The Marine Corps executes a professional Victim and Witness Assistance Program in order to reduce the trauma, frustration, and inconvenience experienced by victims and witnesses of crime; inform victims of their statutory rights; and, assist victims and witness in understanding the military justice process.

Headquarters Battalion's Victim and Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) is designed to ensure victims and witnesses of crime are treated with fairness and dignity and are afforded their rights throughout the criminal justice process – from the first report of a crime through any period of confinement adjudged by a court-martial.

The Marine Corps VWAP instruction is MCO 5800.14

The Marine Corps executes a professional Victim and Witness Assistance Program in order to reduce the trauma, frustration, and inconvenience experienced by victims and witnesses of crime; inform victims of their statutory rights; and, assist victims and witness in understanding the military justice process.

Matthew A. Ruiz, J.D.
Ethics Advisor
Installation Victim Witness Liaison Officer
OSJA, MCRDSD-WRR
Office: 619-524-4095

Victim Rights

• To be treated with fairness and respect for the victim's dignity and privacy.

• To be reasonably protected from the accused.

• To be notified of any decision to dispose of an alleged offense at court-martial, NJP or ADSEP proceedings.

• To be present at all public court-martial, NJP, and ADSEP proceedings, unless the court or legal advisor, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding.  This right does not obligate the government to pay for expenses incurred by the victim to be present.    

• To be reasonably heard at any public proceeding involving release, plea, sentencing, or parole of the accused.  This right does not obligate the government to pay for expenses incurred by the victim to be present.     

• To confer with the attorney for the government in the case.

• To receive information about the conviction, sentence, confinement, and release of the accused. 

• To be notified of the apprehension of an accused, the initial appearance of an accused before a military judge, the release of the accused pending court-martial, any escape of the accused, and the time and location of any trial, NJP, or ADSEP proceedings (including entry of guilty pleas and sentencing).

• To proceedings free from unreasonable delay.

• To receive available restitution.
   

Witness Rights

• To be treated with fairness and respect for the witness’s dignity and privacy.

• To be reasonably protected from the accused.

• To be notified of any scheduling changes that will affect the witness’s appearance at court-martial or ADSEP proceeding.

• To be notified of any decision to dispose of an alleged offense at court-martial, NJP or ADSEP proceedings.

• To be provided information about the resolution of the case to include ADSEP decisions, any punishment awarded to the offender, sentencing, imprisonment and release of the offender, if confined.

• To be notified of the apprehension of an accused, the initial appearance of an accused before a military judge, the release of the accused pending court-martial, any escape of the accused, and the time and location of any trial, NJP, or ADSEP proceedings (including entry of guilty pleas and sentencing).

A Unit Victim and Witness Assistance Coordinator (VWAC) is the command’s primary point of contact for victim and witness assistance matters.  VWACs coordinate victim and witness assistance matters within their unit.  Victims and witnesses should not hesitate to contact their unit’s VWAC for more information, assistance, or to help get in contact with victim and witness assistance services. 

Pursuant to Marine Corps Directives, each office or agency which provides services to victims and witnesses appoints a Victim Witness Assistance Representative and each unit (Battalion and Squadron level and above) appoints a VWAC.  The VWAC and other representatives are responsible for that unit or office’s part of the base VWAP.