Susan Koch

Susan Koch "will complete and distribute Simple Justice, a documentary film that follows the case of Mario Rocha, now age 26, from his arrest and conviction through his nearly ten years of imprisonment. At age 16, Rocha, a young Latino man from East Los Angeles, was arrested and convicted of murder and attempted murder on the basis of one questionable eyewitness identification and no physical evidence. He was tried as an adult and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Viewers will witness firsthand the legal and justice issues involved in Rocha’s case, as well as the personal story of Rocha, his family, his community, and those who are working to overturn his wrongful conviction. While the film focuses on the case, it also paints a much larger picture of the American judicial system; through Rocha’s story, viewers will come away with a new and deeper understanding of the need to ensure each individual’s fundamental right to equal justice.

"Koch, an Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker, has produced, directed, and written documentaries and nonfiction programming for worldwide distribution and television broadcast. Her critically acclaimed film City at Peace premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Lincoln Center in New York City, and was broadcast on HBO. Koch’s work has appeared on ABC, NBC, HBO, PBS, MTV, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Turner Broadcasting, American Movie Classics, The Learning Channel, and the Travel Channel. She began her broadcasting career at WETA-TV, the public television station in Washington, D.C., and was a producer for Roger Mudd at NBC News. Koch has a BA with honors from Bryn Mawr College. She is on the board of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and is a founding board member of Our Voices Together, an organization created by 9/11 families and friends to help build a safer, more compassionate world." 


 * Recipent of Soros Justice Fellowships in 2006
 * Communications Advisory Board, Women for Women International