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Domestic Victims
In instances of domestic violence, the goal of the Victim Witness Program is get the perpetrator out of the home. “We try to persuade the woman—in 99 percent of the cases, it's a woman who’s the victim of domestic violence—to swear out a warrant. This is the only time we work with the defendant as well. We’ll meet him at jail after he’s arrested and help him arrange bond, if that’s necessary. In most domestic cases, the defendant is released on bond but put under order by the judge not to return home until after the court hearing,” Wodell said.
In the meantime. Victim Witness volunteers conduct their own investigation into the underlying problems that provoked the violent outburst. They provide crisis intervention counseling on a short-term, emergency basis and then refer victims to mental health, social services and ministerial organizations for further counseling. “We try to help the entire family. By the time the case gets to court, hopefully everyone’s moving in the right direction,” Wodell said. “Sometimes, the start of progress is so simple. It can begin with the defendant learning that it’s a crime to beat your wife. It’s absolutely amazing how many men don't know that! So many of them have asked me. ‘Doesn’t your husband beat you?’ ” she added, indignation underlying her voice.
In murder cases, Victim Witness often provides the money to bury the victim. “Then we work with the
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