Anyone who has sat through a criminal trial or hearing in the 451st District Court likely has seen a set of unsung heroes running in and out, offering a shoulder or a safe transport and so much more to a person often overlooked or forgotten by the public: The victim.
For every criminal charge that’s prosecuted in Kendall County, there’s a person impacted by that crime. Tucked away in the rows of small office spaces in an area on the third floor of the courthouse unfamiliar to most Kendall County residents lies the district attorney’s office, and in two of those spaces are the offices of those who never lose sight of those victims.
Victim advocates Glennda Wilke and Liz Jimenez are the first line of justice and support for those impacted by crimes. They work tirelessly against what seems like an uphill battle against a contradictory state reimbursement program and a lack of centralized government support to get victims connected with the resources they need to both endure the justice process but also to recover from impacts of someone else’s misdeeds.
