Boone County Prosecuting Attorney
 

Victim Response Team

grahpic link to victim services online survey

We need your help in evaluating our services to victims of crime in Boone County. Please take a few minutes to take a survey about your contact with our office. All responses will be kept confidential. We appreciate your assistance as we try to improve the quality of our services to victims of crime in our community.

Philosophy

The Victim Response Team provides emotional support, legal explanation, and referral to the proper local agencies for crime victims and their families. The philosophy of the Victim Response Team is that victims of crime should be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect in the aftermath of crime. Victims should be informed of the criminal justice system’s response to the crime. Victims should also have an opportunity to provide input regarding the disposition, sentencing, and release of the offender in a manner that minimizes inconvenience to the victim.

Services Provided

The Victim Response Team assists by:

  • Informing victims of their rights.
  • Providing emotional support for victims and their families.
  • Keeping the victim aware of the status of their cases.
  • Providing information on court procedures.
  • Escorting victims and witnesses to court proceedings.
  • Providing a secure witness waiting room.
  • Collecting restitution. (See the Restitution Claim Form and Crime Victims' Guide to Restitution.)
  • Informing victims of available resources including Crime Victims’ Compensation.
  • Providing help with writing a victim impact statement. (See A Guide for Writing your Victim Impact Statement.)

Rights as a Crime Victim in Missouri

Under the Bill of Rights of the Missouri Constitution, Article I, Section 32, crime victims have the following rights:

  1. The right to be present at all criminal justice proceedings at which the defendant has such right, including juvenile proceedings where the offense would have been a felony if committed by an adult;
  2. Upon request of the victim, the right to be informed of and heard at guilty pleas, bail hearings, sentencings, probation revocation hearings, and parole hearings, unless in the determination of the court the interests of justice require otherwise;
  3. The right to be informed of trials and preliminary hearings;
  4. The right to restitution, which shall be enforceable in the same manner as any other civil cause of action, or as otherwise provided by law;
  5. The right to the speedy disposition and appellate review of their cases, provided that nothing in this subdivision shall prevent the defendant from having sufficient time to prepare his defense;
  6. The right to reasonable protection from the defendant or any person acting on behalf of the defendant;
  7. The right to information concerning the escape of an accused from custody or confinement, the defendant's release and scheduling of the defendant's release from incarceration; and (please contact the Boone County Sheriff’s Office at 573-875-1111 to request notification of when the defendant posts bond, is released or escapes from custody or register with Missouri Victim Automated Notification System (MOVANS) to be informed if the defendant is released from the Boone County Jail or the Missouri Department of Corrections)
  8. The right to information about how the criminal justice system works, the rights and the availability of services, and upon request of the victim the right to information about the crime.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or associational preference. The Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office affirms its commitment to provide equal opportunity and access to anyone seeking victim and/or any services provided by this office.