Mock Investigations and Trials

Criminal justice and forensic science majors at Defiance College get a unique opportunity each year to conduct criminal investigations. Steve Sondergaard, associate professor of criminal justice, stages a different mock crime scene each year for students to gain experience in a variety of aspects in criminal investigation.

Sondergaard works with local law enforcement and fire officials to stage crime scenes, provide first-hand training to students, and at the end of the academic year, conduct a mock trial.

This year Sondergaard is working with Defiance city firefighters to create an arson investigation. Last week firefighters conducted a controlled fire in a house on Carter Road. On Monday, Sondergaard, Fire Chief Bill Wilkins and Assistant Chief Pete Schlosser supervised students at the scene as they staged various components of an arson investigation. Nearly 50 sophomores and juniors in the professor's Criminal Investigation class took part.

"Each student has his or her own assignment," said Sondergaard. "Some will be responsible for taking photos, others will collect evidence, take measurements, do scene sketches, and interview witnesses."

Students will now create a composite of an agency investigation and product a report. This information will be used at the end of the semester to conduct a mock trial. So that all students get to take part, freshmen will serve as jury members, sophomores and juniors are called as witnesses, and seniors with top grade point averages are chosen for the roles of prosecution and defense attorneys.

Common Pleas Judge Stephen Ruyle, County Prosecutor Jeff Strausbaugh, and local defense attorney Matt Hutchinson and others volunteer their time to assist with the mock trials.

Sondergaard chooses and writes each year's crime scene, rotating the topics so that students have a broader range of knowledge and experiences before they graduate.