H.R. No. 667
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Created in 1983 as an alternative to existing
    1-2  juvenile justice programs, the Odessa Teen Court has been a force
    1-3  for positive change in the lives of countless young Texans, and it
    1-4  is today a subject of intense international interest as a direct
    1-5  result of the inspired leadership of its original founder and
    1-6  coordinator, the late Natalie Rothstein; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, Ms. Rothstein envisioned a special court that would
    1-8  enable young people convicted of misdemeanor offenses to clear
    1-9  their records by presenting their case to a jury of their peers and
   1-10  by then carrying out the community service sentence imposed by the
   1-11  jury; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Defendants convicted of such offenses as traffic
   1-13  violations or public intoxication plead their case before a jury of
   1-14  six other juveniles, who then determine a suitable punishment;
   1-15  typically, juries have required defendants to perform volunteer
   1-16  work, attend defensive driving classes, participate in a substance
   1-17  abuse program, or complete some other task; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Once a defendant successfully serves out the
   1-19  sentence imposed by the teen jury, the offense will not appear on
   1-20  any record, and, true to Ms. Rothstein's vision, many students who
   1-21  have completed the program over the years have transformed their
   1-22  lives and even returned to the teen court to volunteer their time
   1-23  as attorneys and jury members; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, The Odessa Teen Court has proven such a resounding
    2-1  success that it has prompted 77 communities in the United States to
    2-2  adopt the teen court format and has been featured in many leading
    2-3  national and international newspapers, including the New York
    2-4  Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Australia's  Sydney Sun Herald;
    2-5  and
    2-6        WHEREAS, Natalie Rothstein's extraordinary concept has indeed
    2-7  captured the interest of people around the world as they search for
    2-8  new solutions to juvenile justice problems, and her work with the
    2-9  Odessa Teen Court has left a legacy that will be carried on for
   2-10  many years to come; now, therefore, be it
   2-11        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-12  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and work of Natalie
   2-13  Rothstein, whose outstanding contributions have brought new
   2-14  opportunities to countless young Texans and whose innovative ideas
   2-15  have made this world a better place in which to live, work, and
   2-16  learn; and, be it further
   2-17        RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
   2-18  for her husband, Bob Rothstein, and for the Odessa Teen Court, and
   2-19  that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it
   2-20  do so in memory of Natalie Rothstein.