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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
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Debbie Coons
Victim CoordinatorPhone: 315-946-5913
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Office of the District Attorney
Physical Address
30 Church Street
Lyons, NY 14489
Phone: 315-946-5905Fax: 315-946-5911