Victims Assistance

The District Attorney's Office considers assisting victims and witnesses a top priority. For more than two decades, with the support of a grant from the New York State Office of Victim Services, the Wayne County District Attorney's Office has provided services to victims and witnesses of crime through the Victim/Witness Services Office. It is the goal of this office to help people recover from the effects of being a victim or a witness to a crime.

Crime victims suffer a multitude of losses, including but not limited to physical injury, emotional trauma, and financial burdens. A primary function of the Victim/Witness Services Office is to assist victims in recovering from those losses.

The Office of Victim / Witness Services Can Provide

  • Advocacy with victims' employers and creditors if requested
  • Appropriate advocacy, information, and referrals
  • Assistance to victims in filing an application with the NYS Office of victim services
  • Assistance with victim impact statements (including restitution requests) and parole hearing statements
  • Help in initiating the return of confiscated property
  • Immediate general and emotional support services to victims and family members of crime victims

When someone becomes a victim of or a witness to a felony crime they become an important part of the prosecution team. The Victim/Witness Services Office will help victims/witnesses to understand the prosecution by:

  • Explaining the court proceedings from arrest through post-conviction
  • Most importantly, we provide a caring and knowledgeable presence during a most traumatic time for victims
  • Notifying victims of certain felonies of their right to speak at sentencing
  • Notifying victims of grand jury proceedings
  • Notifying victims of post-sentencing follow-up with the Department of Correctional Services and Parole 
  • Offering assistance in preparing sentencing statements
  • Offering court accompaniment
  • Providing indictment information
  • Providing information and reminders regarding court dates and other appointments
  • Providing information on the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system
  • Providing updates on the status of cases to victims