Appellate Advocacy Program

The Oregon DOJ’s Appellate Advocacy Program helps crime victims understand and know their rights, learn about process, find resources and gain access to ongoing legal actions.

Need Immediate Help?

Shelters, Advocacy Programs and Legal Assistance »
To connect with a trained advocate from a domestic violence or sexual assault victim service agency near you, use this link.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline »
Use this link or call 988 for suicide prevention.

State and Federal Rental Assistance »
For assistance with rent, use this link.

County Victim-Assistance Programs» 
To connect with your county District Attorney’s office trained advocate for help navigating the criminal justice system, and understanding your rights, use this link.

Victim Services Resource Page»
For various victim services, use this link.

211 »
Call 211, a confidential number, to be directed to resources for food, housing, utilities, mental health, healthcare expenses and other local resources.

Hate/Bias Crime and Incident Reports »
For information about hate or bias crime and incidents, use this link.

Consumer and Business Fraud»
For information about consumer protection, use this link.

Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral and Modest Means Programs »
Use this link to find an attorney; or call 1-800-452-7636.

Legal Aid »
Find a legal aid office in your county though this link.

PLEASE NOTE: Our staff cannot provide any legal advice or answer any legal questions. This includes providing information about filing for post-conviction relief.

If you need legal assistance the Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service may be able to help match you with an appropriate legal representative. For more information please call toll-free in Oregon at 1-800-452-7636.

Helping Crime Victims Know Their Rights

In most criminal cases, the guilty verdict is only the beginning. Many cases continue on through layers of appeals or are revisited at parole and psychiatric review hearings.

As a victim of crime or a family member of a crime victim, you have rights in the legal proceedings after conviction and sentencing » . One of them is to stay informed or involved in your case as it proceeds after conviction. If you wish to receive updates on your case, we have Victims’ Advocates available to help. For more information, contact the Appellate Advocacy Program at 503-378-4284, or aap@doj.state.or.us.

Compensation Benefits for Victims in the Appeals Process

If you are a victim with a case proceeding through one of the many stages of the appeals process, there may be some additional benefits available to you:

  • Compensation for out of pocket counseling costs related to any new trauma created by these legal actions
  • Travel reimbursement when attending one of these hearings

Before applying, please talk to a victim advocate about eligibility.

Compensation for Victims when their Offender’s Conviction has been Reversed and Remanded back to the County of Conviction

The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that non-unanimous jury decisions are unconstitutional and are no longer considered valid. These cases are often referred to as “Ramos” or “Watkins” cases. Those convictions are reversed and remanded, which means that many cases will be returned to the county of origin for a prosecutorial decision on how to move forward.

In an effort to provide ongoing support to crime victims that are affected by reverse and remand decisions, CVSSD is modifying statutes to add a counseling award, (up to $5,000) for these cases. The counseling benefit is available regardless of whether the case is remanded as a result of this Supreme Court case or some other reason.

If your case is reversed and remanded, please contact the Appellate Advocacy Program.

Contact Us

If you are a victim of crime and the offender has been convicted, and you have questions about the appeal process, please contact the Appellate Advocacy Program at 503-378-4284 or aap@doj.state.or.us.