Defend Crime Victims' Rights

Crime not only impacts victims and their families but also our communities. Many people have been directly touched by crime. Supporting victims through the criminal justice system can therefore reduce the impact of crime at both an individual and a collective level.

Victims suffer immediate physical and emotional damage as a result of crime. However, the victimization doesn't stop when the actual crime is over. The suffering and effects from being a crime victim can continue throughout the criminal justice process and thereafter, especially for those who have been victims of a violent crime.

 

OCVLC is the only non-profit providing free legal representation to victims of all crimes in all Oregon counties.

 

98% of cases closed in 2015 resolved in favor of our clients!
 

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What Clients Say about OCVLC’s Services

 

“Thank you so very much for all your work on my case. You helped change my world back to being mine again...thank you just doesn't seem like enough. With all my heart and prayers...Thank You!”

“I feel like my attorney is changing this world to be a better and safer place.”

“My greatest thanks for your invaluable support and advocacy during what I know was a very confusing and complicated matter.”

“This is an invaluable service provided for crime victims...You have given me the tools to start the closure I need.”

“They all showed they cared and were concerned for me and my son's safety, and did everything they could to help.”

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How OCVLC Helps Crime Victims

A Vignette of Stories

OCVLC successfully protects rights in one of the first cases tried under Oregon's new 'revenge porn' law

OCVLC was contacted by a woman who wanted to talk to our office about her ex-husband posting nude videos of her on internet porn sites without her permission. During her divorce, the victim and her divorce attorney were aware the defendant still had possession of these videos, which were made during their long-distance relationship for personal use purposes only. At the time the divorce was being dragged out by defendant, Oregon had not yet passed a law making acts of "revenge porn" a crime. In 2016, after Oregon's revenge porn law came into effect, the victim reported to police after she discovered several videos of her were posted on numerous sites. OCVLC assisted her in following up on the investigation and making sure that the prosecuting attorney had all the information they needed to charge the defendant with the crime of Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Images.

Once the criminal case began, OCVLC continued represent the victim and guide her through the criminal justice process. The victim's OCVLC attorney attended a release hearing and argued the defendant's bail should not be lowered - the judge agreed and instead raised the bail amount. The defendant then rejected a plea deal and demanded a trial. Prior to trial, the defendant challenged the statute defining the crime of Unlawful Dissemination, saying it violated his First Amendment rights. OCVLC's attorney filed a brief arguing why the statute was constitutional, as did the prosecutor, and a judge ultimately rejected the defendant's argument.

The victim and her attorney attended meetings with the prosecutor to prepare, and the victim testified at trial. She was asked repeatedly about the history of their relationship and their sex life, and she had to view in open court screenshots of the videos the defendant had put up online. The victim also had to listen to the defendant testify and claim that he felt there was no reason he should have asked for her consent before putting nude videos of her online. The defendant also testified that, despite making statements like "retribution is on the table" to the victim in the past, he had not intended to harm the victim when he put the videos online. The trial was understandably traumatic for the victim, and a reminder of how the defendant treated her during their prior relationship. Throughout the trial, the victim was accompanied by her OCVLC attorney, who helped to answer questions and provide support. The jury returned a verdict and found the defendant guilty of five counts of Unlawful Dissemination. This verdict meant that the jury recognized that the defendant had disseminated the videos with the intent to harm the victim, which resulted in actual humiliation and embarrassment for her.

The defendant will be sentenced by a judge at a hearing scheduled in early December.

 

OCVLC continues to protect victims and their children

A young mother was repeatedly abused by her boyfriend, the father of her child. She knew he was continuing to use drugs and she demanded that he move out of their house for the safety of their child. He began to threaten and harass her, saying he would kill her and himself, showing up at her workplace, following her home at night, and once trying to break into her house in the middle of the night. She obtained a protective order to try to keep herself and her child safe, but her former boyfriend continued to contact her and make threats. She called the police every time he violated the protective order and the case went to the district attorney's office for prosecution. A total of 142 violations were charged over a two-week period. The woman was terrified, both for herself and her child, because her former boyfriend seemed out of control and continued to threaten to kill her. Despite the egregious nature of the charges, the district attorney's office didn't return her phone calls, failed to notify her of a hearing, and did not discuss any possible resolutions to the case. An attorney from OCVLC stepped in to help her and arranged a meeting with the prosecutors and victim advocate. At that meeting the victim was able to tell the prosecutors what she would like to see happen in the case and what type of sentence she would need to feel safe. The OCVLC attorney consulted with the prosecutor and probation to arrange a plea with the defendant that included drug treatment, supervision, and a protective order for the woman and her child. After a lengthy hearing at which the woman was represented by the OCVLC attorney, the defendant pleaded guilty and received the sentence that the woman had hoped for, and that she felt served the best interests of justice as well as her own safety. Later, the woman wrote to OCVLC, "I will be forever grateful for your support and guidance... The work you do is vitally important and has a profound impact. Not everyone can do your work, and especially with such compassion and grace."