Heidi Holmquist Wells and Nate Zwerdling are proud to begin volunteering as attorney mentors for Humboldt County’s Teen Court. Teen Court is a real court of law that first-time juvenile offenders may participate in, as an alternative to the juvenile justice system. Court is operated by youth volunteers, with an adult mentor judge and attorneys providing guidance. Teen Court sentences are guided by restorative justice principles, with a focus on accountability, family relationships, building skills and harm reduction.
During his high school days, Nate actually served as Teen Court volunteer. Here is a note from Nate about his background with Teen Court:
I will soon be walking back into Humboldt County’s Teen Court chambers for the first time in twelve years — this time as a mentor attorney. While an Arcata High sophomore and junior in 2005-06, I volunteered in Teen Court as a teen attorney and juror. Having the opportunity to participate in a real court of law as a teen was immensely rewarding and educational. For the first time, I experienced basic trial protocol such as the varying duties of the prosecution (or the community) and defense, the examination of witnesses, forming strong closing arguments, and the nuances of jury deliberation I still remember the facts of some of the cases and the creative restorative justice sentences I helped render as a juror.
One guiding aspect of Teen Court still resonates with me to this day — the people who find themselves in the hands of a teen court jury are just that, real people, and deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and encouragement. They are entitled to receive restorative justice sentences rather than punitive punishments . As a practicing lawyer, I holds this lesson to heart every day and always value the underlying humanity in every case, whether civil or criminal. I am excited to volunteer as an attorney mentor and perhaps inspire local high schoolers to explore careers in law.
After my formative years as teen court volunteer, I proceeded on to college and law school in the Bay Area and recently moved back to practice law in Humboldt County with two highly experienced attorneys and mentors — my dad, Zach Zwerdling, and Heidi Holmquist Wells.