Resources for Prosecutors

Prosecuting sexual assault presents a unique set of challenges compared to other crimes. In an effort to bring awareness to best practices, better equip Texas prosecutors, improve trial outcomes, and ultimately, encourage a more trauma-informed and survivor-centered court system in Texas, the SASTF compiled the following list of resources and training opportunities.

AEquitas

AEquitas is a nonprofit organization focused on developing, evaluating, and refining prosecution practices related to gender-based violence and human trafficking. AEquitas’ mission is to improve access to and the quality of justice through an informed, practical, and innovative approach.

AEquitas Resources on Sexual Violence

Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA)

The Texas District and County Attorneys Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Texas prosecutors and their employees. TDCAA serves its members who work in the district and county attorneys offices of Texas by:

producing comprehensive continuing legal education courses for prosecutors, their investigators, and key personnel
providing technical assistance to the prosecution community and related criminal justice agencies; and
serving as a liaison between prosecutors and other organizations involved in the administration of justice.

TDCAA Books

TDCAA Training Opportunities

National District Attorneys Association (NDAA)

Founded in 1950, the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) is a national, non-partisan non-profit membership association that provides training, technical assistance, and services to prosecutors around the country in support of the prosecution profession. As the oldest and largest association of prosecutors in the country with over 5,500 members, NDAA represents state and local prosecutors’ offices from both urban and rural districts, as well as large and small jurisdictions.

NDAA Learning Center offers regular webinars covering a variety of topics relating to prosecution. Certain webinars are eligible for CLE credit.

University of Texas Austin - Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA)

IDVSA researchers created five evidence-based videos that feature law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates who work daily with sexual assault survivors and leading scholars in the field. The videos discuss issues as diverse as consent, the neurobiology of trauma, and alcohol and drug use. These victim-centered resources were created to enhance coordinated community sexual assault response efforts and build off the original Compendium of Resources on Sexual Assault (CORSA) project.

IDVSA CORSA II (2020)

In 2020, IDVSA researchers completed a comprehensive study on the sexual violence resources available to survivors in Texas. Their findings are present in the Compendium of Resources on Sexual Assault.

Expert Witness Training

University of Texas at Austin's Full Court Press Expert Witness Regional Training project provides expert witness training events to criminal justice professionals and community advocates. The goal of this project is to educate and expand the understanding of cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking within the criminal justice system.

Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI)

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.

SAKI Virtual Academy

SAKI Virtual Academy offers online trainings and resources to help improve jurisdictions’ capacity to investigate, prosecute, inventory, and track sexual assault kits (SAKs) and provide trauma-informed victim services and advocacy.

SAKI Toolkit

The SAKI Toolkit provides a variety of resources regarding evidence tracking, multidisciplinary responses, forensics, engaging victims, victim care, investigation, prosecution, and research/evaluation.

SAKI Webinars

The SAKI TTA program is a webinar series to provide guidance on SAK-related issues including inventory, testing, and tracking of SAKs; training to increase effectiveness in addressing the complex issues associated with unsubmitted SAKs; and providing guidance regarding multidisciplinary coordination, investigation, prosecution, and victim advocacy engagement regarding unsubmitted SAKs.

Other Resources

YouTube: How Sexual Assault Survivors Are Let Down By Our Judicial System | NowThis

This video from Now This News documents the experience of a sexual assault survivor in the California Court System. This young woman faced challenges common to most survivors within the US legal system. In her words, “Despite having an official police report, an incriminating rape kit, and video evidence, it took six months for my case to even get picked up by the District Attorney at the LA County Sex Crimes Unit. In total, it took nearly 4 years, 4 district attorneys, countless status hearings, 2 preliminary hearings, and numerous defense attorneys to finally put my rapist behind bars. My rapist was sentenced to up to 6 years in federal prison and has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. And while my case is seen as a victory in the eyes of our legal system, my story is sadly the minority of cases. I’ve even been told it’s considered to be ‘the best-case scenario.’”

Texas State Auditor’s Office: Audit Report on Investigation and Prosecution Processes for Reported Sexual Assaults in Texas (October 2020)

This report includes victim-centered/trauma-informed practices for engaging victims of sexual assault as a Best Practice and highlights how local LE & DA’s have recognized the importance of their staff receiving training to (1) understand the traumatic experience that a sexual assault can have on a victim and (2) develop the skills needed to avoid further traumatizing a sexual assault victim, such as forensic interviewing techniques.