The experience of having to go through a criminal justice system and the trial can be overwhelming. However, the preparation of a victim to go through such a process requires the availability of the necessary information regarding the trial justice system and the trial.
First, it is important for the victim to understand the process of pressing charges. The decision to press charges is based on a prosecutor’s investigation of any crime incidence. There are scenarios when the state fails to continue with a case. In such cases, it is most likely that there is not enough evidence to pin down the offender, or where there are challenges to prove the case based on lack of the capacity of identifying the offender, among other factors.
On the other hand, it is important to understand what happens after pressing the charges. In most of the scenarios, cases involving sexual assault are resolved on the basis of a plea bargain where the perpetrator’s representative and the prosecutor on whether to plead guilty for a chance for the penalty to be reduced.
It is important to stay focused as well as calm during the process of testifying a case. To achieve this, the victim should be aware of their rights as far as the case at hand is concerned. Getting support from various sources can be important to help a victim go through a criminal trial. Such support can be from a well-known individual, a trained advocate, as well as programs within the state that compensate victims of crime. As well, there are courtroom logistics that a victim ought to be aware of including any safety measures to implement.