April 21, 2004
Advocate champions victim rights
Denise Schmuckal helps navigate complex criminal justice system
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Denise Schmuckal's mission is to help confused, scared or hurting crime victims navigate the complex and often overwhelming criminal justice system.
The victims' advocate for the Grand Traverse County prosecutor's office, Schmuckal helps crime victims track court events, explains procedures and happenings and generally provides a safe harbor during a storm. She has been a victims' advocate for 14 years on staff and served for four years prior to that as a volunteer.
Although April 18-24 is National Crime Victims Rights Week, for Schmuckal every day is time to help victims find justice and closure.
"A lot of the time victims know nothing about the system, it's totally different from television," she said. "I navigate them through the whole system and define and explain everything."
"You deal with victims who've never even seen the inside of a courtroom, it's like a foreign planet to them," Schmuckal noted. "I don't know how many times a day I hear, 'I don't know anything about this.'"
Along the way, Schmuckal helps people in the midst of emotional or personal crises. She assists victims of misdemeanors, felonies and domestic violence for all the circuit, district and probate courts in the region. She also works with the drug court and the domestic violence court. She averages 175 victims a month, though that number can fluctuate from 90 one month to 250 another.
"From vandalizing mailboxes to homicide, I provide help for the family," she said.
Christal is one of the crime victims who worked with Schmuckal over a six-month period. Christal, who declined to give her last name, brought charges against her father for child molestation and went through an 18-month process that culminated with a trial in 2000.
"My biological father molested my sister and brother and myself," she said. "It was very odd because we were adult children and none of us had really dealt with it; I came out with it first and my brother and sister later."
Christal had never been in close contact with the legal system and termed it "baffling." Schmuckal's explanations and guidance made a very challenging time a little easier. She also noted that Schmuckal was very patient and helpful with the memory mapping, a crucial component of the case.
"It was five years of abuse and we had to work through the times," she said. "She knows a lot of the law stuff and the facts but she's extremely there for the victims; she will talk, be the kind person, tell the prosecutor when it's time to take a break."
Even after her biological father was convicted and received multiple life sentences, Christal said Schmuckal still was there for support.
"After that [the sentencing] it was a huge blow and one of the only people who said this is a time of grief was Denise," she recalled. "I really appreciated it."
The daughter of a Macomb County Sheriff and the wife of a retired Grand Traverse County Sheriff, Schmuckal said the job can be emotionally and physically taxing at times.
"I'm on call 24/7 so I go out on a lot of different cases, which may mean drownings, suicides, fatal accidents," she said.
Schmuckal credits her husband, Thom, as her source of strength, as well as her deep commitment to help victims of crimes.
"I'm very, very fortunate to have a retired cop for a husband, he's my best friend and knows what goes on," she said. "But I enjoy what I do and I love my job and helping people as much as I can."