Week Two (2)

 On hump day, I made my first prosecutor switch at the center downtown. I was now with Assistant Prosecutor Attorney Ryan Bokoch, the Crime Strategies Unit supervisor. When I first met Prosecutor Bokoch, he gave me a rundown of what his team does in the office and for the county. To give a more specific and precise description, the Crime Strategies Unit’s mission is to harness the collective resources of the County Prosecutor's Office to develop and implement intelligence-driven prosecution strategies that address crime issues and target priority offenders. acts as a central hub to ensure vital information and intelligence is reaching the right agencies (Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office). APA Bokoch was able to give me insight on how to track local criminals and how to look for different crime trends/predict future problems, which I am very grateful for. On Thursday, I moved to the Major Trial/Homicide Unit with APA Carl Mazzone. As you may have guessed, this unit is the one with the most horrendous crimes. While reviewing evidence as well as sitting in courtrooms, I saw some of the most gruesome things I have ever seen. It was an eye-opening experience, but it was very beneficial for me. Seeing Prosecutor Mazzone talk to the family of the victim and the witnesses of the crime was very interesting to watch because he realized that he needed to be as understanding and comforting as possible. To wrap up the week, I went across the street to the Courthouse Square Building. There I shadowed Mary Weston, the Cold Case/GOLD Unit supervisor. GOLD stands for Genetic Operations Linking DNA. As you could imagine, this unit uses DNA and other evidence to work on cases that have gone cold but still fall under the statute of limitations. As they had no cases go to trial that day, there was not much going on in the office. I was still lucky enough to talk to different people who work different jobs in the office. The most inspiring part for me was how passionate these people are about getting justice for these victims who can seem forgotten. It truly gave me the idea that when it comes to justice, no victim is left behind.

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