Crime victim assistance through the DA’s office 

A Prosecutor’s Purpose 

All district attorney’s offices in the state of New Mexico have a victim assistance staff. Depending on the size of the office, there may be one victim witness coordinator or more, all of whom are there to advocate for victims, to offer a secure, comfortable, supportive environment where victims, witnesses and their families are introduced to the services available to them as they go through what in many cases is the worst time in their lives. 

The 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office currently has five victim witness coordinators — two in Sandoval County, Don and Judith; two in Valencia County, Lacey and Alma; and one in Cibola County, Deeva, as well as one court dog named Cowboy to support victims through the course of criminal prosecution. 

The testimonies provided by victims and witnesses are crucial to legal proceedings because they play a significant role in determining the outcome of a case. Each case is assigned its own victim-witness coordinator at the outset, who provides the victims with information about the court system, notification of court hearings, information about offender release and lets each victim know their rights.  

This is not all a victim advocate does. Each case is different, and each victim needs different help. 

“More than anything our role is support and guidance,” Don says, “and, to be frank, we act as translators and guidance counselors for what the legal system is either doing to them or for them. The system is designed to protect the rights of the defendant.  

“Most victims don’t have equality in terms of their rights and sometimes it’s hard to communicate this with the victims. Part of our job is to help them understand what is happening every step of the way and to support them and their families in the best way possible.” 

“Often the hardest thing is when the victims don’t want to proceed,” Lacey said.  

This is particularly true with victims of domestic violence. Often, the perpetrator is their “best friend” or the main earner for the family.  

How will the bills get paid if s/he is in jail? What will the impact be on the family? So often the victim is also afraid of retribution and more violence because s/he supported court proceedings against their abuser. 

While it doesn’t solve everything, the advocate can assist the victim in accessing resources for possible reimbursement, rental assistance, counseling, loss of wages etc. For example, the Crime Victims Reparation Commission (CVRC) has applications for financial assistance up to two years from the date of the incident. The advocate can also point to resources for seeking orders of protection. 

Lacey says each day on the job is different, and she never knows what she is walking into. When victims take their frustrations out on her she tries not to take it personally.  

At the same time it’s critical “to try and keep my own emotions in check. These cases are hard and loaded. Sometimes, it is especially difficult to both support AND respectfully separate my emotions from the victims’ emotions,” Lacey said.  

“My connection with the victims I support is personal. I’m with them all the way. Explaining the system to them, going to hearings, answering questions, sitting with them in court when they are scared, helping them get assistance as needed.  

“When we lose cases, it’s hard, but the truth of the matter is, my life goes on. The victims live with the crime and the outcome for the rest of their lives. That is one of the things I communicate from the beginning.  

“Going to trial is not a guaranteed win. This is, for me, especially hard when the crime has been committed against a child. When you don’t get the victory, the child essentially still has a life sentence in terms of living with what has been done to them.” 

Deeava tells everyone not to be afraid to reach out. She is committed to being available and appreciates that her work helps to de-mystify the process and the work that we do. 

“I take so much pride in my work. I love helping people in the worst time of their lives, helping them to feel better and overcome obstacles,” Deeava said. “When you see someone who was literally terrified to testify, get up on the stand and speak the truth of what happened to them and overcome their fears, you can literally see that person change and grow before your very eyes. It’s the most rewarding thing to witness.” 

The commitment and dedication of our victim assistance staff is unparalleled. It is hard emotional work. 

“There is nothing better than walking out of a courtroom and seeing a victim be able to breathe again,” Don said. “To have them turn and give you a hug, and to have them say they couldn’t have done this without me. Personally, I have never worked at a job where I have felt so appreciated.” 

(Melissa Howden, MA, MFA, is the chief administrative officer for the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves Cibola, Sandoval and Valencia counties.)