Victim Services

It is the responsibility of the Victim Advocate to provide services to victims of violent crimes including but not limited to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. These services for victims of crime involve areas such as providing information about court cases, assisting in court preparation and attendance and assisting in applying for Attorney General compensation for financial losses.

The Victim Advocate is a member of the Ogle County State's Attorney's Office Administrative Staff.

The Victim Advocate can be contacted by phone between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on any business day at 815-732-1170 or by email at oglesa@oglecounty.org or by coming to the Ogle County State's Attorney's Office.

A Victim’s Rights with Juvenile & Adult Offenders

If there has been no severe injury to you or your family, or if damage done to your property has not been extreme, according to present state law you are only entitled to:

●   Know the name and address of the minor and the parents/guardians – if a judge in
     response to your petition orders the police department to provide them to you, or if the
     case proceeds to the level of formal prosecution.

● Be present at formal case proceedings and, at the point of sentencing, express your
feelings, concerns, and restitution needs in writing or directly to the Judge and parties
present.

● Know the sentence imposed by the court or the adjustment plan implemented by court
services if the case is diverted.

If the violence, injury, and/or damage done are severe in your case, you may have the same rights as if the offender were an adult, seventeen or older. In an adult criminal case you would have the right to:

Know his/her name and address.
Know what the charges are that could be filed against them.
Have a say in whether or not the offender is charged (unless the case involves domestic conflict).
Have the case prosecuted in a timely manner.
Be treated with fairness and respect for your dignity and privacy throughout the proceedings.
Be notified of and be present at all hearings, including the trial, unless your testimony might be affected by your witnessing others’ testimony.
Be reasonably protected from the accused during the proceedings.
Express your thoughts and concerns to the State’s Attorney (who prosecutes an offender on behalf of the community and on your behalf) and at sentencing to the Judge (who monitors the correctness of proceeding, decides guilt or innocence if a jury is not involved, and determines the consequences).
Have an advocate or supportive person present at all hearings.
Receive restitution (payment for damage repair or injury treatment).
Know what the final outcome of the case is (the sentence that is imposed – conviction, conditions of probation, imprisonment, and release).

If damage has been done to your property, or medical or psychological treatment has been necessary because of injury or emotional trauma to you or your family, documentation of your out-of-pocket expenses presented to the police officer, to the Probation Department, or to the State’s Attorney, when asked will help you to obtain restitution.

Because the justice system’s processing of your case may take more time than you might expect, your patience and perseverance may be important and necessary. You may have to keep the State’s Attorney’s office or Probation Department informed of a change of address, should you move. If efforts are unsuccessful to help the offender in your case to become competent, he or she may never be able to repair the harm done to you, to your family, to his/her family, and to the community; and it may be necessary for you to understand that.

Before or after prosecution has begun, you may be invited by the Probation Department to meet with the offender and his/her family to share what it has been like to be victimized, and offer your ideas about how the offender could make up for what happened. This is offered through a program called Victim Offender Conferencing. For more information contact Elaine Carow at 1(815) 501-0631 or email oglejjc@yahoo.com.

Click here for more information on Victim Offender Conferencing.

Funding for this site by:
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
www.macfound.org.