BELLINGHAM — Atsuko Otsuka is poised behind a long-lens camera, watching a prosecutor who sports hoop earrings and a judge who is dwarfed by her lectern.

She’s studying Teen Court, a Whatcom County Juvenile Justice program functioning here for a decade. Here, high school students are trained to serve as prosecution, defense, judge and jury to peers accused of minor crimes.

Otsuka, a photojournalist based in Japan, attended several of the court’s hearings last week, studying the system as Japan prepares — with some trepidation — to make the switch from a judge-only trial model to a jury-style system in 2009. Otsuka has studied several teen courts in Washington and California as part of a book she is writing on innovative U.S. programs aimed at helping troubled youths.

“It’s very formal, very serious, quite impressive,” Otsuka said as a teen jury deliberated on a case of a minor in possession of alcohol. “It’s a good thing for young people to develop an interest in law enforcement and the justice system.”

Proponents of the system, which focuses on restorative rather than punitive justice, say it is more effective for teen offenders than conventional court, reducing recidivism.

“It’s got a different impact,” said Superior Court Judge Chuck Snyder, a founder of the program. “I’m just another adult telling them what to do. Here, it’s their peers.”

Otsuka became interested in teen court programs when, while working on an unrelated magazine assignment, she interviewed a woman who ran one in California.

“I found the system totally fascinating,” Otsuka said. “They take minor offenses seriously. In Japan, there is nothing to help (offenders) before they go into the system. We have nothing to prevent it.”

Polls have shown that Japanese citizens are reluctant to embrace the new judicial system. Otsuka said that’s partially due to a fear of missing work for jury duty, in addition to reservations about being held accountable for an offender’s fate.

“Once people get comfortable with the idea of participating in the justice system, I think that would pave the way for teen court,” Otsuka said.

Whatcom County’s participating teens don’t balk at the responsibility of delivering justice.

Lynden High School student Sarah Roper presented her case Wednesday against a minor accused of drinking alcohol at the Northwest Washington Fair. She recommended a sentence of more than 60 hours of community service.

“At first it would probably seem like a strange idea to let someone who isn’t a specialist in anything judge someone,” Roper said. “But it’s a really good program. It makes kids more accountable because it’s someone like them.”