Wednesday, December 29, 2010

You'll never remember all the questions you want to ask

So make a list. The more answers you have, the better you'll feel about the process. Don't feel bad asking the ADA or Victim/Witness advocate any question you have no matter how stupid you think it is. Really, it takes some of the terror away. It also makes you feel like you're involved in this, and you are! Without you the ADA can't make their case, they need you to testify! You are important!

I'm meeting the ADA tomorrow to go over what it's going to be like when I have to testify next week. Of course there's still a tiny chance he'll take a plea, but I need to be prepared for the very real possibility that this time next week I will have to tell an open courtroom every horrible detail about what he did to me as a child. I have a list of questions to bring with me.

In the beginning, I didn't write anything down. When I'd get a call from the ADA, I'd forget half of what I wanted to ask and feel too stupid and annoying to call her back and ask for clarification. It's really unnerving to be left uncertain of what's going on. Writing down questions has helped me to significantly cut back on anxiety.

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