Victim Services

You do not need an attorney as the victim of a crime in order to participate in the criminal justice system. The prosecutor represents the State of Texas and a crime victim is not considered a party to the criminal case. The prosecutor must enforce the rights afforded to a crime victim under the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights statute, as set out in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

A victim witness counselor is here to help you navigate the criminal justice system and make sure your rights are upheld.

You can track the accused custody status through a system called Victim Information and Notification Everyday (V.I.N.E.) There are two ways to register with V.I.N.E. You can call (877) 894-8463 or you can visit their website: VINE: Victim Information Notification Everyday

In the State of Texas, no person may be prosecuted for a felony offense, unless a grand jury finds there is probable cause to return a true bill (indictment) against the accused. Grand jury proceedings are secretive in nature to protect all parties involved. Prosecutors present the evidence to the grand jury, but are not present when the grand jurors deliberate and vote on whether to issue a true bill (indictment) or no bill (no charge) against an individual. If a true bill is returned, the case may proceed. If there is a no bill (no charge), then the case is dismissed.

If it is an emergency, please call 911. It is important that you report all threats to law enforcement and the assigned victim witness counselor who will notify the assigned prosecutor of the threat.

A victim impact statement is a document that victims and their families can use to record the impact a crime has had on them. The victim impact statement will be used throughout the criminal justice system by the prosecutor, judge, probation office, and parole board, to better understand the emotional, psychological, physical, and financial impact of the crime. Please email DA Victim Services if you would like our office to send you a Victim Impact Statement, or you can submit the Victim Impact Statement online by using the forms below:

• English
• Spanish

The right of allocution allows crime victims and their families to make a brief statement to the defendant in court about how the crime has impacted your life. This statement is made after the defendant has been sentenced for a crime and the defendant is not allowed to question or comment on the statement. You can talk with your assigned victim witness counselor for more information and see if you are eligible.

Before a case may be effectively prosecuted, many things must happen on the law enforcement end including, but not limited to, gathering witness statements, examining digital devices, conducting lab testing, collecting video surveillance and photographs, issuing subpoenas for medical and business records, and following up on additional investigative leads. Once the law enforcement investigation is complete, the prosecutor must review and prepare the case to present to the grand jury. Depending on the complexity of the case, this process may take months from the date of offense. While this may be frustrating, it is essential to the prosecutor that all available evidence has been gathered and that the investigation has been thoroughly conducted before proceeding with a criminal case.

The only court setting where a victim is required to appear is in the event a case proceeds to trial or a hearing and the victim’s testimony is necessary for the State of Texas to prove its case. All other court appearances are discretionary. In most cases, a regular docket setting is rather uneventful. Oftentimes, the prosecutor and the defense attorney have out of court discussions, while they attempt to resolve the case, and the court settings are more administrative than substantive. They dynamic should not be construed as nothing is happening with the case, but rather that both sides are waiting on information from one another, or attempting to gather additional facts for their position to ultimately help resolve the case. In cases involving lab results, such as DNA or drug testing, obtaining the results may take several months, and therefore, court settings will continue to be reset until the results are returned. The best course of action is for a victim to regularly consult with the assigned victim witness counselor for updated information on when it is informative and necessary to attend court settings.

The Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC) Program helps crime victims and their families with the financial costs of crime. To learn more information and see if you may be eligible, please visit the Office of the Attorney General's website.

Property that was taken into evidence by law enforcement during the course of crime can often be returned to you but there are some exceptions. Please know that many times the property cannot be returned until after the case is resolved. You may contact the assigned victim witness counselor for more information.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office is located in the Ronald Earle Building at 416 West 11th Street, Austin, Texas 78701.

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For case docket information, please see Docket Search.

For jail information, visit the Sheriff's Office website.

The criminal courthouse is located in the Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Complex at 509 West 11th Street, Austin, Texas 78701 (Map).

The civil courthouse is located at 1000 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas 78701 (Map).