Court Advocacy

Some sexual assault survivors choose to pursue legal action through the civil or criminal judicial system. The Rape Crisis Center has Justice System Advocates who provide emotional support and education during what can be a lengthy and confusing process. The RCC Justice System Advocacy services are survivor-centered and available in any Summit or Medina County Common Pleas (County) or Municipal (City) Courtroom.  The RCC can help in the following ways by:

• explaining how the legal process works and the meaning of legal terminology
• providing directions on how to physically locate different court rooms
• providing emotional support during meetings with law enforcement, prosecutors, and at all court proceedings
• teaching survivors how to access Web information regarding their legal cases
• educating survivors on their rights as crime victims, which includes the following information: protection orders, Victim Information and Notification Everyday (the VINE program that notifies victims about the status of incarcerated inmates) and the Ohio Crime Victim Compensation Program, which reimburses survivors for some of the financial losses due to the assault.

For more information, call the Justice System Advocate at 330.374.0740 ext. 125 (Summit Co.) or the Medina Advocate at 330.764.8635 (Medina Co.)