Annual Mock Trial

The participants in the mock trial located in the photo are as follows: Laurel Palk, student; Jeffrey Strausbaugh, Defiance County Prosecuting Attorney; Sara Sutter, student; Steven Sondergaard, DC Professor; Honorable Stephen Ruyle; Matt Hutchinson, Attorney at Law; Sharon Fortkamp, student and Nikki Stratton, student.

On December 4, 2007 the Criminal Justice Department held the annual Mock Trial.  The Mock trial was a culmination of an investigation that took place earlier in the semester.  This year's case involved a person who was operating a loan sharking operation.  The suspect/defendant in the case had differences with the owner and killed him.  The student investigators located evidence, collected evidence, interviewed witnesses and prepared a final report.  Four senior DC Criminal Justice students tried the case with the freshman class of Introduction to Criminal Justice serving as jurors.