Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Prosecutor Ron Welch Visits West Muskingum Middle School for Preparation of English Class Mock Trial
Prosecutor Ron Welch visited Ms. Chelsie Wright’s 8th grade English class at West Muskingum Middle School this week in anticipation of the classes upcoming mock trial involving the Edgar Allen Poe story “The Telltale Heart.”
For the mock trial the students will be submitting requests to act as the prosecutor, the judge, or the defense attorney. The jury on the case will be made up of students from outside the class.
During the visit students were presented with the opportunity to prepare questions for Prosecutor Welch that would aid them in their prosecution, or defense, of the defendant in the case.
Prosecutor Welch began the discussion by providing a brief overview of the justice system and the individual roles in trial cases such as the prosecutor, the judge, witnesses, the defense attorney, and the jury.
The eighth-grade class was extremely engaged and purposeful in their questions to Prosecutor Welch. Specific questions focused on what is necessary in a case to prove that someone is not guilty by reason of insanity and what signs do you look for in a person to determine that a person does not know that what they did was wrong?
The talk took a turn to the nuanced details of mental health that a prosecutor leans into while investigating a case and what outcomes Prosecutor Welch has seen in cases involving various mental health issues.
When students were asked what position they would be applying for and why a recurring theme was “because it sounds fun”. Welch highlighted to the students that it’s okay if you don’t have any answer other than that one. If something sounds fun it is a good indicator that you have interest or passion in something, and that alone is enough to try something new.
The visit was a part of the Prosecutor’s Office’s ongoing community outreach initiative to educate and engage with students in our community.
Prosecutor Welch stated that “I hope the mock trial can serve as a pivotal moment in a student’s education and maybe even a future in the legal profession. My own desire to become a prosecutor, which has resulted in a very rewarding career, came from participating in this same type of mock trial during my freshman year at Philo High School.”
###
Follow the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office on Facebook for the most current and complete information.
