Victim Witness Specialist - Felony

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.

The following examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be all inclusive.

• 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.

• 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.

For more information on job functions, requirements and to apply please visit:

Douglas County offers an excellent comprehensive benefit package including but not limited to:
Medical/Dental/Vision.

For a more detailed overview please view the full Employee Benefit Guide.