CrimeStoppers Happy Hour

Recently, I've gotten two requests from friends to do a notification to our little Criminal Law community, which I'm more than happy to do! If anyone has a event or something big that affects us and we're all invited too, please feel free to let me know.

My good friend Amy Smith e-mailed me yesterday wanting folks from both the Defense Bar and the State to know that they were cordially invited to the CrimeStoppers Happy Hour on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at the Post Oak Grill Midtown (located at 3017 Milam, Houston, Texas 77006) between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

There will be appetizers, drinks, and live entertainment. A $20 donation also includes Crime Stoppers Membership.

Sounds like a good time for a great cause.

(NOTE: Regarding the other announcement I have, it's a really cool event that Jolanda Jones is putting together in October. There's a big attachment and application that comes with it, and I'm still trying to figure out how to post it within the blog. I haven't forgotten, Jo! And if anyone can throw me some technical advice on how to add a link to a two page document in Adobe Acrobat format, it would be greatly appreciated).

Victim Witness' Amy Smith's Q&A Session

Amy Smith of the D.A.'s Office's Victim Witness Division graciously agreed to be the first subject of our Question and Answer Session on the blog (thanks Amy!). We are going to miss you around the CJC.
(NOTE: Please remember if you have any suggestions for who you want interviewed to let me know. Remember, this can end up like voir dire real fast, and only the quiet ones end up on the jury.)

On to the questions!

1. Where are you from originally? Houston

2. How does one get involved in the Victim's Advocacy business? 1st you have to have a compassionate nature and want to help people and be willingly to do it for low pay and a lot of headaches and heartaches. 2nd For this office you need to have a degree in criminal justice, sociology, psychology or social work.

3. What's the most well-known case you've ever worked on? I can't single out a particular case because each case is well known to the victim or their family members so that makes each case special to me and those that I am working with.

4. What was your best moment working in Victim Witness? There was a woman I worked with about 12 years ago that was a victim of several family violence cases and seeing her blossom from a meek, mild and traumatize person into an incredible survivor. She still calls me about once a year and we catch up and it's amazing all she has accomplished.

5. What was your worst? Dealing with the death of Di Glaeser and Diana Maldonado's stroke. It's hard to lose friends and good people.

6. The best thing about dealing with prosecutors on a daily basis is . . . when they have that "aha" moment that victims really do have rights and they start treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve.

7. The worst thing about dealing with prosecutors on a daily basis is . . . talking to the victim that is upset because they have not gotten a return call from the prosecutor

8. I'm most proud of . . . my co-workers in Victim Witness that do an awesome job on a daily basis dealing with all kinds of people, in all kinds of stages of trauma and handling them with grace.

9. The last vacation I took was to . . . I went on a cruise with my family

10. My favorite prosecutor is . . . I'm not touching that question! I would get into too much trouble by too many people for not naming them!

11. My favorite defense attorney is . . .See above

12. The best lawyer I've ever seen in action is . . . Kelly Siegler, her passion for her job, her cases and for the victims in her cases is beyond anything I have ever seen.

13. I've been working helping victims of crime since . . . I graduated from college. My first job was counseling sexual assault victims for a year and then I moved over to the DA's office. So for 20 years I've been in the victim field.

14. If I weren't working in the criminal field, I would like to be . . .A Senator they seemed to have a cool job!

15. The best restaurant Downtown is . . .Hmmm..... depends on the menu item.

16. In my spare time, I like to . . . Hang out with my dog, Maisie

17. The thing I will miss most about the D.A.'s Office is . . . the good hard working, dedicated people

18. The thing I will miss least about the D.A.'s office is . . . the elevators in the CJC!

Thanks again for participating, Amy!

Amy Smith Leaving the D.A.'s Office?!?!?!

Longtime Victim Witness Coordinator Amy Smith is leaving the D.A.'s Office on April 25, 2008 to head to work for CrimeStoppers, much to the sadness of her co-workers at the D.A.'s Office.

Although a certain candidate in the race for D.A. is claiming that she will be establishing a Victim Witness Division if elected, the Division has, in fact, been around for some time now.  Amy and the incredibly kind-hearted people that work with her on a daily basis have been helping the victims of violent crime since before I ever came to work for the Office.

Victim Witness first becomes involved in a victim's life when they send out preliminary letters to victims of all crimes (violent or not), seeking to gather information for Victim Impact Statements that will become relevant in the punishment of any given defendant.

When the case involves a homicide, they make quick efforts to locate the next of kin of the victims and let them know of all services that victims in Texas are entitled to.

While cases are pending, they will respond at a moment's notice when a prosecutor needs someone to help them when they meet with victims.  No seasoned prosecutor would even think about sitting down with the child victim of a sexual assault without a representative of victim witness sitting there with them to assist.

When cases go to trial, Victim Witness will often serve as the host to the victim's families.  Helping them with all their travel arrangements, keeping them updated on what is happening in court, and holding them when they break down.  I can't put into words the job these ladies do on a daily basis, because it is, quite frankly, amazing.

The Office literally could not function without them.  Although it's not a complete list, I know that my job couldn't have been done on many occasions without the work of people like Amy, Alex Moscoso, Diana Maldonado, and Colleen Watkins.  (NOTE:  Speaking of Diana, get well soon and get back to work!)

The job, in and of itself, is amazing.

The people who staff it are even more so.

Amy Smith has served as the leader of that Division since I can remember, and she was the perfect person for it.  Amy has the perfect blend of compassion, caring, and toughness to handle it.  And trust me, it is not a job for sissies.  

Amy's loss from the Office will be immeasurable, and it will certainly be CrimeStopper's gain.

Good luck in all your future endeavors, Amy!

And on behalf of the countless victims of crime that you (and everyone in V.W.) have helped over the years, a simple "thank you" will never be enough.

You all are irreplaceable.