Victim/Witness Services Guide
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VICTIM/WITNESS SERVICES GUIDE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE 501 E. BAY STREET, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32202 EMERGENCY: 9-1-1 (TTY SERVICES AVAILABLE) NON-EMERGENCY: (904) 630-0500 GENERAL INFORMATION: (904) 630-7600 JAXSHERIFF.ORG Message from Sheriff Mike Williams Sheriff MikeSheriffWilliams If you are reading this booklet, you or someone close to you has been the victim of a crime. I regret that this has hap- pened to you. As your Sheriff, I commit to you the resources and services of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to assist you. The services listed in this publication are carefully tailored to meet your needs. They can be very useful to you as you go through the investigation and other aspects of the criminal justice system. In the coming weeks you may experience many feelings such as frustration, con- fusion, sadness and anger. Talking with someone who understands can help. The employees of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will use their pro- fessional skills and work hard to uncover the facts, identify the re- sponsible person or people, and work for a successful prosecution. To make this process a little easier for you, we have provided two support services: a Victim Services Counselor and the Victim Infor- mation and Notification Everyday (VINE) System. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office cares about you. We are working every day to support victims of crime and their families. Sincerely, Mike Williams Mike Williams, Sheriff Duval County, FL 2 YOUR CASE INFORMATION Law Enforcement Agency: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) Emergency: 9-1-1 (TTY Services Available) JSO’s Non-Emergency: (904) 630-0500 JSO’s General Information: (904) 630-7600 Case Number: ______________________________ Date of Report: ______________________, 20_____ Incident Type: ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Officer’s Name: ______________________________ Officer’s ID Number: ___________________ VINE Pin Number: __________________________ Local domestic violence center: Hubbard House www.hubbardhouse.org 24-Hour hotline: (904) 354-3114 or 1-800-500-1119 hubbardhouse.org TTY: (904) 354-3958 Local designated rape crisis center: The Women’s Center of Jacksonville (Rape Recovery Team) www.womenscenterofjax.org 5644 Colcord Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32211 Phone: (904) 722-3000 24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline: (904) 721-7273 womenscenterofjax.org 3 P-0390 REV. 04/2018 Notes: 4 Table of Contents Burglary, Robbery, Economic Crimes, Seniors vs. Crime 6 Human Trafficking 6 Sexual Battery, Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, How Can the Law Help, Injunction Process 6-11 Victim’s Rights 10-12 Exemption from Public Inspection 12 Victim Request for Public Records Exemption 13-14 Victim Compensation 15-16 Overview of the Criminal Justice Process 16-21 Juvenile Justice Process 17 Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) 21-22 Community Resources 23-26 Checklist of Documents You May Need 27 JSO Resources 28 Note: This booklet references certain crimes, but it is a tool for victims of all types of crimes. 5 Notice of Legal Rights and HUMAN TRAFFICKING-FLORIDA Remedies for Victims STATUTE; SECTION 787.06 Human Trafficking is the international IT ISN’T JUST WRONG. or domestic recruitment, harboring, IT’S A CRIME. transporting, or obtaining of any hu- man through force, fraud, or coercion, BURGLARY for the purpose of exploitation which The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Burgla- includes, at minimum, the exploitation ry Unit investigates business and resi- of the prostitution of others or other dential burglaries, as well as grand forms of sexual exploitation, forced theft cases involving a significant loss. labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, and servitude. If you If you are a victim and need to speak are a victim, please call 9-1-1 or (904) with the detective working your case 630-0500, or 1-888-373-7888 (TTY: please call JSO’s Burglary Unit at (904) 711), (National Human Trafficking 630-2175. Resource Center). (please see the Vic- tim’s Rights section on pages 10-12) ROBBERY WHAT IS SEXUAL BATTERY? JSO’s Robbery Unit investigates the Includes information from FDLE crimes of armed robbery, unarmed or (www.fdle.state.fl.us) “strong-arm” robbery, home-invasion In Florida, the legal term for rape or robbery, carjacking and robbery by sexual assault is sexual battery (F.S. sudden snatching. 794.011). If you are a victim and need to speak Sexual battery means oral, anal, or with the detective working your case vaginal penetration by, or union with, please call JSO’s Robbery Unit at (904) the sexual organ of another or the anal 630-2179. or vaginal penetration of another by any other object, committed without ECONOMIC CRIMES your consent. The Economic Crimes Unit investigates forgeries, frauds, including Internet Consent means intelligent, knowing, fraud, bank fraud and credit card and voluntary consent and does not fraud, along with identity theft, con include coerced submission. Failure to games and other economic crimes. To offer physical resistance to the offend- contact JSO’s Economic Crimes Office er does not imply consent. please call (904) 630-2177. WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE? If you or someone you know is over Includes information from FDLE (www.fdle.state.fl.us) the age of 65 and a victim of an Eco- Under the provisions of Section nomic Crime (or fraud) please contact 784.046 of the Florida Statutes, sexu- Seniors vs. Crime for assistance at al violence is one incident of www.seniorsvscrime.com OR Sexual battery, as defined in 1-800-203-3099. chapter 794; 6 A lewd or lascivious act, as de- will be sent to the regional or fined in chapter 800, committed statewide lab within 30 days for upon or in the presence of a testing. The lab is required to process person younger than 16 years of the kit within 120 days. If a kit is not age; collected by a medical provider, a vic- Luring or enticing a child, as tim has the right to request a law en- described in chapter 787; forcement agency that collects other Sexual performance by a child, DNA evidence associated with the sex- as described in chapter 827; or ual offense to submit this evidence for testing. [CFA 35.06] Any other forcible felony wherein a sexual act is committed or attempted, If you don’t report the crime to law regardless of whether criminal charges enforcement at the time you obtain were filed, reduced, or dismissed by the exam, your kit will be stored anon- the state attorney based on the inci- ymously. Your kit may be stored for dent. only a limited time, depending on your community’s storage space. The local MEDICAL CARE AND rape crisis center can advise you about EVIDENCE COLLECTION the storage timelines in your communi- Includes information from FDLE ty. (www.fdle.state.fl.us) When a sexual crime has occurred, you CARE & ASSISTANCE: The medical pro- may be examined by a registered nurse fessional can work with you regarding or a doctor. Law enforcement should any medical concerns. You may be provide or arrange for transportation prescribed medications to protect you to the appropriate medical facility. from certain sexually transmitted infec- Once there, in a private area, you will tions and recommend follow-up medi- be examined by a medical professional. cal care. If the medical professional is As a victim, you have the right to: unable or unwilling to assist you, the Stop the exam at any time local rape crisis center can assist you. Have an advocate from a rape You may be responsible for paying for crisis center with you medications and additional health care Be informed about the status of costs. the kit during processing By law, medical providers cannot During the exam, the medical profes- charge you for an exam, even if you sional may collect blood, urine, saliva, have insurance and you don’t report pubic hair combings and/or nail sam- the crime to law enforcement. ples. They may also collect items of your clothing. The medical professional WHAT IF I FEAR FOR may ask you some questions about MY SAFETY? what occurred and your medical histo- Includes information from FDLE ry. (www.fdle.state.fl.us) EVIDENCE: If you make a report to law If you fear for your safety or fear enforcement, your sexual assault kit offender contact, you can seek an in- junction (Florida Statute 784.046), 7 sometimes referred to as a restraining (904) 722-3000 order or protection order. 24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline: (904) 721-7273 The application can be made at the www.womenscenterofjax.org local courthouse (501 W. Adams St.) with assistance from the court clerk. A WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? Victim’s Advocate can also assist you in Includes information from FDLE the process. (www.fdle.state.fl.us) Under the provisions of Section HELP IS AVAILABLE 741.28 of the Florida Statutes, do- Includes information from FDLE mestic violence means any assault, (www.fdle.state.fl.us) aggravated assault, battery, aggra- Victims of sexual crimes need compas- vated battery, sexual assault, sexual sion, sensitivity and empathy. Being battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, the victim of a crime can be over- kidnapping, false imprisonment, or whelming. Your reactions are normal. any criminal offense resulting in Local certified rape crisis centers have physical injury or death of one family advocates who are there to help all or household member by another victims, regardless of whether or not family or household member. A fam- they report to law enforcement. Ser- ily or household members are spous- vices are free and confidential – certi- es, former spouses, persons related fied rape crisis centers are legally by blood or marriage, persons who and ethically required to protect your are presently residing together as if a confidentiality, unless you allow, in family or who have resided together writing, the release of your infor- in the past as if a family, and persons mation.