TEMECULA -- A successful program where youth offenders are tried by their peers has ended due to budget cuts, though the county prosecutor who helped start the program six years ago is planning to ask city officials to keep it alive.

John Davis, a senior deputy district attorney who helped start Youth Court and served as the presiding judge, found out recently that the county cut the program's funding -- which covers the cost of providing a probation and law enforcement officer. He plans to ask city officials later this month for approximately $40,000 a year to keep what he considers a vital program going.

"I think Temecula kids are a step above other communities," Davis said. "We've got a low crime rate. Kids here don't view committing crimes as macho."

Hundreds of local youth have attended Youth Court since it started six years ago. Of those, approximately 90 percent avoid the juvenile justice system and do not commit a second crime, Davis said. The program is tailored for first-time offenders, ages 14-18, who have been arrested for minor crimes, such as shoplifting, graffiti or fighting.

The lawyers in the court are members of Temecula Valley High School's mock trial team. The jury is composed of former defendants. Davis volunteers as a judge and the county provides a probation officer and a deputy.

But the state grant that funded the county's contribution to the program was cut by nearly 15 percent this year, said Ed Vasquez, chief deputy for the county Probation Department. Vasquez said budget figures for the program were not available on Friday.

The state grant provides funding for 18 juvenile crime prevention programs in Riverside County. The county's Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council decided in May to cut some programs, including the Temecula Youth Court, a gang intervention program in Riverside and a trauma counseling program for youth in Palm Desert, Vasquez said.

"We had to make the cuts across the county," Vasquez said.

While the courtroom portion of the program was cut, the probation department has agreed to continue providing counseling and monitoring of youth offenders by what's called a Youth Accountability Team. The team consists of a member of the probation department, sheriff's department, district attorney's office and a counselor who are assigned to a youth who has committed a minor crime, and the team oversees the various essays, community service and other punishments that used to be doled out by youth court.

Sgt. Bill DeLuna, who is involved with the Youth Accountability Team and oversees officers assigned to The Promenade mall, said having the enforcement arm of the court program should keep shoplifting and other youth-related crimes from escalating.

"We understand the budget crisis," DeLuna said. "The bottom line is --- regardless of whether we want (the court) or not -- it's not here. If it reappeared, that would be great."

Davis said the loss of the court program will have a negative impact on the community. For one thing -- unlike the court program --- youths who go through the YAT program will still have a record of their crimes. Davis said that could hurt them should they one day decide to join the military or apply to college.

"These are clearly people with no criminal history," Davis said. "These kids deserve a break."

City Councilman Jeff Stone said he would support city-backing for the program.

"This is an appropriate way for them to quickly learn a lesson and get them back on the right track rather than prosecuting them or throwing them in jail," Stone said.

One local high school student who has participated as a lawyer in youth court said the program taught her more than the law. Vivian Tang, 16, said the program made her want to be a better person.

"Everybody makes mistakes and everybody wants to take them back," Tang said. "There's always going to be bad stuff that happens and you're just going to have to learn to deal with it."

Tang said she hopes the program continues so that youths won't have to go through the juvenile court system.

"It gives kids another chance," Tang said. "The kids we accept for cases are generally good kids that made a mistake."

Contact staff writer Michael Buchanan at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or mbuchanan@californian.com.