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Councilman Greg Stanton's
North Central News Column
November 2004
City Prosecutor's Web Site Provides Victim-Friendly Navigation
Being the victim of a crime, no matter how small the crime may be, can be a harrowing experience. As a member of the City Council Public Safety Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that the City provide the very best services to victims and protects victim's rights. While no one expects to be the victim of a crime, if it happens, the city's goal is to provide you with resources and information to help you navigate through a sometimes complicated legal system.
The City Prosecutor's Office recently launched a newly designed Web site, phoenix.gov/phxpros.html, which is a valuable informational tool for victims, attorneys and prosecutors. Simply put, the Web site services the different needs of its users and does so in such a unique way that it is one of very few City Prosecutor Web sites in the nation to provide these services.
One area of the site provides a Victim Information Center, which is designed with the victim in mind. It features helpful information such as:
- Answers to victims questions or concerns about the criminal process or about victim's rights. This area is designed to answer those questions and provide information to increase your level of comfort and confidence in the city's justice system.
- Directions to the courthouse so you can testify, which is a seemingly simple piece of information, but vital in a case that may require a victim's testimony to prosecute a defendant.
- Information and answers to more complicated questions like the sentencing guidelines for the defendant if he/she is found guilty.
- Descriptions of what to expect during the legal process, how to submit an online restitution request and how to invoke rights online.
In addition to the outstanding victim's section, the Web site offers valuable information to prosecutor's around the Valley and the country through its secure Prosecutor's Resource Center.This portion of the Web site is limited to full-time prosecuting attorneys and provides:
- A "brief bank" where prosecutors can download legal research and other materials that may be helpful as they prosecute a similar case in their jurisdiction.
- A disclosure feature that very few Prosecutor's sites have at this time. The prosecution must disclose evidence to a defense attorney after a pretrial hearing, but doing so can be an expensive and time-consuming process. By disclosing this information online, our city prosecutors save valuable resources.
As your advocate on the City Council, I am committed to ensuring that our city's public safety needs are met and exceeded. I commend our City Prosecutor's Office for designing this innovative, victim-friendly Web site that serves as a valuable tool for victims, attorneys and prosecutors.
If you have any questions about this or any other issue, as always, please feel free to call my office at 602-262-7491, send an e-mail to greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit my Web site at phoenix.gov/district6.
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