Victim Witness
Every U.S. Attorney's Office has a Victim/Witness Assistance Program to assist victims of federal crimes. The Victim/Witness Assistance Programs are a part of federal efforts to provide information on rights and services to victims and witnesses of federal crimes, as well as, to encourage the participation of victims in the criminal justice system.
To contact the Victim/Witness Assistance Program at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, call toll free at 1-800-320-0682 for Buffalo cases and 1-800-799-6033 for Rochester cases. Listen to the instructions on how to reach a specific staff person or service. Leave your name and phone number, as well as the name of the defendant, and your specific question. We will return your call as quickly as possible. You may also e-mail us at usanyw-victimwitness@usdoj.gov.
If you wish to attend a sentencing or other hearing, please be sure to indicate this in your message. Please be aware that court hearings are often postponed on very short notice. We will make every effort to keep you advised of any last minute changes.
Buffalo Victim Line - 1-800-320-0682
Fax 716-551-3052
Rochester Victim Line - 1-800-799-6033
Fax 585-263-6226
Training
Our office sponsors periodic victim/witness training throughout the year. Most training is intended for law enforcement, victim advocates, prosecutors, probation officers and judges. The training sessions are one or two day seminars held at various location in Western New York. We have conducted seminars in the past in the following areas: Drug Endangered Children; Combating Child Pornography; Cross Border Investigations: Sharing Cases, Sharing Victims; Using Public Records to Locate Suspects, Witnesses and Victims; Interviewing Children; Stalking & Cyber stalking; Club Drugs & Meth Labs; Advanced Issues in Obtaining & Enforcing Orders of Protection; Continuing Education for Victim Advocates; Investigating Child Exploitation; The Voice of Victims in Corrections; Full Faith & Credit; Hate & Bias Crimes; Collaborative Interventions for Special Victims; and Restitution.
Topics planned for 2007-2008 include Electronic Crimes and Human Trafficking. For information about upcoming conferences, please e-mail our Victim Witness Coordinator Sharon Knope at sharon.knope2@usdoj.gov.
Victim Witness Contacts for the United States Attorney's Office:
Buffalo: Sharon Knope, (716) 843-5700, x828
Rochester: Kim Pettit, (585) 263-6760, x2272