TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE - PROSECUTORS PRE-COURT PREPARATION OF RAPE SURVIVORS

Little research has been conducted on. the behaviors of prosecuting at torneys and their interactions with rape survivors between charging an d court events. Yet this period, during which Prosecutors Prepare rape survivors for their witness robs, may be crucial for obtaining succes sful convictions. Using intensive interviews with 32 rape survivors an d background interviews with prosecutor, victim witness advocates, and rape crisis workers, I evaluated the nature of directives and informa tion given to rape survivors and the frequency with which directives w ere conveyed before preliminary hearings and court events. I concluded that prosecutors employ 20 modes of preparation to construct rape sur vivors as credible victims for judges and jurors. They orient the rape survivor to the scope of the witness role and her place in the intera ction with legal actors, direct her to enhance the credibility of her story, and enhance the credibility of her self-presentation. Research showed that prosecutors prepared respondents more thoroughly for trial s than for preliminary hearings, but little overall. A large minority of respondents, consequently, reported dissatisfaction with the prepar ation they received. On the basis of the findings, I call for an exten sion of Martin and Powell's ''politics of victim's needs,'' attention to the importance of maintaining a perception of procedural justice am ong rape survivors, and further research into pre-court preparation.