NCJ Number
190297
Date Published
2000
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Intended for adults who are to testify as witnesses in a Federal court, this video uses a dramatic simulation of a hypothetical crime and the processing of the case through the justice system to acquaint victims/witnesses with the stages of case processing, possible experiences in the course of the investigation and the pretrial period, and victim/witness contributions in the trial and sentencing should there be a conviction.
Abstract
The crime dramatized is an assault on an Indian reservation perpetrated against a woman by her boyfriend and witnessed by a friend of the victim. All stages of the investigation are dramatized, interspersed by comments from the narrator to explain what is happening in the dramatization. A victim services representative counsels the victim/witness about what is to occur and provides emotional support. Since the alleged assault occurred on Federal land, the investigation is conducted jointly by the tribal police and the FBI, and the case is prosecuted in Federal court. Some of the issues addressed are the victim's decision about whether or not to testify against a man for whom the woman cares, but who has assaulted her regularly over time; witness intimidation by the defendant, who was released on bail; a restraining order to protect the victim/witness from the defendant; and the victim/witness testimony both at trial and at the sentencing hearing. The video is intended as a resource to facilitate questions and concerns regarding victim/witness participation in case processing, so the victim/witness will be more confident and less anxious about such participation.