The Victim-Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) mails case status letters during key events of the criminal justice system. If you do not receive a letter or still have questions, you may call VWAP at (912) 652-7329 for cases involving adult offenders. You can call the VWAP at Juvenile Court (912) 652-6735 or (912) 652-6702 if the offender is a juvenile.
People receive subpoenas if they ever talked with the police about a crime or traffic incident, or if they saw something involving a crime or traffic incident, or if they reported the crime to police. Receiving a subpoena does not mean you are in trouble. Keep your subpoena so you can call for information or call the Witness Information Line prior to scheduled court appearance. Please have the subpoena in front of you if you call Victim-Witness Assistance so you can provide the needed information for your question to be answered.
If a crime has been reported to the police and it has reached the District Attorney’s office, you as the victim do not have the right to drop the charges. You can call the Victim-Witness Assistance Program of the District Attorney’s Office to explain why you want to drop the charges. If you are being threatened to drop the charges, you need to notify the Assistant District Attorney handling your case.
All crimes are to be reported to the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred. Law enforcement investigates crimes and makes arrests. Then the Assistant District Attorney (prosecutor) presents these charges in court.
Usually you will not be needed but for a day or two. You need to call the Witness Information Line (912) 652-7330 for Superior Court cases and (912) 652- 7327 for State Court cases to find out reporting times. Or you can call the Victim-Witness Assistance Program for further information.
The Georgia crime victim compensation program can help victims of violent crimes with such expenses as medical, counseling, lost wages, funeral expenses and crime scene clean-up. Also those who witness violent crimes may be eligible for counseling expenses. You must report the crime and cooperate with police and prosecution to be eligible. Please contact VWAP or go to cjcc.ga.gov.