If you or someone you know, has been a victim of crime, the Victim/Witness Assistance Division can help you by providing one or more of the services listed below:
• Crisis intervention
• Orientation to the criminal justice system
• Court support
• Case status information
• Property return information
• Community resource and referral counseling
• Assistance in filing for financial reimbursement for losses incurred
Eligibility
You are eligible for help from the Victim/Witness Assistance Division if:
1
A crime was committed against you and you reported the crime and cooperated fully with law enforcement, the district attorney, and the courts.
2
You were not involved in committing an illegal act at the time of the crime.
3
The crime occurred in California or you are a resident of California and had a crime committed against you in another state.
VICTIM ADVOCACY
California History
California has a history rich in the development of victim services, and in 1980, the first Victim/Witness Assistance Division was established in Tulare County. The division came under the direction of the Office of the District Attorney on July 1, 1996, and continues to be the major provider of victim services in Tulare County.
The program has offices in Visalia, Porterville, and Juvenile, and services the courts county-wide.
Victims of violent crime can incur major financial and emotional losses. The Victim/Witness Assistance Division can assist victims in applying for assistance from the California Victim and Government Claims Board in Sacramento. Losses that are covered include medical and counseling services, assistance with funeral/burial expenses, relocation expenses for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and crime-scene clean-up. The fully-trained staff provides excellent referral services designed to help victims with their recovery. In addition, our staff offers court support for those victims called to testify in a criminal jury trial.