Victim Assistance What You Can Do - Office of the District Attorney

What You Can Do

About Our Coordinators

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Develop a good relationship with law enforcement officials and the prosecutor handling your case.
Keep the district attorney’s office informed during all stages of the criminal justice process, and contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator.
Keep a written journal. Begin with your activities prior to the crime, and include all contact you make about the crime regardless of how minor they may appear.
Prepare a Victim Impact Statement for the judge, prosecutor, probation officer and corrections officials.
If a probation officer is involved in the case, it is also important to keep him/her informed.
Seek professional counseling and/or a local support group if you are having difficulties overcoming the trauma of the crime.

You will want to inform the office of:

Your address and phone numbers, and any changes
Your desire to be kept informed
How you would like to be informed
Facts and information important to the investigation of the case
Your feelings regarding plea bargaining negotiations; and
Your concerns for safety from the offender

Include the following items in your journal:

Date and time of your conversation
Everyone who took part in the conversation
Nature of the conversation (include specific details, especially if any decisions were made)
Actions to be taken and by whom

Be sure to let the officer know:

Your address and phone numbers, and any changes
Your willingness and desire to be involved
How and when they can contact you
The details about the case and how the crime has affected you

Responding to the media

In some cases, victims may also find themselves facing the attention of the media. Some individuals may experience negative emotional, mental or legal effects when responding to the media. It is important to know that you have rights when you are asked by the media to talk about your experience.

The National Center for Victims of Crime provides the following guidelines for victims who choose to talk with the media.

Victims have the right

To say “no” to an interview
To select the spokesperson or advocate of their choice
To select the time and location for media interviews
To request a specific reporter
To refuse an interview with a specific reporter even though they have granted interviews to other reporters
To say “no” to an interview even though they have previously granted interviews
To release a written statement through a spokesperson in lieu of an interview
To exclude children from interviews
To refrain from answering any questions which are uncomfortable or the victim feels are inappropriate
To know in advance the direction the story is going to take
To avoid a press conference atmosphere and speak to only one reporter at a time
To demand a correction when inaccurate information is reported
To ask that offensive photographs or visuals be omitted from broadcast or publication
To conduct a television interview using a silhouette or a newspaper interview without having a photograph taken
To completely give their side of the story related to the victimization
To refrain from answering reporters’ questions during the trial
To file a formal complaint against a journalist
To grieve in private
To suggest training about media and victims in their communities

By contract, the following are positive emotional and mental effects some victims have experienced when working with the media:

Re-telling of the victimization/loss was therapeutic
Provided a memorial to a loved one
Avoided all the attention being focused on the perpetrator
Prevented the perpetrator from gaining notoriety, publicity and justification for the crime
Allowed victims/survivors an avenue to express their anger
Helped with the investigative process
Increased a general understanding of the victim/survivor’s suffering/loss

Always remember that it is the right of the victim/survivor to decide whether or not to work with the media.

About Our Coordinators