MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting Dutchess County Legislator Craig Brendli has proposed the creation of a county youth court similar to the ones in Putnam and Ulster counties. The court would be part of the family court system and give first-time misdemeanor offenders under the age of 16 a second chance, Brendli said. The young people would be tried by their peers and “...what would happen is once that is done they would be sentenced to community service and/or a letter of apology,” he said. Youth courts are legally recognized in New York. They provide restorative justice and a second chance to first-time, misdemeanor young offenders. The proposal will be taken up by the Dutchess County Legislature in August. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.