JUSTICE LEAGUE

VOCA Grant Program-Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center (OCVJC), provided free legal representation and advocacy to crime victims during the 2023 calendar year. Representation and advocacy included securing justice and due process for victims throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems in a manner no less vigorous than the rights afforded to the accused. Protecting crime victims' rights is accomplished by: ensuring that victims are treated with fairness and respect and by ensuring the victim's safety, dignity and privacy; ensuring victims' rights to reasonable and timely notice of all public proceedings involving the criminal offense or delinquent act against them; protecting crime victim privacy, ensuring victims' rights to be present at all such proceedings; ensuring victims' rights to confer with the attorney for the government; ensuring victims' rights to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; ensuring victims' rights to be heard in any public proceeding involving release, plea, sentencing, disposition, or parole, or in any public proceeding in which a right of the victim is implicated; ensuring that victims have reasonable protection from the accused or any person acting on behalf of the accused; ensuring that victims receive reasonable notice of any release or escape of the accused, except as authorized by section 10 of Article I of this constitution; ensuring victims' rights to refuse an interview, deposition, or other discovery request made by the accused or any person acting on behalf of the accused; ensuring full and timely restitution from the person who committed the criminal offense or delinquent act against them. The successful litigation to protect and enforce victims' rights not only provides much needed assistance to the victims OCVJC serves, but establishes compelling and substantive case law that has a profound effect on the enforcement of crime victims' rights laws. OCVJC provided victims rights training to hospital personnel, advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, community groups, and schools. OCVJC incentivized attorney, judge, and social worker participation by offering these programs free of charge and providing continuing legal education credit and continuing education units.

JAG Grant(s) Program-Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center provided no cost legal representation and advocacy to Ohio state and federal crime victims to secure justice and due process for crime victims throughout the criminal justice process. Protecting crime victims' rights is accomplished by: ensuring that victims are treated with fairness and respect and by ensuring the victim's safety, dignity and privacy; ensuring victims' rights to reasonable and timely notice of all public proceedings involving the criminal offense or delinquent act against them; ensuring victims' rights to be present at all such proceedings; ensuring victims' rights to confer with the attorney for the government; ensuring victims' rights to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; ensuring victims' rights to be heard in any public proceeding involving release, plea, sentencing, disposition, or parole, or in any public proceeding in which a right of the victim is implicated; ensuring that victims have reasonable protection from the accused or any person acting on behalf of the accused; ensuring that victims receive reasonable notice of any release or escape of the accused, except as authorized by section 10 of Article I of this constitution; ensuring victims' rights to full and timely restitution. The successful litigation to protect and enforce victims' rights not only provides much needed assistance to the victim/survivors that OCVJC serves, but established compelling and substantive case law that has a profound effect on the enforcement of crime victims' rights laws.