Comal County district attorney gets grant to hire violence against women prosecutor, victims assistance coordinator

Several Comal County efforts, including the hiring of a violence against women prosecutor and a victims assistance coordinator, will have access to a total of $266,084.26 in grant funding from state and federal sources.

On Oct. 29, the Comal County Commissioners Court approved the acceptance of five grant awards to fund the creation of the two positions and to support the Student and Family Empowerment Program, Accountability Court Program and the Challenge Felony Drug Court Program.

The grants were awarded by the United States Justice Department and the Texas Office of the Governor's Criminal Justice Division to provide funding for local justice programming and personnel, according to county documents.

Of the grants awarded, $73,551.10 came from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Formula Grants to support the salary of a violence against women attorney, and $49,612.42 came from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Victims of Crime Act Formula Grant Program to hire the victim assistance coordinator.

According to the county, the attorney position will be responsible for cases involving victims of sexual assault, stalking, and intimate partner or family violence crimes.

The assistance coordinator will work alongside the attorney and will provide victims with referrals for services; communicate updates on the status of their case; and submit compensation, restitution and expense requests.

Both positions were opened for applications Nov. 5, and the county will close the job posting Nov. 20 before reviewing applications and selecting final candidates.

The remaining grant funds were provided by the Texas Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and included $15,000 for the Student and Family Empowerment Program, $72,833.34 for the Accountability Court and $55,087.50 for the Challenge Felony Drug Court.