Victim Witness Specialist - Elbert County

Douglas County, CO

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Performs semi-complex telephone and personal contact work with crime victims and witnesses in court matters to minimize the negative effect of the criminal justice system; supports deputy district attorneys in the prosecution of criminal cases through a variety of activities, including caseload management, scheduling, managing victim/witness meetings and interviews, arranging for travel, educating and referring victims to resources based on the needs of the victim or witness and the overall needs of the criminal prosecution/investigation. Generally, the hiring range is $58,835-$73,544 annually. Qualifications, education and experience as it relates to the position will be taken into consideration when determining hiring salary.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in victim assistance, human services, criminal justice or closely related field or four (4) years’ experience in crime victim services. A combination of education and experience may be considered.
Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s License upon hire, with complying insurance. Review of motor vehicle record is required at time of hire and periodically throughout employment.
This position requires successful completion of a criminal background check including fingerprinting through a national database.

Responsibilities

Greets victims and witnesses upon arriving at court; explains the criminal justice system, processes, procedures, and legal terminology to victims and witnesses; answers questions and provides information to assist them with the process of court proceedings and procedures, e.g. shelter, safety, transportation, compensation, therapy, and community referrals; ensures witnesses are present for hearings and appear at the appropriate times; accompanies victims to Court when they testify or when they are present for other hearings; provides court tours for victims and families to increase their awareness of the criminal justice system.
Assists prosecutors in case preparation through education and problem solving with victims and witnesses to ensure their cooperation and timely appearance in court; informs prosecutors of any potential witness problems or special needs of victims or witnesses; schedules witness appointments for prosecutors and schedules witnesses' trial appearance within a previously defined time frame or at attorney request, arranges transportation, food allowance, and hotel accommodations for out-of-state witnesses.
Works with staff to ensure all notification of “critical stages” (pursuant to the Victim’s Rights Amendment) is done accurately and in a timely manner; creates and maintains factual case records; familiarizes victims with legislation affecting their rights within the criminal justice system.
Initiates and responds to a wide variety of in-person and telephone contacts with crime victims, police, and lay witnesses to provide factual case-related information; communicates with personnel from various departments, e.g. Social Services, police agencies, probation offices, hospitals, doctor offices, detention facilities and schools, to support particular needs of victims and witnesses.
Monitors witness lists to ensure cases have necessary witnesses for trials and various types of hearings; keeps prosecutors informed of witness status and potential conflicts; electronically prepares personal service requests to ensure the attendance of victims and witnesses; provides basic investigative assistance to locate victims and/or witnesses whose whereabouts are unknown. Logs and maintains subpoena waiver cards for immediate reference.
Generates simple correspondence; collects information for the preparation of petitions for payment of witness expenses, makes telephone calls to a variety of agencies regarding case status and other inquiries; reviews police reports on elder abuse cases and contacts social services to gather necessary additional information, e.g. the status of the case, appropriate handling of case.
Reviews new cases to determine whether new case filings are Victim's Rights cases or have a victim that requires notification; makes telephone calls to a variety of agencies regarding status of case and other inquiries; reads police reports for district court cases and contacts external agencies regarding the appropriate handling of case.
Downloads cases in ACTION (District Attorney database) to generate a variety of required correspondence; downloads subpoenas for trial; processes and mails notification letters to victims to provide case information; generates, mails, and receives victim impact statements from crime victims.