appeals, told the new judges that hearing difficult cases changed how she viewed defendants. She said the experience gave her greater insight into the lasting impact of trauma, though it did not change her commitment to holding people accountable.

Hilton said the student-judges are making a real difference for their peers. The district has not announced application dates for next year's Peer Court class.