News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Attorney Matt Wojda and Theodore Beck are pictured in the 53rd Circuit Court in Presque Isle County on Monday.

ROGERS CITY — Judge Aaron Gauthier ruled Monday that evidence from the alleged victim in case 2026-93365-FH People of the State of Michigan v. Theodore Beck can be used during the trial for case 2026-93396-FH People v. Theodore Beck and vice versa.

Theodore Beck, 65, had a hearing on Monday in the 53rd Circuit Court in Presque Isle County, where a motion to admit other acts of evidence and a motion for joinder of trials were argued.

Beck is charged with seven counts of fourth degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC). Three of those counts are on file 93396, which was bound over after preliminary examination in April. The other four counts are on file 93365.

Beck was originally charged with four counts of fourth degree CSC in May 2025. He was arraigned on three more charges in February.

The motion for joinder of trials was granted by Gauthier, meaning that both cases will be tried by the same jury. Both the prosecuting attorney and defense attorney agreed that a joinder of the trials made sense.

The discussion of a third motion submitted by Defense Attorney Matt Wojda to quash bindover on one of the charges on the 93396 file was adjourned. A motion to quash bindover asks a judge to nullify a lower court’s decision to send a criminal case to trial. Typically a motion to quash is filed when a defense attorney believes there was not enough evidence to bind over a charge at the preliminary examination hearing.

Presque Isle County Prosecuting Attorney Zakary McLennan submitted the motion to admit other acts of evidence.

In the motion, McLennan argued to submit evidence for trial from a “victim three” and “victim four” due to evidence of a similar system in doing an act. The alleged victims were not named in court.

There are no formal criminal charges against Beck from those victims.

Typically, evidence from prior acts cannot be used during trial, however, under what’s called rule 404(b), evidence from prior acts can be submitted if they are used as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, scheme, plan, or system in doing an act, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.

Prior acts cannot be submitted if they are used as evidence of the defendant’s character. In other words, to prove they are a “bad person,” as phrased by Gauthier.

Gauthier ultimately did not allow evidence from victims three and four to be used because the incidents are from more than 10 years ago, which is not allowed under Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) 768.27b, and because there would be significant danger of confusing the jurors.

Gauthier officially dismissed Beck’s pending bond violation, which had been on the docket since August.

Beck’s next appearance in the 53rd Circuit Court will be on Aug. 31 at 10:50 a.m.

Reagan Voetberg. News Staff Writer. rvoetberg@thealpenanews.com.