Interim Cass County Prosecutor Sarah Scoggin sworn in days before last prosecutors leave office

The swearing in comes days before Cass County was set to be left without anyone in their prosecutor's office. Prosecuting Attorney Victor Fitz submitted his resignation earlier this month, and at a press conference this week it was revealed that he is being followed by all of his deputy prosecuting attorneys, some who have already departed the office. The remaining attorneys' last day is Friday of this week.

Victor Fitz who served for 23 years, and his deputies, all cite a lack of prioritization for public safety, low pay, and local toxicity for the unprecedented departure.

According to a statement shared by Cass County, attorney Sarah Scoggin has been a lifelong resident of Southwest Michigan and has spent much of her professional legal career in Cass County. For 18 years Scoggin has been an active attorney practitioner handling a wide variety of legal matters including criminal and family court cases. For the past 13 years, Scoggin has managed her own law office.

We reached out to former prosecutor Victor Fitz for his thoughts on the interim prosecutor.

"I think this is a wise move on Judge Herman's part. Judge Herman has always been a gentleman, and I think he saw the urgency of the situation, and this will certainly help give some coverage to the people of Cass County as it comes it criminal matters moving forward. I know Sarah, she's a very pleasant person, very conscientious and I know she'll take the job seriously. I'm glad to see that she'll be in that office and she certainly will have a full task ahead of her. I wish her the best," said Fitz.

ABC57 spoke with Scoggin moments after her swearing in.

"Well of course my first goal is to learn exactly what needs to be done to keep things running smoothly, that would be first. Of course, I'm looking forward to working with everyone here but in a little different capacity. I've worked in Cass County for about 17 years now, so I know a lot of people here. Generally speaking, I think people would agree that I'm fair, I'm compassionate. I'd like to think that I'm a hard worker."

The statement goes on to say the interim appointment will provide continuity of prosecutorial functions, court operations and public safety to allow Judge Herman time to make a Prosecutor appointment for the remainder of the prior Prosecutor's term in office. The Prosecutor position has been posted and actively advertised since May 14, and the Assistant (or Deputy) Prosecutor positions has been posted since April 28.

You can read the full statement from Cass County below:

"Circuit Court Judge Mark A. Herman has appointed Attorney Sarah E. Scoggin as Interim Prosecuting Attorney for Cass County.

Attorney Scoggin will take the oath of office administered by Judge Herman at 4 p.m. today in the Circuit Courtroom in the Law & Courts Building in Cassopolis, Michigan.

Scoggin has been a lifelong resident in southwest Michigan, spending her professional legal career practicing primarily in Cass County. She graduated from Buchanan High School and received her BA from Western Michigan University where she majored in political science with a public law concentration and a minor in criminal justice. Scoggin graduated from Michigan State University College of Law after which she was admitted to practice law in Michigan.

For 18 years, Scoggin has been an active attorney practitioner handling a wide variety of legal matters including criminal and child support giving her a solid foundation of legal knowledge as well as practical legal analytical skills. For the past 13 years, Scoggin has managed her own law office focused on serving clients in Cass County.

Scoggin’s professional experience in Cass County working alongside a wide variety of community stakeholders in Cass County’s problem-solving courts, her dedicated and caring representation of children in abuse neglect cases, and her office management skills poise her to effectively lead the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office during this time of transition. Scoggin is well respected by the legal community because of her intelligence, fairness, and integrity.

This interim appointment will provide continuity of prosecutorial functions, court operations, and public safety to allow Judge Herman time to make a Prosecutor appointment for the balance of the prior Prosecutor’s term in office. The Prosecutor position has been posted and actively advertised since May 14, and the Assistant Prosecutor positions have been posted since April 28th. The County appreciates the continued collaboration between the courts, law enforcement agencies, County Administration, and other justice system partners working together to ensure continuity of operations during this transition.

Currently, the Prosecutor’s Office consists of six attorney positions: the elected Prosecutor, one Chief Assistant Prosecutor, and four Assistant Prosecutors. The office also includes seven support staff positions and one operations manager position.

Further information will be shared as available."