Victim Witness Assistance Programs

The District Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance Program is dedicated to providing advocacy and supportive services to victims of crime in our community.  Becoming a victim of crime can have a devastating impact on a person, families, and the community.   Victims of crime may suffer physical, emotional, or financial harm. Others may face retaliation, intimidation, or are confused by the criminal justice system.  The Victim Witness program advocates are extensively trained, compassionate individuals who are here to assist you through the difficult task of coping with these challenges.

The Family Assistance Center will be closing on Wednesday April 6, 2022 at 5:00OPM. The community can reach out to the following resources for assistance related to the K Street Shooting.

Victim Witness Program at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office at 916-874-5701
Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Sacramento 916-857-1801 This is a 24 hour help line.
American Red Cross 916-993-7070

We appreciate the outpouring of community support by all of the partner agencies responding to this incident.

Victim Bill of Rights California Constitution

Victims Rights Brochure

  To be treated with dignity and compassion

To be protected from intimidation and harm

To be informed about the criminal justice process

Marsy’s Law significantly expands the rights of victims in California. Under Marsy’s Law, the California Constitution article I, § 28, section (b) now provides victims with the following enumerated rights:

  1. To be treated with fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process.

  2. To be reasonably protected from the defendant and persons acting on behalf of the defendant.

  3. To have the safety of the victim and the victim’s family considered in fixing the amount of bail and release conditions for the defendant.

  4. To prevent the disclosure of confidential information or records to the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, which could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family or which disclose confidential communications made in the course of medical or counseling treatment, or which are otherwise privileged or confidential by law.

  5. To refuse an interview, deposition, or discovery request by the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, and to set reasonable conditions on the conduct of any such interview to which the victim consents.

  6. To reasonable notice of and to reasonably confer with the prosecuting agency, upon request, regarding, the arrest of the defendant if known by the prosecutor, the charges filed, the determination whether to extradite the defendant, and, upon request, to be notified of and informed before any pretrial disposition of the case.

  7. To reasonable notice of all public proceedings, including delinquency proceedings, upon request, at which the defendant and the prosecutor are entitled to be present and of all parole or other post-conviction release proceedings, and to be present at all such proceedings.

  8. To be heard, upon request, at any proceeding, including any delinquency proceeding, involving a post-arrest release decision, plea, sentencing, post-conviction release decision, or any proceeding in which a right of the victim is at issue.

  9. To a speedy trial and a prompt and final conclusion of the case and any related post-judgment proceedings.

  10. To provide information to a probation department official conducting a pre-sentence investigation concerning the impact of the offense on the victim and the victim’s family and any sentencing recommendations before the sentencing of the defendant.

  11. To receive, upon request, the pre-sentence report when available to the defendant, except for those portions made confidential by law.

  12. To be informed, upon request, of the conviction, sentence, place and time of incarceration, or other disposition of the defendant, the scheduled release date of the defendant, and the release of or the escape by the defendant from custody.

  13. To restitution.

    1. It is the unequivocal intention of the People of the State of California that all persons who suffer losses as a result of criminal activity shall have the right to seek and secure restitution from the persons convicted of the crimes causing the losses they suffer.

    2. Restitution shall be ordered from the convicted wrongdoer in every case, regardless of the sentence or disposition imposed, in which a crime victim suffers a loss.

    3. All monetary payments, monies, and property collected from any person who has been ordered to make restitution shall be first applied to pay the amounts ordered as restitution to the victim.

  14. To the prompt return of property when no longer needed as evidence.

  15. To be informed of all parole procedures, to participate in the parole process, to provide information to the parole authority to be considered before the parole of the offender, and to be notified, upon request, of the parole or other release of the offender.

  16. To have the safety of the victim, the victim’s family, and the general public considered before any parole or other post-judgment release decision is made.

  17. To be informed of the rights enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (16).

Our team of dedicated and trained Victim Witness Advocates provides:

  • Crisis intervention

  • Information about Victim’s rights (Click here)

  • Orientation to the criminal justice system (link to our witness guide to court proceedings)

  • Resources and community referrals

  • Assistance with obtaining restraining or no contact orders

  • Advocacy for victims within the criminal justice system

  • Assistance with applying for victim compensation

  • Homicide Survivors Support group for family members of homicide victims, (link to our Homicide Support Network Brochure)

  • Court escort: attending court hearings with victims to provide emotional support

  • Other services include: Provide referrals to emergency community resources, Employer intervention, assistance with enrolling in SIRENS, coordination with the community, training for community agencies, and assistance with filing claims with the California Victim Compensation Program.

*Our program has assistance and information available in several languages and also utilizes a translation service.

Additional Program Services

For inquiries regarding victim restitution, please email restitution@sacda.org.

Click here for brochure of Victim Witness Assistance Program – also in:
Cantonese: 受害者權利法案
Hmong: COV NEEG RAUG UA PHEM COV CAI NPLUA NYIAJ
Russian: ЗАКОН О ПРАВАХ ПОТЕРПЕВШИХ
Spanish: DECLARACIÓN DE DERECHOS DE LAS VÍCTIMAS
Vietnamese: LUẬT VỀ CÁC QUYỀN CỦA NẠN NHÂN

Witness Guide to Court Proceedings Brochure

Click here for the brochure

VICTIMS OF CRIME COMPENSATION (link to CalVCB)

The California Victim Compensation Program provides financial reimbursement to victims of crime who suffer unreimbursed financial losses due to physical/emotional injury as a direct result of a crime. This program is funded by fines and penalties assessed by the courts and deposited in the Restitution Fund.

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION IF:

  •  You are injured as a result of a violent crime.

  •  You depend on the victim for support.

  •  You pay the medical or burial expenses of a victim who dies as a result of a crime.

  •  You are a member of the family of a victim who is injured or murdered, and you need counseling as a result of the crime.

REQUIREMENTS:

  •  You must file an application within seven years of the date of the crime.

  •  You must report the crime and cooperate with Law Enforcement.

  •  Your actions must not have contributed to the crime.

Information about Victim Compensation Program Records

SUBPOENAS FOR VICTIM COMPENSATION PROGRAM RECORDS

The District Attorney’s Office is not the Custodian of Records for any records or materials that are part of a victim compensation claim. All subpoenas for any and all California Victim Compensation Program records must be personally served on the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board,

Attn: Legal Office

400 “R” Street, Suite 500

Sacramento, CA 95811