Area 31 Criminal Justice Students Learn from Indiana Prosecutors

On Friday, August 17, Area 31 Criminal Justice students learned firsthand about careers in the legal system from three current and former prosecutors representing counties across Indiana. Whitney Riggs, Public Information Officer for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (IPAC), helped organize the event.

Students heard from Courtney Curtis, former supervising deputy prosecutor in Marion and Johnson counties and current Assistant Executive Director of IPAC; Andrew Emhardt, Deputy Area 31 Criminal Justice Students Learn from Indiana Prosecutors Prosecutor with Boone County; and Toula Guedel, Deputy Prosecutor with Hamilton County. Throughout the visit, the prosecutors provided students with an inside look at the realities of working within Indiana's criminal justice system. Topics included courtroom procedures, education and career requirements, working relationships between prosecutors and law enforcement, job satisfaction, maintaining mental and emotional health, personal experiences with crime, and the differences between real-world legal work and how it is portrayed on television and in the media.

The discussion generated significant interest and engagement from students, who asked thoughtful questions and appreciated the presenters' candid responses. Following the presentations, many students shared that they had developed a greater understanding of courtroom proceedings, while others expressed a new interest in pursuing careers in law.

Experiences like this give Area 31 students valuable opportunities to connect classroom learning with professionals in the field and explore the many career pathways available within the criminal justice system.